Introduction to Pu-Tien Temple

Brief Introduction to Pu-Tien Temple

• Founder:Mr. Cheng Chai-Chuan
  Mr. Cheng served as the Councilor of Hsinchu, the Councilor Speaker of Hsinchu and the founder of Ren-Ai Orphanage. His main hobby was to collect antique objects, paintings, stone crafts, wooden sculptures and so on. The collections are now stored in the 6-hectare "Cheng Chai-Chuan Memorial Park”, free to the public on holidays.
• Building Time: 1967 to 1975
• Mainly Worshipped Deities: Guan-Sheng Ti Chun in Taoism.
• Other Worshipped Deities: Wen-Chang Ti Chun, Fu-You Ti-Chun, Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin), Goddess of Birth, Mi-Le Tsu Shi, Tai-Sui Shin Chun and so forth.
• Temple of Fu-Te Cheng Shen (God of Earth), which is in charge of Fortunes and Businesses, was established in 2000.
• Yue-Lao Shin Chun (God of Marriage), which is in charge of Marriage, was launched in 2001.

History of Mr. Cheng Chai-Chuan (1924~1998)

• Mr. Cheng was the second son of a land agent on August 15, 1924. When he was a third grader, despite the fact that Taiwan was in the Japanese Colonial Period, he followed his father's instructions to study Chinese in a private school. So, he had deep understanding and passion of the traditional Chinese culture, which can be presented in his huge collection of Chinese relics and crafts.
• In 1967, he invested to build the 36-meter-high Kuan-Kong Buddha Sculpture and it has attracted numerous visitors from all corners of the world to Hsinchu. Everybody is astonished at the fact that Gu-Chi-Feng has become not only a scenic spot with religious and cultural atmosphere, but also a place where people can further realize the essence and beauty of the Chinese culture. Ministry of Culture in Taiwan included Mr. Cheng's collection into oversea exhibitions for several times. Mr. Cheng was a legendary person with profound perceptive in traditional Chinese culture and arts. He also wasted no efforts to promote them by holding several exhibits of his collections. Each and every one earned praises.
• Mr. Cheng served as a Councilor and the Councilor Speaker for twenty five years. His performances were so excellent that he is still remembered by many Hsinchu citizens till now. He wrote five books to record his political life.
• His wife, Mrs. Cheng Tai Yue Shia, was a lady with every traditional good merit. They have five sons and three daughters, every of whom leads a well-being life now. Mr. Cheng was generous to public welfare all his life. He donated a land to build Ren-Ai Orphanage to take care of helpless children; he also donated to help rebuild the schoolhouses of elementary schools at PingDing Village in Gansu Province, China. His benevolence reached far to the other side of the Taiwan Strait.
• He died at the age of seventy five on June 13, 1998.

President of the second and the third terms

• Mr. Cheng Shin-Chia
• The term of service time: June 14, 1998 ~ December 31, 2004
• Wishes to Pu-Tien Temple
  Three Celebrations and Three Blessings: Merriment, Celebrations, and Festivals; Blessing of life, Luckiness, and Happiness.
  Three Joys and Three Livings: Amusement, Enjoyment and Carefreeness; Living, Cheerfulness and Vividness.
  Three Cultivations and Three Givings: Cultivating speeches, Cultivating behaviors and Cultivating minds; Donating wealth, Instructing Natural Rules, and Being bold to give.
  

