雍和宮位于北京皇城東北角，是北京最大的藏傳佛教寺廟。整座寺院黃瓦朱壁、飛檐脊峰，氣勢恢宏，它與古城中心的紫禁城、景山、北海、中南海、鐘鼓樓等宮苑、園林交相輝映，如今被國內外眾多的旅行社列為“北京著名必觀景點”之一。

從貝勒府到雍和宮

雍和宮的舊址原為明代內官監(jiān)官房，清王朝進京后，康熙將此地賜予其四子允禎居住，府邸初稱禎貝勒府，后來允禎晉封為“和碩雍親王”，府邸稱謂也隨之上升，稱為“雍親王府”。1722年冬康熙帝駕崩，允禎登基繼位從雍親王府遷居皇宮，允禎降旨將他的原住地改為行宮，定名“雍和宮”。不料13年后雍正帝突然暴死于西郊圓明園，靈柩運回后又停放于雍和宮內，于是宮廷內務府又忙將雍和宮“升格”，將宮內的主要殿堂屋面覆蓋上黃色琉璃瓦，使其與紫禁城一樣規(guī)格。更為巧合的是新繼位登基的乾隆帝恰巧也是在雍和宮誕生的，于是雍和宮就成了名副其實的“龍潛福地”。直到乾隆繼位9年，他才降旨將雍和宮改為藏傳佛教格魯派寺廟，即喇嘛廟，于是雍和宮成了全國“規(guī)格”最高的一座佛教寺院。

乾隆為何要把他父親的宅邸改為喇嘛廟呢？這是一個耐人導味的話題。乾隆曾在改宮為廟的碑文中寫道：自從雍正皇帝靈柩安置到河北易縣清西陵泰陵之后，雍和宮里僅供奉著雍正皇帝影像作“歲時展禮”，至1744年已歷時9年，但長久閑置下去也不足以“宏衍慶澤”，況且在先朝歷代，將先帝的住所改為宗廟宮祠的也不無先例，更由于雍正帝生前就信奉喇嘛教，因此把雍和宮改為喇嘛廟，選高行梵僧居住，晨鐘暮鼓唱誦經文，如此可以表達對先帝的崇奉與緬懷。也許這便是乾隆改宮為廟的初衷其實乾隆本人也是信奉藏傳佛教的，他在少年時曾與第三世章嘉活佛一起讀書，交往甚密，他登上皇位后曾主動要求修藏傳佛教，章嘉活佛還為他舉行了隆重的灌頂儀式，并傳授秘法。他對章嘉活佛說：盡管我朝先宗歷代皇帝均已確立佛教的地位，但尚未在大國都城建過藏傳寺院。如果在雍和宮修建佛堂講習佛法，這將大大有利于佛教的興旺和發(fā)達。于是在章嘉活佛的策劃下，這一工程很快動工，并得到國庫的撥款。乾隆帝所以將雍和宮改宮為廟，還有一個更重要的原因是為了治國定邊，安撫藏蒙：清朝歷代統(tǒng)治者們在立國創(chuàng)業(yè)中深刻意識到，喇嘛教對我國北方民族影響巨大，所以朝廷一直把尊崇和扶持藏傳佛教當成一項國策。改宮為廟后，廟內的堪布、經師要由西藏各大寺院選派并經皇帝欽定，僧員則由蒙古選送。時至今日，我們在雍和宮的主體建筑上仍可察覺當時皇帝的用意，例如在中路六進大殿的門楣匾額上，均由乾隆以滿漢藏蒙四種文字題寫，正座殿宇中，除了精美的彩繪圖案外，還融入了藏傳佛教廟宇的圖飾，有七珍寶、八吉祥以及梵文美術體字形，這些細微之處無不體現了當時的朝廷希望民族團結、和睦共存和維護國家統(tǒng)一的美好愿望。

中國佛教藝術的一座寶庫

雍和宮建筑面積宏大，約計6600平方米，內有殿堂、房屋千余間，整座廟宇前起影壁墻后至藏經樓綏成閣，共有七進殿院：即寶坊院、輦道院、雍和門殿院、雍和宮殿院、永佑殿院、法輪殿院、萬福閣殿院。殿宇部是禮佛宏法的道場，金碧輝煌，規(guī)模宏麗；園林部花木繁密，萬花爭艷，如同皇家御苑一般，給人以莊嚴、舒暢的感受；禪房佛倉部是黃教領袖及大德高僧的修持精舍，廳堂舍室供藏著各類古佛舍林和古鼎珍玩。殿宇的前三進院處在同一平面上，給人以空曠開朗、莊嚴明快的感覺，后四進院落則由疏漸密，呈階梯狀遞進增高，與前面疏朗的格局形成強烈反差，遠遠望去層層屋檐漸次飛升，至萬福閣達到頂點，宛如一樓高懸空中，格外壯觀。它的每一座主體殿宇均與各自的陪襯建筑搭配緊密富于變化，打破了傳統(tǒng)宮殿四平八穩(wěn)的沉悶氣氛，顯得崇宏高大，富麗奇峻，萬態(tài)端升，這在清代的建筑中實為罕見，許多親臨雍和宮的中外貴賓紛紛贊嘆：“這座偉大的宮殿不僅是中國佛教藝術的瑰寶，也屬于人類文明的共同財富!”

