Hall of Samgharama in Lingyin temple is located on the east of the Grand Hall and on the north of the Reception Hall.
“Samgharama”, or Sangharama, is a Sanskrit word meaning “temple” or "monastery", which refers to the place where the Buddhist monks dwell. In Chinese temples, “Samgharama” is the name of a hall, which is a main building of a temple. The hall is named “Samgharama” because the Buddhist statue consecrated in it represents the protectors of the Dharma. This special hall was built in order to show monks’ appreciation for the protectors of the Dharma as well as to help monks focus on their affairs peacefully.
Many Dharma protectors are recorded in sutras, and 18 of them are most commonly-seen: Mei Yin, Fan Yin, Tian Gu, Tan Miao, Tan Mei, Mo Miao, Lei Yin, Shi Zi, Miao Tan, Fan Xiang, Ren Yin, Fo Nu, Song De, Guang Mu, Miao Yan, Che Ting, Che Shi, Bian Shi. All of them are generally the gods that protect the mountains and the earth. After Buddhism was introduced into China, people added some well-known loyal and righteous celebrities in Chinese tradition, such as like Guan Yu and Yue Fei, consecrated together with the original Dharma protectors in sutras.
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