【 僧伽林公園禪修林 --- 小普陀山禪修公園中英文簡介 】

所謂「普陀山」，乃梵音Potalaka（Potala、Potaraka）的簡略音譯，標準音譯為「補怛落迦山」，又作補陀洛山，亦簡稱洛山，為觀音菩薩應跡之聖地。「補怛落迦」意譯為光明之樹，因該山之小樹花白而常有光明甚香悠遠，以此表觀音菩薩「大悲光明、普門示現」之意，山因樹得名，故又稱為光明山、小白花山或小樹蔓莊嚴山。又補怛落迦在古代梵語中亦有船或港之意，此表補陀洛山當距海港甚近，或即是離海港不遠之海中島嶼。故相傳此山位於印度南方海上，山中充滿奇珍、異石、流泉、池沼，雲氣氤氳、林木疊翠、花香馥郁、華果盈滿，極為清淨莊嚴，多有聖賢居住其中。山頂有池其水澄淨流出大河，周流繞山而入海南，池側有石天宮，乃觀自在菩薩往來遊捨之寶所。欲見菩薩者須發大願心，涉水跋山忘其艱險始能到達，《華嚴經》中善財童子遊行南方時，嘗入此山謁見菩薩。佛教大乘經典，如：《阿彌陀佛大思惟經》、《千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經》等，皆佛陀於此石天宮中所說。


公園始建於民國八十一年，翌年農曆八月十五日落成，歷時一年餘。名「小普陀山」，正以「補怛落迦山」為藍本，更配《法華經》及天台宗相關之造景。望透過此景致之默化，體現菩薩圓通應化之殊勝境界外，更使遊者同感《法華經》中唯佛一乘之精神，並啟發隨學天台教觀之好樂。故園中聖像、偈語、奇石、飛瀑、流泉、池沼、小橋、曲徑、亭台、樓榭、石洞等景，皆有其寓意。或綠徑通幽、或登高遠望、或低首穿行、或舉目登升，花木扶疏綠茵遍地、荷蓮錦鯉奇木異禽，高低蜿蜒起伏有致、景象萬千不拘一格，常有柳暗花明、瞻之在前忽焉在後的妙境呈現。經行其間，樹芬花香、鳥鳴蟲喧、泉流涓涓，氣清神暢，遠山白雲現、瀑聲幽靜顯，法義處處提斯、聖景時時護念，誠謂蕩滌心靈之勝境、禪觀冥思之寶地。

園區始自山門終至菩薩院，佔地約一甲半，略述其景主要有：二十四奇山、洗心池、寶珠石、滌塵橋、妙蓮池、佛性洞、拜經亭、五味峰、靈山台、三諦石、三觀橋、百界洞、千如洞、圓通亭、觀心湖、藥草坪、普門徑、化城域、說法境、三聖嚴、涅槃路、六即亭、接引道、般若船、龍首觀音......等。入園者除可循近途逕轉入雨花殿而登於大雄寶殿外，亦可經行全區，途中或尋靜謐安穩之所歇息禪思片刻，此即取名「禪修」之意。惟無論經行全區或徑路徇出，皆可作轉心生敬以趣寶殿之前行，可謂化六塵緣影之幻境，為修心利生之善巧。願來園者皆稟虔誠敬穆之心，同遊菩薩大悲普化之境，則一舉手一投足，皆共成佛道焉。

唐代詩人「常建」一詩用於形容「禪修公園」甚是貼切，曰： 清晨入古寺，初日照高林。 曲徑通幽處，禪房花木深。 山光悅鳥性，潭影空人心。 萬籟此俱寂，惟聞鐘磬音。

時維

佛曆二五五三年 立冬 台裔沙門 法藏起德起融 謹識

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A Brief Introduction to Little Potalaka Meditation Park

