Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar MRT Station
Source: Chinese Temples
It all started when I asked my colleagues about icon village. Then I realise that there is something interesting hidden in the city too.
Icon Village. I did not expect it to be a tall residential building with a mini shopping centre at ground level. Had lunch in a Jap restaurant there.
Seng Wong Beo Temple is dedicated to the Cheng Huang, the patron deity that protects the city and is responsible for guiding the dead into the underworld. Thus, what makes it different from other temples is it conducts ghost marriage.
According to Taoist belief, the rules in Hell permit only the married to eat at the table. Children and the unmarried could only eat under the table. For that reason, the spirit of miscarried foetuses and the unmarried would not be able to receive offerings made on family altars. A ghost marriage has to be conducted to upgrade their status and meal tickets in Hell.
Ghost marriages are usually conducted when the dead appear to their living relatives, seeking their help to find them a match. Though rituals conducted at ancestral altars, the dead were introduced to each other. The success of the match is determined by the casting of lots and interpretation of dreams.
Source: here
On the way back, saw the orchid motifs on the flats. Lovely!
Travel Details:
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar MRT Station
Beside Maxwell Hawker Centre (Yummy food!) or Red Dot Design Museum
It was kinda fated the day I planned to visit Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum as I pondered how to go. Then colleagues brought me to Maxwell for lunch and I saw the museum just at the other end. Hmm I'm so close to Chinatown.
.On the way I saw the Red Dot Design Museum and got curious about it.
Here is the red dot. Full stop! (haha)
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. I admit the design is very extravagant (reminded me of Kyoto Kinkakuji Temple - Golden Pavilion) because it was asking for a huge donation (45 million Singapore dollars and 27 kilograms of gold for the four-storey building where the tooth, said to be one of Buddha's molars, is kept in a 3.6-metre-high stupa made of gold).
I don't wish to comment on the relics but BTRT is just not your typical temple. The fourth level which house the relic is the most sacred level. Footwear and camera are not allowed. There are 2 quiet corners to mediate. Although I did thought about returning there should I ever be too stressed, but that was before I saw Hort's Park Bamboo labyrinth. (Haha now I envy CL's working place but I know is just too far for me). It was also where I first started the tour because it closed by 6pm.
Then I proceed to the roof, an open area where one can find a beautiful garden and the Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel (and fresh air). Due to fate, I had volunteered to help a couple take photo as I felt it was interesting that they will make a visit here. I am indeed curious how many tourists will make a trip here.
More info about the Prayer Wheel:
Buddhist Prayer Wheel was originally a revocable book shelf for the sutras. This cylindrical book shelf had a central shaft for it to rotate, for easier searching for sutras; hence, called revolving scriptures. The revolving scriptures originated from ‘revolving pitaka’, which means turning to read the sutra; and is different from ‘reading pitaka’. ‘Reading pitaka’ requires one to read everyday and not to miss any words; whereas ‘turning pitaka’ is just to read the few lines at the start, middle and end portions.
Prayer Wheels originated from ‘The School of Shakyamuni sutra, volume 3 – pagoda and temple’ which states that, “those who set up the place for worship, use the knowledge to propagate the dharma to common people, should there be any man or woman who are illiterate and unable to read the sutra, they should then set up the prayer wheel to facilitate those illiterate to chant the sutra, and the effect is the same as reading the sutra”. Some temples build a hall to house the prayer wheel called ‘library of Buddhist scriptures’, whilst others housed them in a pagoda. The earliest prayer wheel in China was found near the Yangzi River, therefore they were popular with the southern temples first; and later spread to the northern part of China.
Source: here
One of the 4 buddhas of the Cardinal Points. Hmm truthfully speaking, I did not realise there is a difference in the 4 pavillions of statues... because I had no intention of doing a close-up photo (I am not comfortable taking photo of Gods, hmm just as I'm not comfortable taking photos of people I guess). Oh just zoomed in and found out I took the pic of Amitabha Buddha (or Buddha of Limitless Life) of the Western Realm of Tranquillity and Bliss. Nice, I love tranquility.. thank you.
The third storey is Samantabhadra Hall - Nagapuspa Buddhist Culture Museum where it retells the Story of the Buddha with a lot of interesting facts e.g. 善哉（善成），三界（欲，色，无色），四苦（生，老，病，死）.
Another level down is the souvenir shop cum library (lots of scriptures) and a teahouse for a cosy meal. The basement (which I did not explore) holds the theatre and the dining hall (Five Insights Hall - Vegetarian Sponsor’s Dining Hall). I would like to try the vegetarian food (I remember must pay a token amount) there one day. Why 5 insights? Answer taken from the site:
The Lord Buddha always teaches us to respect life, take good care of life and maintain long term peace. Therefore, to fulfil the Buddha’s teachings, the Five Sights Hall will provide free vegetarian food to locals and tourists who visit our temple.
Venerable Shi Fazhao pointed out that vegetarian food is not only part of Buddhist culture; but it would eventually become part of the modern lifestyle. Enjoying healthy vegetarian food not only promotes benevolence and prevents the slaughtering of animals; it also helps to promote the development of the harmonious spirit in the modern city life.
The five sights include: 1) counting the amount of the merits, paying attention to where it comes from; 2) thinking of what I have done right, accumulating more good deeds; 3) prevent doing wrong things; 4) right action is the best medicine; and 5) in order to complete the karma of Buddhism, one must take this food.
Source: here
On the way back I passed by Sri Mariamman Temple
and the Jamae Chulia Mosque but did not step in. Partly I remember the Sri Mariamman Temple charge a camera fee so didn't feel like going in already, plus the fact that the BTRT had too much statues that I'm kinda overloaded that day already.
p/s: While surfing, I realised I forgot another temple - Thian Hock Keng Temple hmm.. I suppose another time.
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Internal Tourist - Museums
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Internal Tourist - Arts Part 2
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