The Xiangji Temple

现在大家将开始西安南线的旅游，我们下午去香积寺参观。现在我先为大家介绍一下香积寺。

香积寺在西安城南约17．5千米的长安县郭杜乡香积寺村。该寺建于公元706年，是净土宗二世祖善导法师的衣钵弟子怀恽为祭祀善导圆寂而修建的。香积寺建成后成为净土宗的活动中心，因此该寺被视为净土宗发源地。

善导是我国佛教净土宗的主要创始人之一。他生于公元613年，俗姓朱，泗州（安徽北部）人，在公元641年去并州石壁山玄中寺（现山西交城县境内）拜访高僧道绰，归为门下，深谙《观经》奥义。善导于公元681年病故，终年69岁。其弟子怀恽将善导的遗骨安葬在长安终南山麓的神禾塬上，并建立砖塔以示纪念，后来他的弟子在塔周围建立了香积寺。

那么它为何要命名为香积寺呢？

传说“天竺有众香之国，佛名香积”。该寺取名香积寺，意思是把善导法师比做香积佛。香积寺位于潏、滈两河交汇的神禾塬西端。唐代诗人王维曾游过此寺，留有《过香积寺》五言律诗：“不知香积寺，数里入云峰。古木无人径，深山何处钟。泉声咽危石，日色冷青松。薄暮空潭曲，安禅制毒龙。”这首诗描绘了寺院环境的幽静宜人。

寺内的善导塔是公元680年修建的。塔由青砖砌成，平面正方形，为仿木结构。塔原为13级，因年久残毁，现存11级，高约33米。塔身周围保存有鞍形的12尊半裸石佛像，雕刻精巧，实为珍品。

香积寺在唐代曾盛极一时。怀恽召集四方僧众多次在寺内举行隆重祭祀。唐高宗李治曾赠佛舍利千余粒，还有百宝幡花，令其供养。武则天和唐中宗母子多次亲临膜拜。

唐代的善导塔现已做了整修，塔内有木梯直通塔顶。新修大殿内安放着日本友人赠送的善导大师像、供桌、铜磬、木鱼等。殿前安置着他们赠送的石灯。大雄宝殿前10棵苍劲的柏树，象征着中日两国人民间的友谊像松柏一样万古常青。

今天的行程就在这结束了。明天我们的行程会有点紧，所以请大家今晚好好休息。

Now we will start our trip in the south of Xian．This afternoon we will go to visit the Xiangji Temple．Now I will introduce this temple to you．

The Xiangji Temple is located in Xiangji Temple Village of Changan County，which is 17．5 kilometers south of the City of Xian．The temple was built in 706 AD by Monk Huaiyun，in commemoration of the death of his master，Shandao，the heir to the founder of the Jingtu（Pure Land）Sect of Buddhism．It later became the center of the Jingtu Sect and was considered to be 1st birth place sect．

Born in 613 AD in Sizhou（in the north of Anhui Province）from a family named Zhu，Shandao was one of the chief founders of the Jingtu Sect in China．In the year 641 AD he became a disciple of Master Daochuo at the Xuanzhong Temple on the Shibi Mountain in Bingzhou（now Jiaocheng County of Shanxi Province）．There he later became remarkably versed in Guanjing，a Buddhist classic．He died of illness at the age of 69in 681 AD．The location of the present Xiangji Temple was the place where upon his death his disciple Huaiyun and others buried his remains and built a brick pagoda in memory of him．

Why is it called the Xiangji Temple？

According to legend，India was a place of incense.The temple was therefore named Xiangji，meaning the Temple of Incense，and Master Shandao was likened to the Buddha of Incense.Situated at the western end of the Shenhe Plateau where the Ju and Hao rivers converge，the temple offers tranquility and elegance and was highly praised in a verse by Wang Wei，a famous Tang poet，who once passed by the temple：

Whereabouts of the temple you query，

High into the clouds there it emerges.

With shadowed paths untrodden，

The bells ring in the deep valley.

While the spring waters tinkle，

The sun bathes the pine trees.

And when the tambourine sounds over the dusk pool，

Dhyana skills the evil dragon.

The Shandao Pagoda in the temple dates back to 680 AD in the Tang Dynasty.Built of blue bricks，this square pagoda is modeled after the wooden structure.The vicissitudes of time have reduced the once 13－storied pagoda to 11.Now it is about 33 meters high.Around the pagoda are 12 saddleshaped，half－naked stone Buddhas.They show marvelous workmanship in sculpture and have proven themselves to be rare treasures.

The temple was important during the Tang Dy nasty.There Huaiyun often summoned the monks and believers from various parts of the country to of fer sacrifices to Buddha.Emperor Li Zhi once be stowed 1 000 Buddhist relics and embroidered streamers to the temple to be enshrined there.Em peror Li Xian and Empress Wu Zetian often came to the temple to pay homage to Buddha.

Since the Tang Dynasty the Shandao Pagoda has been repaired.A wooden flight of stairs was built to reach the top.In the newly－built Great Hall of the Buddha of the temple there is a statue of Shandao，a sacrificial table，apair of brass Buddhist percussion bells，and a wooden fish（also a percussion instrument）.They were presents from Japanese friends. In front of the temple stand stone lamps.They are also gifts from Japanese friends.The ten towering cypress trees in front of the Great Hall of the Buddha symbolize the everlasting friendship between the Chinese and the Japanese people.

We have finished today's trip.Tomorrow our trip will be busy，so you'd better have a good rest tonight.

快乐旅途

一秒钟与100万美元

A Second and a Million Dollars

一男子进入教堂和上帝对话，他问：“主啊，100万美元对你意味着多少？”上帝回答：“一便士。”男子又问：“那一百万年呢？”上帝说：“一秒钟。”最后男子请求道：“上帝，能给我一便士吗？”上帝回答：“过一秒钟。”

A man goes to church and starts talking to God.He says，“God，what is a million dollars to you？”and God says，“A penny.”Then the man says，“God，what is a million years to you？”

and God says，“A second.”Then the man says，“God，can I have a penny？”and God says，“In a second.”