Jin Long Si Temple
Encyclopedia
Jin Long Si Temple which is located on a hilltop at Lorong How Sun (off Bartley Road
), is a unique "san-jiao" (three religion) village temple in Singapore
, with its teachings derived from the books of Buddhism
, Taoism
and Confucianism
. Within its premises, lies a Bodhi tree
(Ficus religiosa) dating to the late 1880s, which is the oldest of its kind found in Singapore to date. The Bodhi tree shares a symbiotic relationship with the temple as its roots are deeply intertwined with the building's foundation. In 2008, the temple is merged with the state land next to it, while the Bodhi tree is preserved as a heritage tree in response to public appeals.
community during the period of great uncertainty of an imminent war sweeping through South East Asia in the 1940s.
The temple started off as an attap hut on a land donated by a grateful devotee earlier. It was later rebuilt by Wan Guan Lin into a zinc-roof and wooden structure which has remained almost unchanged ever since. Displaying much resourcefulness and artistic talent, the devotees had constructed a huge statue of the Laughing Buddha out of saw dust, a pagoda
and also a pavilion with the life-size figure of their patron deity, Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu.
While the temple is basically a Chinese Mahayana
Buddhist temple, its teachings is a fusion of the "san-jiao" (three religion) derived mainly from Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The temple also has many unique Taoist deities like Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu and Pan Gu (盘古) which demonstrate a high level of religious tolerance and acceptance by the temple's community since its early days. The taped teachings of the temple's late master continue to be played especially to the elderly devotees in Hokkien
dialect every Sunday afternoons.
Occupying an area of 1,840 square metres today, the temple has approximately 4,000 regular worshippers and more than 300 registered members. It continues to provide free vegetarian meals each day to more than 100 aged and impoverished devotees residing near the temple. The temple has also been active in contributing to the grassroots organisations in Braddell Heights with funds and manpower despite modest resources to this day. A notable example was featured in The Straits Times
that the temple regularly sponsors functions for its next door neighbour, the Ramakrishna Mission Home for orphans and wayward boys. To reciprocate their kindness, the home opened its gates for the devotees to take a short cut through its premises for those walking uphill to the temple.
is considered sacred to all Buddhists. Its significance can be traced to when it sheltered the Buddha
from the elements during his quest for enlightenment
, and it is under the Bodhi tree that the Buddha attained enlightenment subsequently. Thus the Bodhi tree has come to symbolise the Buddha's enlightenment, His wisdom and compassion.
The Bodhi tree at Jin Long Si Temple was one of the twelve seeds that were brought by monks
from Sri Lanka
in the nineteenth century. It has an age of approximately 120 years (as of 2007), is over 30 metres tall and has a girth of 8.5 metres, which is considered to be the most ancient and largest Bodhi tree in Singapore according to verifications made by the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and National Parks Board
(Nparks) separately. Its roots are deeply embedded into the slope of the hill where the temple is located and even extended to the inner recesses of the temple premises; any land development at the tree's location has a high likelihood of causing soil movement and undue stress to the tree roots. Due to its ancient age and its symbiotic relationship with the temple, both the NSS and Nparks have recommended the Bodhi tree to be preserved as a 'Heritage Tree' after their findings. Trees that are classified as 'Heritage Tree' cannot be cut down and are protected with lightning conductors with money from the Heritage Trees Fund. A panel of officials and nature-loving volunteers decide if a tree should be placed on the register, based on its appearance, height and girth, as well as its social, historical and educational significance.
(URA) issued a compulsory land acquisition order to acquire the plot of land belonging to the temple as part of URA's redevelopment plan for a nearby Mass Rapid Transit
(MRT) construction of the Circle Line Project
(Phase III). The new rail-line stretches from Bartley Road to Marymount Road, and will have five stations along its 5.7 kilometres stretch. To be built in five stages, construction has started for the first two phases of the Circle Line, and the construction on this phase, which will cost S$1.2 billion
, (US$800 million) will take five years to complete. As a result, both the temple and the Bodhi tree will have to make way for redevelopment in early 2008. The URA said the temple grounds are being acquired to be joined with state land next to them so more homes can be built there. It said: "Given Singapore's limited land area, there is a need for a continuous effort to optimise the use of our land, especially at sites served by major public transport infrastructure such as the Circle Line and other MRT stations."
as well as compensation, but its management still hopes it will be allowed to stay. Since then, the temple has actively organised events to generate public awareness and support of its plight as well and has made repeated appeals to the relevant authorities to review their decision to acquire the temple, urging them to preserve the rare and ancient Bodhi tree found within its compound. As a result, there was considerable public and media interest in the fate of the temple and its Bodhi tree, as well as other gradually disappearing natural heritage landmarks. Busloads of local visitors as well as tourists from countries like Japan
, Thailand
and China
flock to the temple every weekend and some visitors have set up blogs and started an online petition to save the temple and the Bodhi tree. The online petition mentions how the Land Transport Authority
spent S$200,000 in 2005 and changed the alignment of a stretch of Braddell Road to protect an 80-year-old angsana
tree. It appeals to the authorities to show the same attitude to the Bodhi tree at Jin Long Si.
