Ly Quoc Su Pagoda worships a Buddhist Monk of the Ly Dynasty
(the 10th - 12th centuries). This Monk, whose full name was Nguyen Chi
Thanh, was born on 1066 in Dien Xa Village, Gia Vien District in Ninh
Binh Province in the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong.
In 1077, at the age of 11, Nguyen Chi Thanh began practicing for the Buddhist monkhood and was taught by Tu Dao Hanh, a well-known monk. As the legend says, Monk Tu Dao Hanh was erudite in Buddhism and excellent in healing. He admired and respected Nguyen Chi Thanh's talent and virtue. In 1138, in his seventies, Monk Nguyen Chi Thanh cured King Ly Than Tong of a disease that many famous doctors had failed to do. For his respectful virtue and talent, he was given the title Ly Quoc Su by the King, which meant Great Monk and Merit Teacher of the nation.
That
is why when he died at the age of 75 at Giao Thuy Pagoda in Nam Dinh in
1141, King Ly Anh Tong (holding power from 1138 to 1175) had a temple
erected right on the ground of the residential quarter where Ly Quoc Su
had lived. Throughout the country there are many pagodas worshipping
both Buddha and Ly Quoc Su, who is considered the Saint of the bronze
casting craft, such as Giao Thuy Pagoda in Nam Dinh and Keo Pagoda in
Thai Binh.
Location: Ly Quoc Su Pagoda is at 50 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Characteristic:
Ly Quoc Su Pagoda worships a Buddhist Monk of the Ly Dynasty (the 10th -
12th centuries). This Monk, whose full name was Nguyen Chi Thanh, was
born on 1066 in Dien Xa Village, Gia Vien District in Ninh Binh Province
in the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong.
In 1077, at the age of 11, Nguyen Chi Thanh began practicing for the Buddhist monkhood and was taught by Tu Dao Hanh, a well-known monk. As the legend says, Monk Tu Dao Hanh was erudite in Buddhism and excellent in healing. He admired and respected Nguyen Chi Thanh's talent and virtue. In 1138, in his seventies, Monk Nguyen Chi Thanh cured King Ly Than Tong of a disease that many famous doctors had failed to do. For his respectful virtue and talent, he was given the title Ly Quoc Su by the King, which meant Great Monk and Merit Teacher of the nation.
The
King provided Ly Quoc Su with a serene residential quarter, which was
situated next to Bao Thien Pagoda in the centre of Thang Long Capital,
on a side of Luc Thuy Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake of today). This pagoda had a
12-storey tower. Apart from preaching Buddhist sutra for the monks and
nuns, Ly Quoc Su taught medicine, prescription of medicines and demotic
scripts to many people in the temple and surrounding areas. Skilled in
bronze casting, Ly Quoc Su also trained many bronze casting craftsmen.
That
is why when he died at the age of 75 at Giao Thuy Pagoda in Nam Dinh in
1141, King Ly Anh Tong (holding power from 1138 to 1175) had a temple
erected right on the ground of the residential quarter where Ly Quoc Su
had lived. Throughout the country there are many pagodas worshipping
both Buddha and Ly Quoc Su, who is considered the Saint of the bronze
casting craft, such as Giao Thuy Pagoda in Nam Dinh and Keo Pagoda in
Thai Binh.
Ly
Quoc Su Pagoda was rehabilitated and redecorated many times with the
biggest restoration being made in 1954. The cultural and historical
treasure of this temple still remains Ly Quoc Su's statue, Buddha
statues and statues of Monk Tu Dao Hanh and his mother and Monk Giac
Hai. There is also the precious bell of Tu Chung, cast in the 19th
century and a stone stele with inscriptions made in 1855 by Le Dinh
Duyen, a famous man. The name of Ly Quoc Su was given to a 244
metre-long street running from Hang Bong to Nha Tho streets.
Source TCDLVN
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