雍和宮收藏的珍品極為豐富。藏品有的來自清宮頒給，有的來自蒙藏康貢品，還有的來自西藏達賴喇嘛的呈獻品以及全國各地的捐贈品。這些藏品不論是金銀銅質的或是木刻、彩繪、彩繡的，件件堪稱稀世珍品，尤其是被譽為雍和宮“木雕三絕”的極品更令人嘆為觀止。那法輪殿高大蓮花臺上端坐著的佛教黃教創(chuàng)始人宗喀巴大師銅像，高6.1米，據說耗資達20萬銀元；在宗喀巴銅像背面，是一座用紫檀木細雕精鏤的五百羅漢山，它高約5米，寬3.5米，木雕上山巒重疊，洞穴深邃，五百羅漢分別用金、銀、銅、鐵、錫鑄造，它們或坐、或立、或走、或動，形像生動，神采奕然。不少國內外藝術家稱贊這是世上一件無以倫比的美術杰作!另一件杰作是一尊高達26米，寬8米的彌勒佛像，雕像巍然矗立在飛檐三重的萬福閣內，據說這尊佛像是用一整根巨型檀木雕制而成的，乾隆為雕刻這尊巨佛耗銀8萬兩。這尊大佛于1990年被載入吉尼斯世界大全，被譽為木雕大佛世界之最；還有一件絕作藏于乾隆母親的供神處永康閣，這是一件用名貴的金絲楠木透雕而成的貼金佛龕，佛龕從地面直達樓頂，高居上下兩層的空間，由兩根金色攀龍柱支撐，橫梁金皮貼木，佛龕分內外三層，結構嚴謹，渾然一體。在佛龕支柱和橫梁上雕刻著99條飛龍，雕功精巧，栩栩如生，人稱“鬼斧神工”。

雍和宮供藏的“歡喜佛”，曾引起人們種種的猜測和好奇。這類佛像大多形體怪異，面目猙獰，手持法器，腳踩牛身，似不為常人所理喻。其實這類佛像在唐代以前佛教密宗盛行時并不罕見，后來隨著顯宗的興起才逐漸消失。關于這類佛像的奇特造型，據說是為了向對方發(fā)起進攻時才特意裝扮出各種怪異的模樣，并以憤怒無畏的氣勢將俘虜生擒活捉，踏在足下。所謂“歡喜”即指征服的得意和勝利的喜悅，如今在雍和宮的陳列室中尚可看到這類佛像，它是佛教密宗傳入中國的一個縮影。

“跳布扎”和“臘八粥”

雍和宮自1981年重新開放以來接待了大量來自國內外游人和信眾，使游覽者得以飽覽藏傳佛教文化和文物古跡，特別是雍和宮內的僧眾如今仍按照藏傳佛教的儀規(guī)，晨鐘暮鼓，誦經唪佛，并舉辦各種法會活動和宗教節(jié)日慶典，讓游者增長了許多佛教特有的禮儀和知識，尤其在每年農歷正月祈愿大法會期間的“跳布扎”和農歷臘月初八熬煮分舍“臘八粥”的活動，那熱烈的場面讓人過目難忘：“跳布扎”是一種富有西藏民族傳統(tǒng)特色的大型宗教舞蹈劇，“跳”意為舞蹈，“布扎”意指伏魔驅祟，民間俗稱“打鬼”?！疤荚痹诒娎稞R聲唪經、法樂高奏中拉開序幕，整個過程分為13幕，每一幕由數名頭戴面具、扮演各種角色的喇嘛跳躍狂舞，表現出各種圍殲魔王的酣戰(zhàn)場面，直到把妖魔徹底降伏才結束舞蹈；說起雍和宮熬煮“臘八粥”的由來也非同尋常：那時雍和宮的臘八粥是供給皇帝享用的，據《光緒順天府制》記載：“臘八粥一名八寶粥，雍和宮熬粥，定指派大臣監(jiān)督，蓋供上用焉。”所以當年雍和宮熬臘八粥不僅要舉行隆重的儀式，程序也極為講究。從農歷臘月初一這一天起，皇宮就要為熬制臘八粥緊張地忙碌起來。首先由宮內總管指派專人把熬粥用的小米、紅棗、豆米干果和盆、碗、干柴等領料配齊，于初二到初五陸續(xù)由皇宮運往雍和宮，到了初六，皇宮還要指派一名蒙古王公和內務府總管親自前往雍和宮監(jiān)督過秤，按當年的規(guī)定每鍋粥需用小米十二石，棗、豆等雜糧干果各100斤、干柴1000斤，熬粥用的大銅鍋也是特制的，直徑為一丈二，重達8噸。初七清晨開始淘米、泡干果，待一切準備就緒之后，“監(jiān)粥大臣”一聲令下便立即點火熬粥，到初八將粥熬好后雍和宮的喇嘛還要舉行誦經儀式，然后在“供粥大臣”的帶領下，先將誦過經的臘八粥供佛，然后再獻給皇帝、皇親國戚及達官顯要，最后舍給僧眾、信徒和平民百姓。近年來雍和宮又恢復了臘月初八熬粥分粥的傳統(tǒng)，但在形式上已不再有過去那種繁文縟節(jié)，而是充滿了喜氣洋洋的景象。

