Buddhist relic gets home in Nanjing temple

A rare piece of the skull of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, has been permanently enshrined in a temple on Niushou Mountain in Nanjing seven years after the relic was discovered in the city.

The relic was transferred from Qixia Temple to Foding Palace for permanent enshrinement on Tuesday.

Venerable Master Xuecheng, president of the Buddhist Association of China, said at the ceremony that he hoped Foding Palace would become a peaceful, quiet and holy Buddhist venue after the ceremony.

"We hope the relic can be well enshrined and protected here with the joint efforts of the monks, Buddhists and people in Nanjing," he said.

Miao Ruilin, mayor of Nanjing, said the event gave the city an opportunity to further explore its historical and cultural resources.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu, and Abbot HsingYun, one of Taiwan's most influential monks, also attended the event.

The event was held following the World Buddhist Forum in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, over the weekend.

The parietal bone - one of the bones in the skull - of Sakyamuni was unearthed in 2008 when archaeologists found a crypt in the ruins of Changgan Temple, which was built in the Song Dynasty (AD 420-479) during excavation work at the Nanjing Grand Bao'en Temple.

After its excavation in Nanjing, the parietal bone relic of Sakyamuni was first displayed in Nanjing in 2010. It was later exhibited in Hong Kong and Macao in 2012.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writer at wangxin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/28/2015 page3)