Wat Bamphen Chine Prote
วัดบำเพ็ญจีนพรต
永福寺
About
Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot is a Buddhist temple located in Yaowarat district. Founded in 1795 by Chinese settlers, it is said to be the oldest Mahayana Buddhist temple in Bangkok. The temple was originally named Yong Hok Yi in Teochew dialect (in Mandarin Yongfusi) In 1887, King Chulalongkorn bestowed a new name to the temple, Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot, by which it has been known in Thai ever since.
Epigraphic Materials
Central Altar
Three Buddhas
Traditional Chinese temple halls often feature three Buddha images, traditionally Gautama Buddha, Baisajyaguru Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. This is visually representative of the concept of trikaya (lit. “three bodies), a Mahayana Buddhist teaching about the nature of reality and Buddhahood. Trikaya teaches that the Buddha has three bodies:
- Nirmanakaya (“Appearance Body”) a physical manifestation, usually depicted as Siddhartha Gautama
- Sambhogakaya (“Enjoyment Body”) the divine Buddha. In Chinese Buddhism this is when a bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, and is associated with bodhisattvas such as Amitabha, Vajirasattva, and Manjushri.
- Dharmakaya (“Dharma Body”) ultimate truth, Buddha-nature (tathata; tathagatagarbha), emptiness (shunyata). Transcending all physical and spiritual forms, it is commonly associated with Vairocana.
Earlier Buddhism taught the distinction between Dharmakaya and Nirmanakaya. Mahayana Buddhism introduced the concept of Sambhogakaya and the trikaya doctrine was systematised by the Yogacara school around 300 CE. There also exist variants of trikaya, such as the Three Mysteries in Japan and the Three Vajiras in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.
(Left Buddha) Bhaisajyaguru is a bodhisattva who gained Buddhahood and is revered in Mahayana Buddhism as the Buddha of healing and medicine. While early texts appear from northwest India, in the 7th century CE, Bhaisajyaguru was introduced to China by the monk Xuanzang. The image at Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot is depicted seated in a double lotus position with both soles facing up (Padmasana). Bhaisajyaguru is often depicted holding a medicine jar or pot, but the image at Wat Bamphen does not, instead holding the vitarka mudra (teaching pose) with its right hand. However, instead of the usual forefinger and thumb, the image holds its ring finger and thumb together. In yoga, this is the prithvi mudra, a gesture of the earth element. However, as a Buddhist vitarka mudra, it can be a variant symbolising great fortune.
(Middle Buddha) Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni) was the original founder of Buddhism who lived during the 5th century (Harvey). His traditional biography tells of his early life as a prince of the Shakya clan in modern-day Nepal who gave up his royal life to live as an ascetic before gaining enlightenment. Pictorially, the earliest images of the Buddha were symbolic, such as a footprint or Bodhi tree. Images of the Buddha in human form became widespread after the first century CE. Hellenistic art had a strong influence on the depictions of Central Asian Buddhism, which subsequently spread the influence to East and Southeast Asia. The Shakyamuni Buddha in Wat Bamphen sits in a double lotus position with both soles facing up (Padmasana) and holds a dhyana mudra (meditation pose) with its hands.
(Right Buddha) Amitabha is a Buddha revered in the Pure Land branch of Mahayana Buddhism, popular in East Asia. Originally a bodhisattva Dharmakara who attained Buddha-hood, Amitabha vowed to create a “Pure Land” (buddhaksetra) and guaranteed there the rebirth of anyone who invoked his name. The doctrine’s wide acceptance helped it gain popularity in Mahayana Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism first spread from Gandhara to China, where it melded with traditional Confucianism and Taoism, before spreading to Central and East Asia. Amitabha has a varied iconography, with variants both for versions alone or accompanied. The image at Wat Bamphen depicts Amitabha seated in the double lotus position with both soles facing up (Padmasana) and holding the vitarka mudra (teaching pose). However, instead of the usual forefinger and thumb, the image’s middle finger and thumb are together. In yoga, this is the shunya mudra, a gesture of emptiness and the void. However, as a Buddhist vitarka mudra it can be a variant symbolising great compassion.
Supplementary Figures
(Figure left of three Buddhas) Mahakasyapa was one of the Buddha’s principle disciples and regarded as an arhat or arahant, having achieved enlightenment. Mahakasyapa succeeded the Buddha after his death and is associated with monasticism, ascetic values, and helping establish a Buddhist orthodoxy. Mahayana iconography often depicts Mahakasyapa flanking Buddha on the left side, along with fellow disciple Ananda on the right, the earliest depictions originating in Greco-Buddhist art. The Mahakasyapa figure at Wat Bamphen stands holding the anjali mudra (reverence pose).
