Woodblocks of Te Xuyen Pagoda

After hundreds of years of existence, the woodblocks of Te Xuyen Pagoda, Duc Ly Commune, Ly Nhan District have attracted the attention of local researchers and cultural managers. With over 1,550 woodblocks preserved in the pagoda's bookstore, the woodblocks are not only evidence marking a period of existence and the role of spreading Buddhism, but also a priceless heritage for future generations to preserve and keep because of the cultural quintessence converging in each woodblock.

Te Xuyen Pagoda, Duc Ly Commune, Ly Nhan District (also known as Son Mon Te Xuyen Bao Kham) was built during the Ly Dynasty and ranked as a National Historical and Cultural Relic in 1996. In addition to its beautiful landscape and architecture, Te Xuyen Pagoda preserves many valuable and rare artifacts, including Chinese woodblocks carved on ebony wood used to print Buddhist scriptures with content mainly related to Buddhism in Vietnam, including sutras, treatises, and commentaries.

Venerable Thich Thanh Bang, abbot of the pagoda, said that the pagoda was built as a place of spiritual orientation, a place for many famous monks of Northern Vietnam to practice and develop virtue, such as: Venerable Thich Pho Tu, Venerable Thich Doan Hai, Venerable Thich Thong Tien, Most Venerable Thich Tam Tich (former Second Dharma Master of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Council, secular name Nguyen Dinh Khue, dharma name Nhu Son), Venerable Thich Tri Hai (who had great contributions in the revival of Buddhism in Northern Vietnam in the early 20th century), Most Venerable Thich Thanh Bich (former Deputy Dharma Master and Disciplinary Supervisor of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Council, Head of Te Xuyen Bao Kham Mountain Gate)...

Woodblocks of Te Xuyen Pagoda — **View of Te Xuyen pagoda, Duc Ly commune, Ly Nhan district.**

The Buddhist revival ideology of Venerable Thich Tri Hai lasted for many years when the fate of the country and the nation was facing many stormy challenges (from 1924 to the early 30s of the 20th century), the risk of Buddhism increasingly falling into decline and superstition. At that time, he mobilized monks in the Ly Nhan area to establish a Buddhist Association to rectify the Dharma. Te Xuyen Pagoda became a place to propagate Buddhism, the woodblocks of Buddhist scriptures had the conditions to be used and became meaningful, although before that, these woodblocks had been made and performed their functions. Many prestigious monks who became monks here said that the Pagoda was one of the largest Buddhist propagation facilities in the Ha Nam region in the past. The pagoda was small at that time, but it was where poor people sent their children to study and learn from profound Zen masters.

According to the genealogy in the village temple, the pagoda was built during the Ly Dynasty, by Mr. Tran Nham's donation. Over the course of time, the pagoda has been renovated many times. During the reign of King Le - Lord Trinh, there was a daughter in this district who was trusted by the Lord and recruited into the Palace. When she was old, she spent money to renovate the pagoda, bought land for public farming for the two villages of Te Xuyen and Te Cat to cultivate and used money to renovate the pagoda. During the reign of the 9th abbot, Venerable Thich Thanh Bang, the pagoda was once again renovated, spacious and beautiful on a grand scale, worthy of being the ancestral home of prestigious Zen monks.

Meticulously and carefully surveying and counting all the woodblocks currently kept at the pagoda, the professional staff of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that they have recorded all the genres of the engravings. Among the dozens of sutras, laws, treatises, and literary works, there are also many Buddhist prayer petitions, repentance documents, seals hung on the branches of the flagpole, talismans for protecting the house, and documents on Buddhist precepts... Each genre has different values, but all contain unique cultural identities of Vietnamese religion.

For example, in the 13 remaining sutras, the Great Vehicle Buddha's Repaying Grace Sutra (3 volumes, 16 woodblocks) reflects the Buddha's sermon at Ananda's request about the filial duty to parents, serving teachers to prevent the slander of the Six Lawyers. The filial piety of the ancients: Brahman carrying his mother to beg, Subhuti cutting his own flesh to feed his parents to prevent them from starving, Prince Thien Huu burning incense to "repay" to save his parents from blindness. In the 4 volumes of the Amitabha Sutra, the Pure Land is reflected, without suffering, without birth, aging, sickness, death... The world is boundless bliss. Then in the 78 woodblocks of the Diamond Sutra, the Buddhist teachings are reflected, people are advised on the true and good things: In life, one must cultivate virtue, accumulate virtue, do many good deeds, and diligently recite sutras to be liberated. Hundreds of other woodblocks in the sutra genre also have quite profound content referring to medicine, ethics, etc. The value of these sutras guides the human spirit towards certain moral standards, self-cultivation and perfection, building an equal society without crime.

In addition to the sutras, the four Vinayas also have their own value for those who practice meditation: Do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not be rude, do not drink alcohol, do not wear makeup, do not sing, do not sit on high chairs, do not lie on wide beds, do not eat past noon, do not handle money, gold or silver... All the woodblocks are in ancient Chinese characters, engraved in reverse with quite sophisticated and skillful techniques.

Consulting experts in Buddhist culture, sculpture, painting and woodblock carving techniques, many people believe that the birth and existence of these sutra carvings have their reasons. Firstly, looking at the meticulously crafted woodblocks, one can judge many things about the skills and origins of the craftsmen. Secondly, the location of Te Xuyen pagoda is located in the cradle of the most developed carpentry profession in the region with many talented artisans, there used to be groups of craftsmen specializing in building temples and pagodas in the Northern region... Therefore, answering the question of who made these woodblocks can be based on determining that they are local people. The level of Te Xuyen woodblock carving has truly reached a level of sophistication and sensitivity. The woodblocks are carved in a simple style, each side of the board has two pages of books, many pages are interwoven with special images and blocks of Buddha Shakyamuni and Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara sitting on a lotus throne, which have high aesthetic value. The wood chosen for carving was also a very delicate choice, because it is a flexible wood, less prone to warping, and termite-free. According to the stone stele at Te Xuyen Pagoda and the inscriptions on the woodblocks, these woodblocks date back to the Nguyen Dynasty.

Mr. Ngo Thanh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: The existence of these woodblocks contributes to increasing the cultural value of the Te Xuyen pagoda relic. The cultural sector has conducted surveys and inventories and found that many scriptures have lost a large number of woodblocks, and the possibility of recollection is very low. Therefore, the problem of describing, supplementing and selecting for translation is difficult. Of the total of more than 1,000 woodblocks, there are many woodblocks that are bent, warped, cracked, rotten, and broken; some woodblocks have been damaged by mold and have lost their letters. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has developed a conservation plan and is moving forward to propose that the province consider recognizing these woodblocks as a heritage of memory. Venerable Thich Thanh Bang is the abbot of the pagoda.

Jiangnan

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