This is a very interesting piece--a stone
    slab in a shipping crate box on the floor
    of one of the temple halls.  The middle
    character on the top is the character for
    Zen/Chan, but oddly, it is written in the
    Japanese form, with 3 dots at the top--
    the simplified Chinese form has only 2
    dots at the top.  But the character in the
    middle row is in the traditional Chinese,
    and also Japanese form.  Is this new
    addition to Donglin Temple being sent
    from Japan?  Although the Chinese
    have a strong historical animosity
    towards the Japanese, when it comes to
    having them help finance the Chinese
    Zen Temples, this political based fervor
    seems to abate considerably.
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         oshobob  The Living Workshop                                         
                                Donglin Zen Temple-China--photos