Bao Sai Pagoda
The pagoda is named after a Zen master from the Tran Dynasty who practiced here, Bao Sai. “Bao Sai” means a pure land or the Seven Jewels in Buddhism. He was the first disciple and a close companion of Buddha King Tran Nhan Tong. Bao Sai was the only one whom the Emperor summoned to stay by his side and hear his final teachings on the basic philosophy of Buddhism before his passing:
“All phenomena are not born,
All phenomena do not die,
If one understands this,
Then one sees the Buddha before them,
Neither coming nor going.”
Zen master Bảo Sái made significant contributions to overseeing the printing of the Đại Tạng Kinh (the Great Buddhist Canon) during the Tran Dynasty.
The pagoda is located at an altitude of 724 meters above sea level. During the Tran Dynasty, it was just a small hermitage in a cave. During the Nguyen Dynasty, a large rock from the mountainside fell, damaging the roof, leaving only the altar and a wall on the eastern side. After being restored in 1990 and renovated again in 1995, the pagoda was further restored in 2012, and it now stands as it does today.
The statues in the pagoda are arranged according to the worship style of Northern Vietnamese pagodas.
Main Hall:
- The top row of statues: The Three Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future
- The second row of statues: The Three Amitabha Buddhas
- The third row of statues: The Three Masters of Truc Lam
- The fourth row of statues: The Three Kings
- The fifth row of statues: Buddha King Tran Nha Tong entering Nirvana
- To the right of the main altar: Statue of Avalokiteshvara Chuan De Bodhisattva
- To the left of the main altar: Statue of Saint Tran
Outer Hall of the Main Hall:
- To the right: Statue of Đức Chúa Ông (The Old Lord), Statue of Hộ Pháp Khuyến Thiện (Protector of Virtue)
- To the left: Statue of Đức Thánh Hiền (The Holy Sage), Statue of Hộ Pháp Trừng Ác (Protector of Righteousness)
Ancestor Hall:
- Statues of Bodhidharma, the Three Masters of Truc Lam, and the founder of the pagoda.
Behind the pagoda, there is a cave considered to be the remains of the ancient Ngộ Ngữ Viện (the Hall of Enlightenment). Inside the cave, there is a statue of King Tran Nhan Tong in a seated lion posture, symbolizing his moment of enlightenment, with his disciple Bảo Sái standing beside him with hands clasped in reverence, representing the historical moment when the Emperor entered Nirvana.
In front of the cave is an ancient Giổi tree, believed to bear the marks of a tiger’s claws, linked to the legend of a tiger embracing the Giổi tree while listening to the teachings of the Buddha.
Nearby is a statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva in a standing posture, holding the sacred vase of nectar in one hand and a willow branch in the other, symbolizing her role in “saving the suffering, rescuing from disasters, and aiding all sentient beings.”
In front of the pagoda, there is the Tra Ty Tower. An inscription on the tower honors the efforts of the female Buddhist monk Đam Thai, who led the restoration of the pagoda before 1919.
After visiting Bao Sai Pagoda, if you walk about 200 meters to the left, you will reach Van Tieu Pagoda.