A Unique Beijing Attraction: Yonghe Palace

By Liu Xiaohua， our staff reporter

Located in the northeastern corner of the old city of Beijing， Yonghe Palace is the largest Tibetan lama monastery in the nation’s capital. Its architectural grandeur attracts tourists both at home and abroad.

Originally， it was a residence of palace attendants of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). When the Manchu rulers moved into the capital， the residence was assigned to Yunzhen， the fourth son of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Kangxi died in 1722. After succeeding to the throne， Yongzheng the new emperor issued a decree that the residence be renamed Yonghe Palace and upgraded as an imperial residence. The emperor died 13 years later in the summer palace and the coffin was transported back to the residence. The residence was upgraded again as an imperial palace so as to honor the status of the deceased. As Qianlong the new emperor happened to have been born in Yonghe Palace， the palace was regarded as a place of a hidden dragon. Nine years after his succession to the throne， Emperor Qianlong issued a decree that the palace be converted into a Tibetan lama temple. Thus the palace became the highest-ranking Buddhist monastery in the country.

The emperor set up a stone monument and wrote an inscription to document why he converted the palace into a temple. It turned out that after his father was buried in the mausoleum in a suburb of Beijing， the palace remained idle only with the portrait of the deceased emperor placed there for the annual memorial ceremony. The nine years were regarded as long enough for a blessing and there were precedents that an imperial palace had been converted to a religious site. As Emperor Yongzheng was a worshiper of Lamaism， it would be appropriate to convert the palace into a lama temple. Emperor Qianlong himself was also a disciple of the religious sect and had lived with a living Buddha from Tibet in his childhood years. Emperor Qianlong said that even though his forefathers had established Buddhism as state religion， there had been no Tibetan Lama temple in the capital. The new temple would be a great boost to the prosperity of Buddhism in the country. So the government allocated funds and converted the palace officially. Another reason for the religious establishment was that the measure was designed to promote Lamaism， the religious faith of which was upheld by various ethnic groups in northern China. The promotion of Lamaism would greatly help pacify the Tibetans and the Mongolians， two important political forces in the country. After the temple was officially set up， high-ranking posts at the monastery were taken by lamas selected from major monasteries in Tibet with the approval of the emperor and ordinary lamas were Mongolians.

The great palace is an architectural phenomenon of grandeur and splendor. The floor-space of the temple measures 6，600-square-meter and it is now actually a palace of art treasures. The rooms and halls inside the large complex number more than 1，000. There are seven lines of magnificent halls attached to the central axis and connected by six separate courtyards. The garden that surrounds the halls abounds with rare flowers and trees， just like an imperial garden in scale and species.

The palace shines with its rare treasures. The art collection consists of precious gifts from all over the country， including those donated by lamas from Tibet. The most amazing treasures at the palace are arguably three woodcarvings. The bronze statue of the founding father of the yellow sect of Tibetan Buddhism towers 6.1 meters in height. Behind the statue is the first woodcarving masterpiece: it is a rosewood sculpture featuring five hundred Arhats made of gold， silver， bronze， iron and tin. The rosewood sculpture measures about 5 meters in height and 3.5 meters in width. Some artists say that this sculpture is a peerless artwork in the world. The second woodcarving is a statue of Buddha Maitreya. The 26-meter-tall， 8-meter-wide statue is presumably made of a single rosewood tree. The third woodcarving is enshrined in the Hall of Eternal Prosperity， where the mother of Emperor Qianlong prayed to Buddha. The carving is a giant niche for a Buddhist god. The giant niche is two-story tall， coated with gold sheets. Two dragon-shaped pillars foregrounds the niche. The beams and pillars present ninety-nine carved dragons.

The Buddha of Joy is also a big marvel at the palace. It looks quite ferocious， brandishing magic devices and stepping on the cattle back. Spectators often wonder about the seemingly sharp contrast between the ferocious look of the Buddha and its name. Such a Buddha statue was by no means rare in the time of the esoteric Buddhism. The vicious image depicts an ancient Tibetan warrior dressed in the combat costume for launching an attack on the evil enemy. Joy refers to the emotion after a military victory.

Yonghe Palace is more than treasures and its history. Religious ceremonies and other activities are well observed today. The monks hold mantra sessions with the accompaniment of bells in the morning and drums in the evening. They conduct various ceremonies and celebrate religious events.

(Translated by David)