Current (The fourth term) President

• Ms. Cheng Yi-Chen
• The term of service time: January 1, 2005 to Now
• Wishes to Pu-Tien Temple
  Innovative and Customer-Oriented Services

Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun (Deity of Omnipotence)

• Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun is one of the deities in the highest ranking. In the traditional Chinese believes, most deities exercise only one professional ability, such of Deity of Doors, and Deity of Wells. A few of them take two responsibilities; for example, the Goddess of Sea takes charge of birth as well. Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun is the only one, whose dominance includes everything except for birth. His Highness is regarded to bless the examinees, the sick people, the haunted people, and harmed people. In addition, His Highness also gives blessings to businesspeople to make fortunes.
• Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun was General Kuan Yu in the San-Guo Dynasty. He was titled as "Wu-Sheng Ti Chun”, "Emperor of Fighting Devils”, "Wen-Heng Sheng Chun”, "Emperor Shie Tian” and so on. Among the folks, he was called "Master Kuan”, "Kuan Ti Yeh”, and "En-Tsu Kong”. In Buddhism, he was designated as "Kai Tian Ku Fer” and "Fu Fa Chie Lan”. Being the symbol of loyalty and rightfulness, Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun is one of the Deities with the most believers in Taiwan. Now, in the field of commerce and the police, he is respected to be the Guidance Deity. His holy birthday falls on lunar June 24th.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• To pray for the well-being of the households, there are two ways to reach the goal: <1> bring back home the sub-spirits of Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun for worshipping, or <2> light up the Nine-Dragon Well-Being Lamp only available in our Temple.
• Alliance-Forming: Friends who would like to form an alliance of siblings with different surnames can come here to ask for Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun's blessings.
• Adoption: Children can be adopted by Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun to earn protection of His Highness.
• "Wishing Badges”: Write your wishes sincerely on the Wishing badges and then hang them on the dragon pillar of the Temple, asking Kuan-Sheng Ti Chun to help accelerate the fulfillment of your wishes.
• Lighting up "Life-Lengthening Lamps” to help maintain healthy.
• Carrying a "Protection Card” blessed by Kuan Sheng Ti Chun can protect you from badness.
• A big-scaled ritual is held on Kuan Sheng Ti Chun's birthday every year.
• Pu-Tien Temple offers vegetarian meals on the first and the fifteenth days of every lunar month and at lunch time every Sunday to the public.

Wen-Chang Ti Chun

• Wen-Chang Ti Chun is also called Tsi Tong Ti Chun. He is regarded to be in charge of fames and fortunes in Taoism. He is also the Deity taking control everything related to exams and schoolwork. Therefore, on his birthday at lunar February 3, people of letters gather in the temple to pray for wisdom and intelligence. Many examinees bring their admission cards for exams to the temple to pray for good luck in the exams.
• In Taiwan, on his birthday, believers prepare green onions, celeries, cloves of garlic and osmanthus blossoms to the temple to pray for smartness, diligence, mastery at calculations and fortunes.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Offering "Wen-Chang Ti Chun” Talismans and the sale of "Wen-Chang Pens” for good luck and good performances in exams
• Offering "Wen-Chang Well-Being Lamps” to be lit up for bring about wisdom.
• Copies of admission cards for exams can be left in the Temple for further blessing from Wen-Chang Ti Chun.

Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin)

• Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin) is generally called "Mother Kuan-Yin”, "Master Kuan-Yin” and "Madam Miao-Shan”. Its gender has been widely discussed and no conclusion is drawn yet. However, its image of mercy and saving the harmed and the poor is so widely accepted that most of its statues are of females.
• In the Chinese minds, Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin) has always been the synonym of mercy and saving the harmed and the poor. Grand celebrations are held in temples to express believers' respect and thankfulness. Some people undergo fasts from lunar February 1 to February 29, when is Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin)'s birthday.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Offering "Mercy Water” blessed by Mercy Buddha (Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin) to help maintain healthy and peachful

Fu-Te Cheng Shen (God of Fortunes)

Among the folks, Fu-Te Cheng Shen is the "God of Earth” and is considered to be the "God of Luckiness” and "God of Fortunes”. Businesspeople regard him as the Guidance God. On the second and the sixteenth days every lunar month, businesspeople worship Fu-Te Cheng Shen and the ritual is termed as "Tsuo Ya”. Lunar February 2 is the time for the first "Tsuo Ya” in a year, and the day is also said to be Fu-Te Cheng Shen's birthday.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Offering the sales of "Lucky Money” and "Treasure Bag” blessed by Fu-Te Cheng Shen to help fortune-building.

