Malaysia 2024

Sunday3November

Eighth day in Malaysia. This new day will be tourist-spiritual with visits to caves housing Buddhist temples. For now, it is on the roofs of the city of Ipoh that my lens lingers.

It is at the foot of its mountains that the Perak Tong temple is located, which we will visit later.

We take a little height by going to the roof terrace of the building.

The Kinta Valley, where Ipoh is located, was one of the richest tin ore regions in the world. The boom of this industry, between the 19th and early 20th centuries, transformed Ipoh into a prosperous city. It is from this period that the colonial architecture of the city dates.

Here we are facing Perak Tong, a cave converted into a Buddhist temple in 1926 by a Chinese couple.

"In 1926, Chong Sen Yee and his wife Choong Chan Yoke, from Jiao-Ling province in China, discovered Perak Tong. With the approval of the Perak state government, they began to develop the cave temple. While Chong Sen Yee was mainly concerned with the planning and development of the temple, his wife endeavored to collect donations to realize the project, locally and internationally. After more than 50 years of diligent and meticulous work in and around the temple, Perak Tong has become one of the most beautiful cave temples in Malaysia. Chong Sen Yee died in 1980 and his wife Choong Chan Yoke in 1983, passing the legacy to their son Chong Yin Chat. He put even greater efforts into the temple and thus made Perak Tong an international tourist site in Perak."

A wall of gratitude. Each name inscribed on the wall represents a person or family who has made a financial donation for the construction, renovation or maintenance of the temple. By inscribing their names, the temple publicly honors them for their generosity. For donors, it is also a way to accumulate "merit" (??, gongdé), an important spiritual notion.

The Buddha statue contemplates the pilgrims who came to pray to him from the height of his 40 feet, or 12.2 meters.

What did you see first? The monk's belly or the dog's eyes?  

Many of the paintings adorning the walls of the cave were made by Chong Yin Chat himself, the son of the temple's founders.

The Four Heavenly Kings, the guardians of the Buddhist world. On the left, the Guardian of the East. The lute (pipa) he holds symbolizes the use of music to convert beings to Buddhism. He harmonizes the world and protects his kingdom. On the right, the Guardian of the South. The sword he wields symbolizes the power to cut ignorance, bad thoughts and spiritual obstacles.

On the left, the Guardian of the West. He is "The one who sees everything". The green snake he holds symbolizes his control over nagas (snake deities) and unpredictable forces. The red pearl in his other hand represents the purity of Buddha's teachings (the Dharma). On the right, the Guardian of the North. He is "The one who hears everything" and is often considered the leader of the Four Kings. He is also a deity of wealth. The umbrella he holds is a symbol of protection. It protects living beings from impurities and suffering, just like an umbrella protects from the sun.

Evil spirits are crushed by the Heavenly Guardians.

Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The Arhats (Luóhàn in Chinese) are the original disciples of the Buddha. They have reached Nirvana and thus freed themselves from the cycle of rebirths. These figures are revered as holy guardians of the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, until the advent of Maitreya, the next Buddha. The Arhats are depicted as unique individuals, each with their own personality, history and distinct supernatural powers.

Jiànglóng Luóhàn, Dragon Taming Arhat: He is famous for his ability to master a dragon, symbolizing the power of the enlightened mind over the powerful forces of nature and human passions. Bùdài Luóhàn, Calico Bag Arhat: Better known as the "Laughing Buddha", his big belly symbolizes generosity and happiness. He is considered an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha. Kanmén Luóhàn, Arhat Guarding the Gate: Also called Panthaka,: According to legend, Panthaka was known for being slow-witted, and the Buddha gave him the simple task of sweeping the temple and looking after the doors. By focusing on the simple act of opening and closing the door, locking and unlocking it, he finally achieved enlightenment. Xuanzang: The famous pilgrim monk who traveled to India. He holds a Ruyi scepter, symbol of good fortune, authority and wish fulfillment.

Bodhidharma and his unique sandal: According to legend, after his death and burial, an official met him on the road to India, walking with a stick and wearing only one sandal. When his grave was opened, it was empty, except for the other sandal... On the right, the Teaching Arhat with his two hands forming the Vitarka Mudra, where the thumb and index finger touch to form a circle.

A prayer "cushion" whose pieces of colored fabric are assembled in a patchwork reminiscent of a mandala. In Buddhism, a mandala is a symbolic representation of the universe. The concentric layers represent the different levels of existence or stages of the spiritual path. The center is the point of origin, the essence, the ultimate goal of awakening.

The cave continues into different rooms, then a staircase leads us higher to the outside.

And outside, a completely different Arhat awaits us, hairy this one. It is the usual crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis).

Steps extend the path to lookouts with views of the city.

"Where is my way?"

A house closed to visitors.

And we continue the tour outside. 450 steps make up this whole route from inside the cave.

We arrive on the other side of the mountain.

Details of the roof of the small pavilion.

In a century, the view from the top of the temple must have changed a lot...  

We go back down and up other stairs where an elephant carrying a Buddha awaits us...

On the left photo, calligraphy ? meaning Buddha?  

And we go back into the cave following the ramp that has surely supported millions of hands.

This "Chan Chu", stone toad holding a gold coin in its mouth, symbolizes prosperity and wealth in Chinese culture.

The fresco representing the Eight Immortals going to the Banquet of the Peaches of Immortality, organized by the Queen Mother of the West...

Votive candles and pilgrims' wishes.

Return to the Great Buddha.

Thousand-Armed Guanyin surrounded by Arhats.

The dance of the Apsaras.

The large Buddha statue is in the lotus position. Its hands adopt the Bhumisparsha Mudra, gesture of the Buddha touching the earth to call it to witness his merits, symbolizing his victory over the illusions of the demon Mara and the unshakeable moment of his enlightenment...

We climb above the entrance portico.

Up there, several rooms open to the outside are dedicated to the missing beings. On these red pillars, one can read:
"The sound of thunder rises with piety. A famous mountain beyond the seas stands at an immense height".
"Its glorious reputation reaches the highest heavens; (this place) welcomes the sun and the moon."

This room is a memorial where, behind its gates, plaques commemorate the deceased.

In this other space, a columbarium, funeral urns are deposited.

Another columbarium.

And finally, a last room with commemorative plaques.

Back outside, around the large basin facing the temple entrance.

The Statue of Guanyin.

Two white and red hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). Hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia. And a calliandra Calliandra haematocephala.

The count is good for Perak Tong, we can take the car back to go to other caves, those of Sam Poh Tong, 20 minutes further south from here.