Visit Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

新加坡佛牙寺
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Websit: http://www.btrts.org.sg/
Map: http://www.btrts.org.sg/Index_Map.html


Important Rules to note:
No sleeveless, bare-back, low-cut clothings, mini-skirts, shorts and bermudas allowed. This is one of the few temples where attire is strict.

Directions to go:

Taking MRT (East-West Line)
1. Alight at Tanjong Pagar Station 丹戎巴葛
2. Head to Exit A
3. Head to Peck Seah Street 柏城街

4. You will pass by Red Dot Design Museum

5. Turn left to Maxwell Road 麦士威路 heading towards the URA which is opposite the road

6. as well as the famous Maxwell Market. (If you are famished, try Singapore local delights e.g. Hainan Chicken Rice, Fish Porridge and the likes)

7. Just behind the Maxwell Market, you will catch sight of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.

Taking MRT (North-East Line)
1. Alight at Chinatown Station 牛车水
2. Head to Exit A
3. Head to Pagoda Street 宝塔街
4. You will see Sri Mariamman Temple

5. Turn right towards South Bridge Road 桥南路 and continue down

6. After a few streets, you will catch sight of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, the four-storey building where the tooth, said to be one of Buddha's molars, is kept in a 3.6-metre-high stupa made of gold. This is located at the fourth level and thus is the most sacred level. Footwear and camera are not allowed. There are 2 quiet corners to mediate.

The roof is an open area where one can find a beautiful garden and the Vairocana Buddha Prayer Wheel (and fresh air).

More info about the Prayer Wheel:

Buddhist Prayer Wheel was originally a revocable book shelf for the sutras. This cylindrical book shelf had a central shaft for it to rotate, for easier searching for sutras; hence, called revolving scriptures. The revolving scriptures originated from ‘revolving pitaka’, which means turning to read the sutra; and is different from ‘reading pitaka’. ‘Reading pitaka’ requires one to read everyday and not to miss any words; whereas ‘turning pitaka’ is just to read the few lines at the start, middle and end portions.

Prayer Wheels originated from ‘The School of Shakyamuni sutra, volume 3 – pagoda and temple’ which states that, “those who set up the place for worship, use the knowledge to propagate the dharma to common people, should there be any man or woman who are illiterate and unable to read the sutra, they should then set up the prayer wheel to facilitate those illiterate to chant the sutra, and the effect is the same as reading the sutra”. Some temples build a hall to house the prayer wheel called ‘library of Buddhist scriptures’, whilst others housed them in a pagoda. The earliest prayer wheel in China was found near the Yangzi River, therefore they were popular with the southern temples first; and later spread to the northern part of China.

Source: http://www.btrts.org.sg/Index_Temple_Roof.html

The third storey is Samantabhadra Hall - Nagapuspa Buddhist Culture Museum where it retells the Story of the Buddha with a lot of interesting facts e.g. 善哉（善成），三界（欲，色，无色），四苦（生，老，病，死）.

Another level down is the souvenir shop cum library (lots of scriptures) and a teahouse for a cosy meal.

The first level is where the prayers are held. If like me, you are amazed as to why the chanting instrument is called Wooden fish, click here for the legend...

The basement (which I did not explore) holds the theatre and the dining hall (Five Insights Hall - Vegetarian Sponsor’s Dining Hall). I would like to try the vegetarian food (I remember must pay a token amount) there one day. Why 5 insights? Answer taken from the site:

The Lord Buddha always teaches us to respect life, take good care of life and maintain long term peace. Therefore, to fulfil the Buddha’s teachings, the Five Sights Hall will provide free vegetarian food to locals and tourists who visit our temple.

Venerable Shi Fazhao pointed out that vegetarian food is not only part of Buddhist culture; but it would eventually become part of the modern lifestyle. Enjoying healthy vegetarian food not only promotes benevolence and prevents the slaughtering of animals; it also helps to promote the development of the harmonious spirit in the modern city life.

The five sights include:

1) counting the amount of the merits, paying attention to where it comes from;

2) thinking of what I have done right, accumulating more good deeds;

3) prevent doing wrong things;

4) right action is the best medicine; and

5) in order to complete the karma of Buddhism, one must take this food.

Source: http://www.btrts.org.sg/Index_Temple_Basement.html