In the first century CE, Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty had a dream about a golden Buddha who had been born earlier in India and wanted to know more about this magical holy being. He established the first Buddhist temple in China in 68 CE shown above along with a statue of one of the two white horses that brought the sutras and the two Indian monks who translated them to China. Those monks were Kasyapa-matanga and Dharmaraksa. The temple was located just outside of the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital in what is now Henan Province. It is considered as “the cradle of Chinese Buddhism,” although there are other stories.
In 2008 in a cultural exchange, India constructed an Indian-style stupa at the site, modeled after the famous Sanchi Stupa in India at the site of the White Horse (Baima) Temple.
The stupa replica also contains a reproduction of the famous Dharmachakra Pravartana Buddha depicting the Buddha giving His first sermon in the Deer Park at Sarnath. This Buddha is named for the mudra of “turning the wheel of dharma” as demonstrated by His hand postures.
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