Sangharama Hall

Sangharama Hall is common in Chinese Buddhist temples. *Sangharama*, shortened to *qielan* in Chinese, comes from Sanskrit and means a garden or monastery where the monastic community lives. This hall honours the deities who protect that community and its place of practice.

Who is enshrined here?

Early Buddhist protectors included Prince Jeta and the elder Anathapindika, who provided the Jetavana monastery for the Buddha's teaching. As Buddhism took root in China, Guan Yu, the famous general of the Three Kingdoms period, gradually became its best-known Sangharama protector.

How Guan Yu became a temple protector

Accounts in Buddhist histories such as the *Comprehensive Record of the Buddhas and Patriarchs*, together with later legends, connect Guan Yu's change from a warrior to a Buddhist protector with Master Zhiyi on Mount Yuquan in Jingzhou, Hubei, during the Sui dynasty.

A restless spirit on Mount Yuquan, 219: Guan Yu lost Jingzhou, retreated to Maicheng and was killed by an ambush from Eastern Wu. His head was separated from his body. According to the story, his angry spirit wandered above Mount Yuquan, crying in the night, “Give me back my head!” The sound echoed through the valley and frightened the local people.

Master Zhiyi's words, 592: Zhiyi, the Tiantai master also enshrined in this temple's Patriarchs Hall, came to Mount Yuquan to establish a monastery. One night during meditation, clouds and mist surged, and Guan Yu appeared with Guan Ping, Zhou Cang and other spirit generals. The master calmly asked him: “General, you beheaded many people in your battles. Now that you have lost your own head, you demand it back. Whom should Yan Liang, Wen Chou and the six generals at the five passes ask for theirs?”

Understanding and a vow: These words struck Guan Yu deeply. He understood cause and effect, and his anger fell away. He dismounted, bowed and asked to receive the precepts so that he could begin the path to awakening. He took the five precepts and entered the Buddhist tradition. To repay the kindness of the teaching, his spirit helped build Yuquan Temple in seven days and vowed to protect Buddhist monasteries, the Dharma, monastics and laypeople.

Recognition and later devotion: Zhiyi reported the event to Prince Yang Guang, later Emperor Yang of Sui, and Guan Yu was recognised as a Sangharama protector. In this account, Yuquan Temple became the first temple in China to enshrine him in that role. During the Song and Ming periods, temples of different schools followed its example. Guan Yu and Weituo became two leading protectors in Chinese Buddhism: Weituo guarding the entrance and main hall, and Guan Yu protecting the Sangharama Hall.

What the image means

Guan Yu stands with a hand on his blade, strong and solemn, yet compassionate. His image asks practitioners to stop doing harm and cultivate good. Enshrining him brings the Chinese values of loyalty, integrity, kindness and courage together with Buddhist compassion and care for the Dharma.