Review of the Space Environment Construction of Mountainous Temples in Northern Shaanxi

Although Shaanxi is one of the birthplaces of China＇s Buddhism and Taoism, and temples are extensively distributed across the region, there is not much research on the temple gardens. This is especially true in the Northern Shaanxi area where has harsh natural environmental conditions. Here, a number of mountain temples reflect the constructional wisdom of the ancient monks and conform to the Chinese classical garden. The space environment of Buddhist temples, Taoist temples and the celebrity temples tiiat are both in good condition and located in the mountainous envitonment are taken as the object of this research. In addition to the analysis of examples, a systematic review of the distribution, site selection and space construction of mountain temples in Northern Shaanxi is performed, to provide references for the space environment construction of modem temples or gardens.

Emergence of Temple Centered Society in Early Bihar： Mundesvari Inscription a Case in Point

In the early medieval economic and social circumstances religious centers developed in Bihar, which further led to the construction of temples by the rulers as well as by the locally powerful communities. It must be noted that these temples were not as gigantic or of great artistic value either as compared to the Buddhist monasteries of contemporary Bihar. The reason behind this was probably the fact that the Buddhist monasteries were built by the state or supported directly by them as well as patronized by the rich business community. On the contrary, few of the Brahamanical structures were getting these advantages and they were having support of the local followers. From the various excavation and exploration reports by archaeologists, temple structures of this period have been reported very often. But the ancient historiography of Bihar obsessed with the Buddhist, Jaina and other heterodox monuments, has tended to just ignore it. The question why such a large number of temples came up during this period, which is spread over the whole of modem Bihar, particularly near the important Buddhist sites, was never posed. Moreover, the question why the Pala rulers who were known for their Buddhist inclination later extended critical support to Brahmans has also remained unaddressed.

北京崇圣寺小考

<正>'崇圣',即'崇奉神圣'之意,满语读作'enduringge be wesihulembi'(将神圣者来尊崇)~①。'崇圣'为我国古代寺祠坛庙的常见名,唯所崇之'圣'具体有别,如大理的崇圣寺(佛教)、历代帝王庙内的景德崇圣殿(中华先王)、国子监中的崇圣祠(孔子),等等。北京地区以'崇'字命名的寺院极为普遍,仅在今西城区境内即可见崇效、崇寿、崇兴寺等,但以'崇圣'为寺名并保存至今者目前仅见此一家。