National Treasure – Stele “Tĩnh Lự thiền tự bi”

National Treasure – Stele “Tĩnh Lự thiền tự bi”.

According to the “Outline History of Vietnam”, Tinh Lu pagoda was built in At Mui (1055) and was the first pagoda built by King Ly Thanh Tong. In 1645, the pagoda was restored and expanded by “Chúa” (Lord) Trinh Trang. By the time of work completion in 1648, he had constructed the Stele to record the restoration work.

The roof of the Stele.

The Stele is a unique and original artifact created and carved by Lord Trinh Trang after the pagoda’s restoration was completed. The Stele and stele house are meticulously crafted, carrying many values in sculpture, fine art and architectural forms.

The exterior of the Stele is embossed with tableau groups of people and images of dragons and clouds to create highlights.

The Stele has a structure of 4 parts including: Stele base, stele (inscription engraving), two relief panels (tableau carving) and roof. Its highlight lies in the two relief panels which carved two different tableaux with one same theme “cầu hiền” (call for sage).

The northeast side of the stele is carved with a dragon flying in the clouds.

The inscription on the Stele demonstrates that it is a large stele and was erected on an auspicious day in the 8^th month of the year Phuc Thai 6. Both the front and back sides are engraved with Chinese letters, in which, an essay named “Tĩnh Lự thiền tự bi” is carved on the front side. The whole literary content is engraved with 40 lines (from top to bottom) showing the pagoda’s restoration under the Le – Trinh Dynasty (1648).

The southeast side is carved with a tableau of human below.

The back side of the Stele is engraved with an essay named “Công đức tín thí”, its content is imprinted on 49 lines (from top to bottom) recording clearly the date of the stele’s erection and the believers’ merits and money into the pagoda’s construction.

A record of the restoration and expansion of Tinh Lu pagoda is inscribed on the body of the Stele.

In addition to the aesthetic and architectural values, the content of the Stele provides numerous values in researching the history of the restoration and expansion of Tinh Lu pagoda. The written documents (historical books and stele) and archaeological evidence show that Tinh Lu Pagoda received royal attention throughout the dynasties, thereby clearly proving its position as a “national pagoda”.

Tinh Lu pagoda.

Therefore, the Stele is a special artifact and a testament to the glorious development of Tinh Lu pagoda as a national pagoda and a great contemporary landmark.