(Figure right of three Buddhas) Ananda was one of the Buddha’s principle disciples and his attendant. He is associated with helping establish the bikkhuni (Buddhist nun) order. Ananda is often portrayed as a contrasting foil to the Buddha and Mahakasyapa. Mahayana iconography often depicts Ananda flanking Buddha on the right side, along with fellow disciple Ananda on the left, the earliest depictions originating in Greco-Buddhist art. The Ananda figure at Wat Bamphen stands holding the anjali mudra (reverence pose).
(Many-armed golden figure in front of three Buddhas) Cundi is a female bodhisattva popular in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. Originally a form of the Hindu goddess Parvati, Cundi became incorporated into Buddhism as a form of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Cundi was popular during the Tang Dynasty as part of the Chinese Esoteric tradition and continued in popularity as more teachings from different sects were adopted in China. Cundi is most commonly depicted with eighteen arms, though forms with sixteen, six, and four arms exist.
(Front left figure, left of Cundi) The Sangharama or Garanshin are a class of deities in East Asian Buddhism charged with protecting temples and monasteries. Originally multiple deities, in Chinese Buddhism, the Sangharama is often portrayed as the singular Garan bodhisattva in the form of the traditional Chinese god Guan Yu. This practice emerged in Tiantai Buddhist monasteries. As Sangharama, Guan Yu is often depicted with weapon drawn and flanked to the right by his counterpart Skanda (see: Skanda).
In front of the three Buddha statues are also a white Buddha figure in Burmese military style, three metalwork Buddhas in early Rattanakosin style, and two boy Buddha statues.
Eighteen Arhats (Luohan)
In Chinese Buddhism, 18 arhats, enlightened followers of the Buddha who have achieved nirvana, are revered, known in Chinese as Luohan. Originally ten disciples, the number increased to sixteen (where it traditionally remains in Japan) and then eighteen during the Tang Dynasty, with the addition of Maitreya and Mahakasyapa. The first portraits of the Luohans come from the monk Guanxiu in the 9th century, and his imagined characteristics for each of the arhats has become the basis for most depictions. Generally, however, the exact roster and order of the Luohans is variable.
Chinese Folk Religion Pantheon
Xuantian Shangdi, a.k.a Xuanwu or Xuandi, is a deity revered in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. Originally worshipped in northern China and Mongolia, migration of Han Chinese spread his cult southward and overseas. In Thailand he is known as Chao Pho Suea. Xuanwu is often depicted with a sword in his left hand, his left foot stepping on a turtle, and his right leg stepping on a snake.
Guan Yu or Guan Di was a military general who served under the warlord Liu Bei of the Eastern Han Dynasty in the third century CE. He was later deified in the 6th century Sui Dynasty, and his glorified life was immortalised in the 15th century Ming Dynasty novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Associated with loyalty and righteousness, Guan Yu is revered in Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism. He is often depicted with a red face and long beard.
Statues of the Chinese pantheon of deities and mythological figures, the major ones being from left to right: Hua Tuo, a revered physician, Caishen, a god of wealth, and Tai Sui, the personification of the stars opposite Jupiter. These gods are commonly revered in folk religion and Taoism. Their names are written in Thai transliteration of Teochew dialect.
At the Temple Entrance
A figure of Maitreya Buddha in the form of Budai. Maitreya is regarded as the final Buddha who is prophesied to appear on Earth in the future. The earliest texts and cults emerge from the 3rd century CE. Maitreya is the only bodhisattva revered in Theravada. In Mahayana, he is often depicted in the form of Budai, a Chinese monk who lived in the 10th century. Budai is often depicted as a fat, bald monk wearing a simple robe and carrying a cloth sack symbolising prosperity. He is known in China as the Laughing Buddha and in the West as the Fat Buddha. Budai is revered in Chan Buddhism of Mahayana.
Skanda is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism regarded as the guardian of monasteries. In Chinese temples, Skanda usually faces the Buddha statue unarmed and holding the anjali mudra (reverence pose) though in versions armed, he is usually flanked to the left by his counterpart Sangharama. In traditional depictions Skanda is dressed in the armour of a Chinese general. He rests on (though in some forms wields) a vajra, a mythological club-shaped weapon symbolising thunder, and wears a flowing armillary sash, a sartorial motif also seen depicated on Chinese deities such as Ne Zha.
Group Members
James Jullapong Sintumat 6427648016
Lalitpat Yuampai 6427648040
Alexander Antonio Weiner 6427648008
References
Chamberlain, J. (1987). Chinese Gods.
Habito, R. L. F. (1986). The Trikaya Doctrine in Buddhism. Buddhist–Christian Studies, 6, 52. https://doi.org/10.2307/1390131
Harvey, P. (1990). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge University Press.
Welch, P. B. (2008). Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery. Tuttle Publishing.
Wolfe, F. (1997). Epigraphic Materials in Thailand.
Location
Address: Wat Bamphen Chin Phrot (Wat Yong Hok Yi)
Soi Yaowarat 8 (Trok Tao), Samphanthawong Subdistrict, Samphanthawong District, Bangkok.
© 2022 All Rights Reserved.
