千年古寺重光周古寺香火重升
Zhougu Temple Reopened
农历九月初九，即10月5日位于河南省荥阳市的千年古寺, 周古寺在不到一年的修复后香火又冉冉升起.来自海内外居士信众3万余人参加了当天的开光仪式。
周古寺始建于西周初年，其前身是祭奠“华宿”、“女娲”、“伏羲”的场所，当时称之为“华祖祀”，后 来变成皇家祭祀场所，改名为“周古祀”。
两汉时期，佛教传入中国，在洛阳建造中国第一座寺庙, 白马寺。东汉章帝章和年间（公元87～88年），白马寺僧人到“周古祀”朝拜后，在“周古祀”旁边建 了一座佛寺，取名叫“周古寺”。
北魏菩提达摩在去往嵩山闭关修行的路上，曾到周古寺小住。同时，祖籍荥阳的慧可法师，在继承 达摩祖师禅法衣钵之后，又重回此地弘法布道。
少林寺方丈永信等诸位法师洒净
周古寺方丈释延阔大师
各庙方丈为风调雨顺、国泰民安、江稷永固、世界和平祈祷
匈牙利前总理迈杰希为与众法师弥陀殿培土奠基
On September 9, 2013 in Chinese Lunar Calendar (October 5 in Western Calendar), Zhougu Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple with thousand year’s history in Xingyang City, Henan Province, was reopened to the public after a renovation project that lasted for nearly one year.
Over 30,000 Buddhists at home and abroad attended the consecration ceremony.
Zhougu Temple was built in early Western Zhou Dynasty (11th Century – 771 B.C.). It used to be a temple named “Hua Zu” that offers sacrifices to “Hua Su”, “Nu Wa” and “Fu Xi” (gods and goddess in Chinese mythology). Later, it became an imperial temple and changed its name to “Zhou Gu”.
When Buddhism was introduced into China in Western and Eastern Han Dynasty (202 B.C – 220 A.D.), White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, was built in Luoyang City. During the reign of Zhang Emperor in Eastern Han Dynasty (87 – 88 A.D.), monks of White Horse Temple paid religious homage to “Zhou Gu” and built a Buddhist temple, “Zhou Gu Temple” next to it.
In Northern Wei Dynasty (368 – 534 A.D.), when Bodhidharma went to Mount Song to practice Buddhism, he used to live in Zhougu Temple for a short period of time on his way to Mount Song. During the same period, Monk Huike, who was Bodhidharma’s disciple, returned to his hometown, Xingyang City, to promote Buddhist doctrines there.
On the photos:
Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple, performs the Water Purification Ceremony with Buddhist monks
Shi Yankuo, abbot of Zhougu Temple
Abbots of Buddhist temples pray for the prosperity of China and world peace
Dr. Peter Medgyessy, Former Prime Minister of Hungary, attends the foundation stone laying ceremony with Buddhist monks
