A magistrate once planned to rebuild two neighboring temples within the county. He aimed to educate and enlighten the people.
A public notice was issued to inform the people about the temple’s renovation challenge. This notice attracted many bidders. After a thorough screening, two groups were selected: artisans and monks.
The county magistrate outlined the expectations and rules surrounding this competition. He said: “Each participating group will be required to renovate a temple, and the government will supply all the necessary equipment and tools. Equally, the work must be completed within the day. On completion, the renovations will be judged, and the winning team will be awarded a prize.”
Craftsmen vs. monks
The team of craftsmen immediately gathered a large number of tools, along with some well-chosen colorful paints and brushes. The team worked tirelessly on renovating the carvings and painting the walls. After completion, the temple was restored to its most glorious state — showcasing carved dragons, beautiful paintings, and golden walls.
On the other hand, the second team, consisting of monks, had only requested equipment such as buckets of water, rags, and soap. This team tirelessly scrubbed and cleaned the age-old grime from the established temple structure, ornaments, and glass. The result revealed a cleaner, refreshed structure and brightened glass — paying homage to its original and humble splendor.
Dazzling vs. subtlety
By sunset, the work was completed. This was also the critical time when the judges were to reveal the winning team. As the judges gazed at the temples, the light from the sunset sky reflected a dazzling color display emanating from the craftsmens’ temple. In contrast, the monks’ temple reflected a soft, but not harsh, quiet, but not noisy, subtle, but not obvious, natural, but not pretentious noble quality. The dazzling colors of the craftsmens’ temple strongly contrasted with the original colors of the monks’ temple.
The function of a temple has been stated to be — a home or refuge for the soul and a place for the purification of the soul. To achieve this role, the image should be simple and dignified, guiding the good men and women to go back to the basics — to achieve inner peace so that they can perceive a wider world and realize higher truths. If it is too ornate, the focus will be misplaced, and its true function will be lost.
The proper function of a temple
As in the case of the above renovation competition, each team highlighted their ability to honor what is in its natural state and become part of it or become the master of it and embellish it with their interpretations. Monks and craftsmen differ in their understanding of the proper function of a temple when it comes to renovating old, established temples.
There are many sounds and images in Heaven and on earth that we cannot easily perceive. To recognize them, we must reach a state of inner calm, self-restraint, and a conscious presence of being in the moment.
Ask yourself — “How much time do I spend being mentally and physically conscious or aware of my surroundings?”
For instance, can you hear — heavenly sounds? The sound of wind, rain, leaves, insects, birds, and even the absence of sound is a sound.
“How often have you observed the many colors in the surrounding landscape — gardens, mountains, rivers, and the changing four seasons?” “What beautiful flowers and vegetation surround you daily?”
Notice how even the clouds in the sky and the local streams have their beauty.
These can only be perceived when your heart is clear and your mind is quiet and present.