Since 2003, the temple's management has not received a positive reply. The most recent joint reply by the Ministry of Law
and the Ministry of National Development dated 23 March 2006, says the NParks and the URA will "assess and consider the merit" of keeping the tree but the temple may have to go.
, was filed by three devotees to save the temple site from government acquisition, alleging that it was in violation of the Constitution
. The case was dismissed by the High Court
on 25 February 2008 on the grounds that "the devotees had no standing to make the application". The temple was given two months to relocate to a temporary site, and subsequently to a permanent home in Tai Seng Avenue. The temple's land is to be merged with state land next to it, for sale in the second half of 2008. The Government finally confirmed that the Bodhi tree will be retain by imposing for its preservation as part of the tender conditions for the redevelopment of the site.
Bartley Road
Bartley Road is a major road in Singapore extending from Upper Serangoon Road to Tampines Avenue 10. The road has a distance of 5.8 km. En route, it passes through the areas of Serangoon, Bartley, Paya Lebar, Defu, Kaki Bukit and Bedok Reservoir...
), is a unique "san-jiao" (three religion) village temple in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, with its teachings derived from the books of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and Confucianism
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
. Within its premises, lies a Bodhi tree
Bodhi tree
The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo , was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree located in Bodh Gaya , under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi...
(Ficus religiosa) dating to the late 1880s, which is the oldest of its kind found in Singapore to date. The Bodhi tree shares a symbiotic relationship with the temple as its roots are deeply intertwined with the building's foundation. In 2008, the temple is merged with the state land next to it, while the Bodhi tree is preserved as a heritage tree in response to public appeals.
History
Jin Long Si Temple, originally known as Jin Long Miao, was constituted under a trust and established as a religious and charity mission in 1941, with funds and donations from philanthropic Chinese merchants. It was founded to provide public shelter and a place of worship for the ChineseChinese in Singapore
Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
community during the period of great uncertainty of an imminent war sweeping through South East Asia in the 1940s.
The temple started off as an attap hut on a land donated by a grateful devotee earlier. It was later rebuilt by Wan Guan Lin into a zinc-roof and wooden structure which has remained almost unchanged ever since. Displaying much resourcefulness and artistic talent, the devotees had constructed a huge statue of the Laughing Buddha out of saw dust, a pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
and also a pavilion with the life-size figure of their patron deity, Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu.
While the temple is basically a Chinese Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
Buddhist temple, its teachings is a fusion of the "san-jiao" (three religion) derived mainly from Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The temple also has many unique Taoist deities like Nan Wu Wu Ji Sheng Mu and Pan Gu (盘古) which demonstrate a high level of religious tolerance and acceptance by the temple's community since its early days. The taped teachings of the temple's late master continue to be played especially to the elderly devotees in Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
dialect every Sunday afternoons.
Occupying an area of 1,840 square metres today, the temple has approximately 4,000 regular worshippers and more than 300 registered members. It continues to provide free vegetarian meals each day to more than 100 aged and impoverished devotees residing near the temple. The temple has also been active in contributing to the grassroots organisations in Braddell Heights with funds and manpower despite modest resources to this day. A notable example was featured in The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
that the temple regularly sponsors functions for its next door neighbour, the Ramakrishna Mission Home for orphans and wayward boys. To reciprocate their kindness, the home opened its gates for the devotees to take a short cut through its premises for those walking uphill to the temple.
Ancient Bodhi tree
The Bodhi treeBodhi tree
The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo , was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree located in Bodh Gaya , under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi...
is considered sacred to all Buddhists. Its significance can be traced to when it sheltered the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
from the elements during his quest for enlightenment
Bodhi
Bodhi is both a Pāli and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English with the word "enlightenment", but which means awakened. In Buddhism it is the knowledge possessed by a Buddha into the nature of things...
, and it is under the Bodhi tree that the Buddha attained enlightenment subsequently. Thus the Bodhi tree has come to symbolise the Buddha's enlightenment, His wisdom and compassion.
The Bodhi tree at Jin Long Si Temple was one of the twelve seeds that were brought by monks
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in the nineteenth century. It has an age of approximately 120 years (as of 2007), is over 30 metres tall and has a girth of 8.5 metres, which is considered to be the most ancient and largest Bodhi tree in Singapore according to verifications made by the Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and National Parks Board
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The National Parks Board is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore. NParks manages around 300 parks, the park connector network and the roadside greenery in Singapore...
(Nparks) separately. Its roots are deeply embedded into the slope of the hill where the temple is located and even extended to the inner recesses of the temple premises; any land development at the tree's location has a high likelihood of causing soil movement and undue stress to the tree roots. Due to its ancient age and its symbiotic relationship with the temple, both the NSS and Nparks have recommended the Bodhi tree to be preserved as a 'Heritage Tree' after their findings. Trees that are classified as 'Heritage Tree' cannot be cut down and are protected with lightning conductors with money from the Heritage Trees Fund. A panel of officials and nature-loving volunteers decide if a tree should be placed on the register, based on its appearance, height and girth, as well as its social, historical and educational significance.
