Cant de la sibil·la

English explanation about The Song of the Sybil represented in Barcelona tonight in the amazing site of Santa Maria del Mar, constructed when Barcelona was something much more important than it is now …

La fi del món és la temàtica del “cant de la sibil·la” (se'n pot llegir més informació aquí), una escenificació religiosa per la nit de Nadal - documentada des de fa molts centenars d’anys- que es recita al voltant de la mitjanit a Santa Maria del Mar de Barcelona, al Santuari de Lluc de Mallorca, a esglésies de Gandia, Ontinyent, Ciutat de Mallorca, Lleida, l’Alguer ... en el mateix idioma! De fet, molts dels espais i les ciutats on les representacions tenen lloc, apart d’una gran bellesa, comparteixen alguna cosa més que el cant – ja ens entenem.

A Barcelona, un dels espais on es desenvolupa estava anit ple d’autòctons i estrangers, en un marc incomparable construït quan Barcelona era molt més que el que és ara. (...) Lo sol perdrà sa claredat mostrant-se fosc i entelat, la lluna no darà claror i tot lo món serà tristor, (...) gran foc del cel davallarà; mars, fonts i rius, tot cremarà ... Tot el text aquí ...

Nara, Japan

[Remembering Nara, Japan, 2007]




[Japenglish: 'no, smoking']

Un temple silenciós ...

Un temple silenciós al peu d’una de les muntanyes al mig de la ciutat del soroll – no en recordo el nom, però tampoc fa la cosa. Com que aviat serà l’aniversari de Buda – sí, què passa, mira el calendari, a d’altres llocs també es celebra el naixement d’altres divinitats, no? -, les esplanades s’omplen de llanternes i desigs. I les plantes de flors, que fa dies que va arribar volant la primavera.

Magoksa Temple

Magoksa Temple, somewhere in South Korea, some day in April 2007.

(micro-)Predicador

Per la zona comercial de Myondong – amb alta concentració de japonesos de compres i cartells en varis idiomes -, un (micro-)predicador de vés-a-saber-què; un altre personatge curiós ....

Haensa (II) - Tripitaka

The Tripitaka repository is a complex of four buildings: the Hall of Sudara, the Hall of Dhama Jewell, the House of Dong-sa-gan and the House of Seo-sa-gan. It was constructed in 1398 specially to hold a complete copy of the Tripitaka Koreana, the collected writings of Mahayana Buddhism, making Haeinsa one of the most important Buddhist Korean temples. Carved in the 13th century, the Tripitaka consists of 52,382,960 characters carved on 81,258 double-sided woodblocks in 6,802 volumes. Each block measures 70 centimeters wide and 24 centimeters long, weighing about 3,2 kilograms. It was commissioned by the government-in-exile on Ganghwa island, who undertook the carving in the midst of war with the Mongols as an act of faith intended to arouse the intervention of Buddha to Korea's cause.


The House of Tripitaka Koreana was constructed specially to keep this valuable pieces of wood. The low-decorated complex consists of four buildings of different sizes and the total number of pillars is 108, which is the Buddhist symbol of human agonies, showing us the essence of it’s religious use. Although the structure of the buildings seems simple and plain, the simplicity is calculated to preservation and to use technology harmonizing with nature perfectly. The fixed bar-windows and their distribution was studied: sizes of upper and lower windows are different, to make air circulate from bottom to upper inside the building, keeping air dry. The ground floor was digged and filled with soil mixed with charcoal, salt, clay, sand and plaster powder; then, when it rains, the ground absorbs moisture, while when it dries, moisture in the ground id emitted into air.


Although many critical moments happened since the construction of Janggyeong-gak – major fires, Japanese invasions in different periods, Korean Civil War -, it has been preserved with it’s inner treasure for more than seven hundred years.

Haiensa (I)

[Finals de novembre del 2006, Temple de Haiensa, al sud de la peninsula]

Haeinsa Temple is situated in the Gayasan National Park, in the west of Daegu city at the edge of Gyeongsang province. It holds a long history, has major relevance as one of the most important Buddhist temples of Korea and keeps many treasures, specially the Tripitaka Koreana Wood Blocks – Cultural Heritage of the world by the Unesco.
Haeinsa Temple represents the Dhama – the teachings of Buddha; its name was taken from a phrase in the Avatamsaka sutra (Flower Garland), which compares the wisdom of Buddha to a calm see. Haein means ‘reflection on a smooth sea’.

The temple was founded in 802 upon the return of monks Suneung and Ijeong from China, under the ruling of King Aejang during the Silla Period. In 903 was the first major renovation, while the famous monk Hirang was the chief of the temple. The Tripitaka Koreana was transferred from Gwanghwa to it in 1398, giving its aspect as Dhama. The second major renovation was carried out in 1488 by the senior monk Hakjo – when the Tripitaka repository was built. During 1817, a great fire caused a lot of damage; the reconstruction brought the completition of the main buildings that give its actual ambience and scale in 1818 during the late Joseon (Chosôn) dynasty. In many periods of history, auxiliary temples and Buddist monuments have been constructed around the Temple, harmonizing with nature and enhancing the Buddhist complex.

Haeinsa is the typical mountain monastery, with platforms in different heights, axes of the ground, halls and houses arranged according to Buddhist symbols, giving panoramic views showing symbolic processes of enlightenment, according to religious traditions.

Cap de Buda

Uns caps de Buda en venta, davant d’un antiquari al mig del carrer; un diumenge amb al botiga tancada, deu pesar tant que no hi ha perill de robatori ...