Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-02-26 02:45:00
The three temples from above.
A long navy blue suit or dress for men and brown for women, from head to toe. Shaved head. These are the images that can be seen in Andranovelona, on route number 4, 45 kilometers from the capital. These are Buddhist monks and nuns.
In a large estate, they live in typical Chinese houses. There is a large temple under construction, already operational and sublime. This is the Xizu Temple, a new temple of Chinese monks in the Buddhist religion.
A kilometer before arriving at this place, you can already see the top of the temple, perched on top of a hill. From the grand gate, the scene is set. A large lion statue welcomes you at the entrance, as lions are a symbol of protection, according to the monks. There are several within the building.
These monks arrived around 2019 under the leadership of their grand master Shi Wule, who is currently 78 years old. They are now a hundred people, compared to only sixty the previous year. The master is a great missionary, believing that Madagascar had a special connection to his life. His disciples have followed him here to learn from him meditation, music, and martial arts to cultivate the body, mind, and soul. Chinese monks have always been known for this.
At the Andranovelona monastery led by the Buddhist prophet Shi Wule, music is the basis of education in order to promote peace, unity, and love. The goal is to live in harmony with nature, one of the main objectives of this great master. The main goal is therefore to significantly improve the local environment in Andranovelona. They have already planted up to a thousand trees since their arrival.
Five precepts
In addition, they strengthen the friendship between the Chinese and Malagasy people while promoting kindness and love among these local populations.
The monks rarely leave this residence. They only go out to buy food from local residents. For everyone, the days are scheduled. Usually, they start the day with prayer at 6:30 am, have breakfast at 7 am, then practice music at 8 am. Lunch is at 11:30 am and musical practice resumes at 1:30 pm. In the late afternoon, a physical exercise tops it all off at 4 pm. The evening starts at 5 pm with dinner and the monks go to bed at 9 pm. Everyone is required to follow these strict disciplines.
Becoming a Buddhist monk is a life choice to reach Nirvana, or paradise for Christians. A Buddhist monk alone decides to live in a monastery and follow Buddha’s discipline. At first, he is a novice, observes and learns the rules of monk life. Then, once he reaches the age of 20, he adheres to the monastic code, called the patimokkha. He then becomes a bikkhu or bukkhuni for women and makes sure to always remain peaceful, humble, and act wisely.
Whether in other countries or in Andranovelona, monks also commit to observing a simple lifestyle governed by 227 rules. They also agree to follow five precepts of life: not to kill, whether a person or an animal – in fact, all monks are vegetarians -, not to lie, abstain from taking substances that alter the mind: no alcohol, no drugs, not to engage in sexual misconduct, and not to steal. They also agree to renounce all external possessions and attachments. To symbolize this act, they shave their heads, a strong sign marking a change, a commitment to fully dedicate themselves to their spiritual life.
The Xizu temple is composed of modernized Chinese infrastructures. Nine large houses are located in the large square at the heart of a small village in the Andranovelona district. Two large houses are visible at the entrance. It is also important to note that when visiting this large monastery or entering the houses, the visit must start from the left side for entry and towards the right for exit. These two mentioned large buildings are the dormitories, with monks and nuns clearly separated. Their discipline stipulates that men and women are not allowed to speak to each other. This is why the monks’ dormitory is located higher up and the nuns’ dormitory below, with a significant difference of about 500 meters.
Then there is the main temple, divided into three parts of different sizes. The first is small, with a narrower space, containing a Buddha waiting at the door with a message on the front of the portal saying that good people receive good things. This means that bad things must be left outside the temple. When entering the middle one, there is another Buddha, the largest of the three temples, representing the one who founded Buddhism 500 years ago. Lastly, the last small temple is slightly above the other two, with the same area as the first one. Buddhists have many types of Buddhas according to their beliefs, such as Buddha for wealth, for the deceased, for children, etc.
Profit for locals
A final large building is located 100 meters south of the temple, it is the large music hall. All these houses are nearing completion. This orchestra hall can accommodate about 300 people, according to them. According to their program, their symphony orchestra will perform music for guests from Europe, America, and also China. Of course, they are starting to show interest in Malagasy music as well.
All decoration materials come from China, such as Buddhas, statues, and ornaments. However, construction materials come from the site, such as stone blocks.
Thanks to the arrival of these Chinese Buddhist monks, many jobs have been created for the locals. They have employed more than 800 people since the beginning of construction in 2019. Many people come from all corners of the island, but most are from Toliara. A few months before the end of the construction, around 300 men are working on site for the finishing touches of the house and the installation of all the equipment that will be used. There are also Malagasy people ensuring the security of the place. The residents of the neighborhood also earn income by producing vegetables and fruits for them. Plus, the community has not had any problems in the past 5 years.
“Life with them is very peaceful. They also contribute to the employability of young people from the surrounding villages. They consume locally grown vegetables,” testified the village president of Andranovelona.
“We manage to earn nearly 300,000 ariary per month thanks to this work. It has been two years since we left Andranovelona even though we are from Toliara. It is a great opportunity for us. They treat us well,” also explained the wife of a mason at the temple.
Grand master Shi Wule, founder of the temple
Bopo Andrianasolo, Monk.
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