Jin Long Si Temple today
On 20 January 2003, the Urban Redevelopment AuthorityUrban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Singapore Government.-Mission:The authority was established on 1 April 1974, and is of especially critical importance to the city-state,...
(URA) issued a compulsory land acquisition order to acquire the plot of land belonging to the temple as part of URA's redevelopment plan for a nearby Mass Rapid Transit
Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
(MRT) construction of the Circle Line Project
Circle MRT Line
The Circle Line is Singapore's fourth Mass Rapid Transit line, operated by SMRT Corporation. This underground line is currently long with 28 stations and is fully automatically operated...
(Phase III). The new rail-line stretches from Bartley Road to Marymount Road, and will have five stations along its 5.7 kilometres stretch. To be built in five stages, construction has started for the first two phases of the Circle Line, and the construction on this phase, which will cost S$1.2 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
, (US$800 million) will take five years to complete. As a result, both the temple and the Bodhi tree will have to make way for redevelopment in early 2008. The URA said the temple grounds are being acquired to be joined with state land next to them so more homes can be built there. It said: "Given Singapore's limited land area, there is a need for a continuous effort to optimise the use of our land, especially at sites served by major public transport infrastructure such as the Circle Line and other MRT stations."
Public appeals
The temple has been offered an alternative site in PunggolPunggol
Punggol, or Ponggol, is a neighbourhood in northeastern Singapore. Presently, much of Punggol is undeveloped, although plans to turn the area into a residential new town under the "Punggol 21" initiative have begun to take place in the south-eastern parts of the area bordering neighbouring...
as well as compensation, but its management still hopes it will be allowed to stay. Since then, the temple has actively organised events to generate public awareness and support of its plight as well and has made repeated appeals to the relevant authorities to review their decision to acquire the temple, urging them to preserve the rare and ancient Bodhi tree found within its compound. As a result, there was considerable public and media interest in the fate of the temple and its Bodhi tree, as well as other gradually disappearing natural heritage landmarks. Busloads of local visitors as well as tourists from countries like Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
flock to the temple every weekend and some visitors have set up blogs and started an online petition to save the temple and the Bodhi tree. The online petition mentions how the Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
spent S$200,000 in 2005 and changed the alignment of a stretch of Braddell Road to protect an 80-year-old angsana
Angsana
Pterocarpus indicus is a species of Pterocarpus native to southeastern Asia, northern Australasia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, in Cambodia, southernmost China, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the...
tree. It appeals to the authorities to show the same attitude to the Bodhi tree at Jin Long Si.
Since 2003, the temple's management has not received a positive reply. The most recent joint reply by the Ministry of Law
Ministry of Law (Singapore)
The Ministry of Law is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for ensuring that Singapore's legal infrastructure is clear, efficacious and transparent...
and the Ministry of National Development dated 23 March 2006, says the NParks and the URA will "assess and consider the merit" of keeping the tree but the temple may have to go.
Relocation
In January 2008, a legal suit, denoted Eng Foong Ho v. Attorney-GeneralEng Foong Ho v. Attorney-General
Eng Foong Ho v. Attorney-General is the name of two cases of the Singapore courts, a High Court decision delivered in 2008 and the 2009 judgment by the Court of Appeal...
, was filed by three devotees to save the temple site from government acquisition, alleging that it was in violation of the Constitution
Constitution of Singapore
The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of Singapore and it is a codified constitution.The constitution cannot be amended without the support of more than two-thirds of the members of parliament on the second and third readings . The president may seek opinion on constitutional issues...
. The case was dismissed by the High Court
Judicial system of Singapore
The full Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as subordinate courts by the Constitution of Singapore. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the High Court...
on 25 February 2008 on the grounds that "the devotees had no standing to make the application". The temple was given two months to relocate to a temporary site, and subsequently to a permanent home in Tai Seng Avenue. The temple's land is to be merged with state land next to it, for sale in the second half of 2008. The Government finally confirmed that the Bodhi tree will be retain by imposing for its preservation as part of the tender conditions for the redevelopment of the site.
See also
- Old National Library BuildingOld National Library BuildingThe Old National Library Building was a historical building at Stamford Road in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore. Originally completed in 1960, it housed the National Library and was a national icon for many Singaporeans...
- The Buddhist LibraryThe Buddhist LibraryThe Buddhist Library is Singapore's first dedicated Buddhist library. The library, which is located in a shophouse in Geylang, aims to meet the needs of the Buddhist community and anyone interested in Buddhism. It is unique in that it is not a voluntary association or a temple and because it...
- Poh Ern Shih TemplePoh Ern Shih TemplePoh Ern Shih is located on a small hilltop at Chwee Chian Road, off Pasir Panjang Road, on Singapore's southern coast. The Buddhist temple was built as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the Battle of Pasir Panjang in 1942, villagers as well as Allied and Japanese soldiers...