◎Since its launch, Temple of God of Fortunes has visited by people from ever walk of life, most of whom had financial problems. After praying Fu-Te Cheng Shen in our Temple, these people have solved their problems and begun a better life.

Fu-You Ti Chun (Lu Chun Yang Tsu Shi)

• Fu-You Ti Chun is also called Fu-You Ti Chun in the Southern Palace. He is one of the three masters in Gate Luan, one of the Eight Deities and one of the five founders of Taoism. His birthday is on lunar April 14th.
• There are lots of tales related to him. The mostly told one is that he embodied a barber to shave for Ming Taitsu (The First Emperor of the Ming Dynasty). Therefore, he is also esteemed to be the first ancestor in the field of hair styling.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

Goddess of Birth

Goddess of Birth is responsible for births and smooth delivery processes. In the past, giving birth was one of the important responsibilities of every woman. Therefore, Goddess of Birth was naturally the deity with the most female followers. Goddess of Birth also takes control in protecting children's health and blessing couples.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Offering the sale of "Birth-Wishing Dolls” blessed by Goddess of Birth.
• Offering "Birth-Wishing” Talismans.

Tai-Sui Shing Chun

• Tai-Sui has been thought to be bad deities from the past and been feared by everybody. So, in lunar January, people tend to go to temples to worship Tai-Sui Shing Chun for a year-round safety and peacefulness. The worshipping process is called "An-Tai-Sui”.
• It is said that there are 60 Tai-Sui Shing Chun to take turns governing a year. The Tai-Sui Shing Chun of the year is the most authoritative deity, so if a person's Chinese zodiac sign is against the Tai-Sui Shing Chun, his or her luck in that year is worse than usual. Therefore, "An-Tai-Sui” is done by most people in hope for safety and smoothness in lives. Two common ways to "An-Tai-Sui” are <1> getting "Tai-Sui” Talismans to be placed at home and <2> lighting up a "Tai-Sui” Lamp in temples to pray for Tai-Sui Shing Chun's blessings.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Offering "Tai-Sui” Lamps to be lit up for safety and well-beingness.
• Offering "Tai-Sui” Talismans.
• Holding rituals to send badness away on lunar January 13th every year.

Mi-Ler Tsu Shi (Maitreya Buddha)

• Mi-Ler Tsu Shi is the Buddha of Future among the three-generation Buddhas in Buddhism. Lunar January 1 is his birthday.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Related books are complimentary for all visitors.

Generals of Wu-Ying (Five Army Camps)

• In the traditional belief, Generals of Wu-Ying (Five Camps) are also worshipped besides the main Deity in temples. They are army camps, which are control of the safety and peacefulness in the eastern, western, northern, southern and middle parts of the temple. The Generals and soldiers in these army camps also assist the main Deity to protect the district from ghosts, devils and monsters. In order to show appreciation for them, many temples prepare abundant offerings to worship them on the first and the fifteenth days or on the second and the sixteenth days every lunar month. The appreciation rituals are commonly undergone in temples. Ordinary people can also practice the ritual in front of the gates of their houses.

The Four-Faced Buddha in Pu-Tien Temple

The Cause

• Pu-Tian Temple is famous for many miracles by the Deities worshipped there. Located on the beautiful Gu-Chi Hill, it is also a great recreational spot for local citizens and visitors. It was voted to be one of the "New Eight Great Scenic Spots of Hsinchu” and was awarded by the Hsinchu City Government as a temple with eager advocacy for public welfare activities and excellent social educational affairs.
• With its neighboring position to Hsinchu Science Park, many managerial executives of high-tech companies have come the Pu-Tien Temple to ask for consultations related to foreign workers from the Southeastern Asia. Therefore, the current President of Pu-Tien Temple, Ms. Cheng Yi-Chen, asked Kuan-Shen Ti Chun by casting the divining blocks if a Four-Faced Buddha could be worshipped at Pu-Tien Temple as well in order to help resolve conflicts and expand peacefulness. Kuan-Shen Ti Chun agreed, so President Cheng flew to Bangkok, Thailand to visit eminent monks there and also obtained the approval of the Four-Faced Buddha to come to Pu-Tian Temple. The construction of the site for the Buddha began on lunar April 8 in 2005 and completed on lunar October 20 in the same year.

