What is the Great Buddha Hall？
1 min readThe Great Buddha Hall is the main hall of a monastery.It usually has a number of huge stone pillars that support the roof，and each pillar is carved with famous Buddhist couplets.On the top of the entrance hangs a board，which says Daxiong Baodian. Daxiong means“Great Buddha”or“Great Hero”；baodian means “precious hall.”The hall contains a central altar，on which Sakyamuni sits cross-legged on a lotus throne.His two closest disciples，Kasyap and Ananda flank him.
In Chinese Buddhist monasteries and temples，Sakyamuni may be depicted in different positions.Seating，he is in meditation，with his left hand on his left foot and his right hand pointing downward to the earth.This suggests that Sakyamun sacrificed in this position before he founded the Buddhist religion.Standing，he points his left hand downward and raises his right arm upward.The raised left hand signs that he is able to satisfy the wishes of all sentient beings，the right hand that he is able to save them from sufferings.Lying on his side，he stretches out his legs，with his left hand placed on them，and his head supported with his right hand.
Legend has it that Sakyamuni is talking to his disciples about final arrangements just before his death.