The Chinese “Pu-to-shan” is a shortened sound translation of Potalaka (Potala or Potaraka) in Sanskrit. The correct sound translation in Chinese should be “Potalaka Shan (Mount).” It is supposed to be the shrine sacred to the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin (Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit). Potalaka literally means “bushes of light,” because the Mount is characterized by many bushes with fragrant white blossoms and eternal boundless light. The name is attributed to the Bodhisattva to honor His “Boundless Light of Great Compassion” as well as “Enlightening the sentient beings with unlimited ways.” The Mount is known for its bushes of light and thus is named Mount of Light, Mount of Little White Blossoms, or Mount of Magnificent Bushes. In ancient Sanskrit, Potalaka also means “boat” or “harbor,” which means Potalaka is not far away from some harbor, or an island near some harbor. Hence, legend has it that the Mount is located somewhere off Southern Indian coast. It is abundant with rare treasure, unique rocks, springs, ponds and pools—a magnificent pure land blessed with brooding fog and vapor, green trees lining around, fragrant flowers and blossoms, and sparkling abundant fruits. It is also a resort for a lot of sages and saints. On top of the Mount is a crystal pond flooded with water that becomes a winding river around the Mount and runs down the south of the Mount into the sea. Beside the pond is the Bodhisattva-creating Stony Palace, where the Bodhisattva dwells. Those who desire to see the Bodhisattva have to make a great vow for undertaking a challenging journey full of risks characterized by dangerous mounts and waters. In Flower Adorment Sutra, Sudhana is said to travel into the Mount to pay homage to the Bodhisattva during his quest for wisdom around the South. Several Mahayana Buddhist Scriptures such as Amitabha Buddha’s Great Thinking Sutra and Great Dharani (Great Compassion Mantra) Sutra were supposed to be lectured in this Stony Palace. The construction of the Park started in 1992 and was completed on August 15th (in the lunar calendar) the next year. The design of the Park, as it is rightly named, is mainly based on Potalaka, and the cosmology of The Lotus Sutra as well as some theories of Tien-Tai School, aiming to visualize the wonderful state of how the Bodhisattva employs His perfect wisdom to benefit the sentient beings as well as to illuminate for the spectators the ideal of One-Buddhayana in The Lotus Sutra. Ultimately, the spectators will be hereby inspired to a zeal for learning Tien-Tai School. Therefore, all objects and scenes in the Park have their symbolic meanings, such as statues of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, hymns, unique rocks, waterfalls, springs, ponds, mini-bridges, winding paths, pavilions, and caves. Strolling around the Park, the visitors could experience a sense of wonder while tracing some tree-lined paths that lead to other spectacular and ethereal scenes, climbing up to a site for overlooking the Park, crossing some paths with their heads lowered, or ascending some paths with their eyes looking up. As far as they could see are green grasslands embroidered with various flowers, bushes, and trees, and colorful carps swimming in the ponds embellished with blooming lotus, and rare birds sitting on unique perches. The whole landscape in the Park displays a labyrinthine view that creates some magic microcosmic visual effect for the visitors while they are ascending and descending the winding paths. The scenes are sometimes evading and blurring as the spectators walk around. People can easily fall into state of sublime or serenity by indulging themselves in the fragrance of the blossoms and flowers, the scent of trees and bushes, singing of insects and birds, or the murmuring sound of the waterfalls and springs, while gazing at the clouds floating over the mountains in the distance. Unconsciously, the spectators seem to be initiated into the essence of the Dharma, which manifests itself at every site and every scene in the Park. The Park is thus truly a blessed land of meditation and spiritual purification.

The Park extends from the gate of the Monastery to Bodhisattva Abode, with an area of approximately 3.6 acres. Its main scenes of special tourist attraction are listed as follows: 24 Unique Mounts, Purgation Pond, Precious-Ball Rock, Earthliness-Purging Bridge, Wonderful Lotus Pond, Buddhahood Cave, Sutra-Bowing Pavilion, Five-Flavor Peak, Vulture Peak Platform, Threefold-Truth Rock, Three-Insight Bridge, Hundred-Suchness-Realm Cave, Thousand-Suchness Cave, Perfect Wisdom Pavilion, Mind-Observing Pond, Herbal Land, Unlimited Enlightening-Access Path, Manifested Realm, Dharma-Teaching State, Three-Saint Cliff, Nirvana Path, Six Bodhisattva-Stage Pavilion, Initiation Way, Prajñặ Boat, Kuan-Yin with Dragon-Head, etc. Visitors to the Park can either take the short-cut by proceeding to Heavenly Falling-Flower Hall that leads to the Main Hall of the Monastery, or stroll through the whole Park. Meanwhile, they could try to stop by a serene site in the Park according to their preference to do a short meditation. And this is why this Park is named “Meditation Park.” No matter which path the visitors take, the short journey around the Park could become a preliminary pilgrimage in which the visitors cultivate a sentiment of revere toward the Buddha/Dharma/Sangha before they finally proceed to the Main Hall. Hence, the Park happens to offer a good access to transforming the delusion caused by six fields of senses into a motivation for undertaking spiritual cultivation and benefiting the sentient beings. Hopefully, all the visitors to the Park are well motivated and full of revere to start a quest for the blessed Bodhisattva land so as to consummate the Buddhahood.

Winter, 2000 (2553, in the Buddhist Calendar) Tien-tai Bhikkhu, Shih Fa-tsang