The History of the Four-Face Buddha

• The four faced Buddha is originally Lord Brahma who is one of the Trinity of Hindu Gods. The other two are Lord Vishnu, the sustainer and Lord Siva the destroyer. Brahma is said to be born from a lotus leaf sprouting from the navel of Vishnu. Brahma has four faces and eight hands; a feature that could have given rise to the name four faced Buddha. He is the god of creation, mercy and benevolence. He sits atop a lotus leaf; the lotus flower is commonly used for prayers at Thai shrines and altars.

Meanings of the Four Faces and the divine objects held on his hands of the Four-Faced Buddha

• The four faces symbolize the four books of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures and the source of all knowledge in the creation of the universe.
• The eight hands, symbolize the omnipresence and power of Lord Brahma.
• The upper right hand carries a rosary, symbolizing the cycle of life from creation to death. The upper left hand carries the Vedas, symbolizing knowledge and intellect.
• The lower left hand carries a pot of water representing cosmic energy of creation. The lower right hand bestows grace and protection.
• The stick means the ultimate achievements and the sea conch shell stands for destroying disasters and worries, while the Ru-Yi Treasure is for almighty power.

Reminders

• Worshippers have to have right concepts and right behaviors to worship the Four-Faced Buddha. His location site can be arbitrary, but facing stairways or unclean places is not allowed.
• The most important thing is if a believer makes a wish to him and the wish comes true afterwards, the believer must come back to show thankfulness. Otherwise, the Four-Faced Buddha may exercise many methods to remind you! If a believer have made a wish to the Four-Faced Buddha in Thailand, but has no time to go back there to thank him, he or she can come to Pu-Tien Temple to explain why a trip to Thailand is not possible and then express gratefulness for him here instead.

Yue-Lao Shin Chun (Deity of Marriages)

The tales about Yue-Lao first began in the Tang Dynasty. The most famous one is that a man called Wei-Ku met an old man with a book and a bag in the moonlight. He asked the old man what were inside the bag and got the reply that the red strings bonding couples were inside it. Mr. Wei was so curious that he asked who would be his future wife. The old man checked his book and answered she would be the three-year-old daughter of the blind woman living near his house. Mr. Wei was unhappy about the finding, so he hired a killer to murder the little girl. However, the killer could not bear to harm her life, so he wounded her forehead only. After fourteen years, Wei Ku got married to the daughter of the Inspector Wang Tai. On the wedding night, he found that the bride had a wound on the forehead and asked why. The bride told him that she was the daughter of a blind woman, but was adopted by the Inspector Wang after her mother passed away. She remember that she was harmed at the age of three. Wei Ku did not realize the truth of the old man's saying until this moment and he thus understood fate was unchangeable. Therefore, the fame of the old man in the moonlight (Yue Lao) has spread everywhere and some shrines were built to worship him. Over thousands of years, people with marriage problems have come to Yue Lao for consultation and blessings.

Services provided by Pu-Tien Temple

• Single people can come here to ask Yue Lao Shin Chun for a "Mutual Affinity Box” to find a good spouse. Those without dates may write a request to Yue Lao for finding the right one.
• Married couples can ask for "Couple Chickens” for better bonding. Those with problems of spouses' extramarital relations may write a request asking Yue Lao to help resolve the problems.
• Workers can ask Yue Lao for better working luck.
• People with difficult interpersonal relations, such as conflicts among in-laws and coworkers, can ask for better relations with others.
• Pu-Tian Temple arranges matching activities for single people as well as for divorced or widowed people.
• Numerous people have been helped to find/rediscover their good marriages for these years.