The Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas
福壽雙塔
Amituofo! Hello everyone. Welcome to Canada’s Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden. The Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas is located beside Wisdom Lake.
The Jade Belt Bridge stretches east to west across Wisdom Lake, with the Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas mirroring each other at a distance. The reflection of the stupas in the lake, along with the beautiful greenery of the surrounding mountains, creates a peaceful and joyous atmosphere.
The Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas are stone stupas situated 200 metres apart from each other, designed in the style of a more traditional wooden tower stupas. They are 5 metres tall and made out of high-quality granite. These hexagon-shaped stupas have upturned eaves and a total of twelve layers, creating a majestic display.
The base of the stupa (representing Mount Sumeru) has recessed sides with relief carvings depicting the story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment. Each carving expresses a different emotional state, and showcases extraordinary craftsmanship, smooth joints, and outstanding creativity. They are magnificent pieces of art.
The stupa’s body gradually tapers upwards, leading to a lotus-shaped platform with seven concentric rings. The top of the stupa is decorated with a jewel-shaped ornament, earning it the name “The Jewelled Crown Stupa.”
The Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas have a deeply profound significance in Buddhism. As many are aware, "Perfect in Understanding and Conduct" is one of the ten titles of Shakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha’s ten titles are: Tathāgata, Arhat, Completely Enlightened, Perfect in Understanding and Conduct, Well-Departed, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Gods and Humans, and The Buddha Bhagavat. “Perfect in Understanding and Conduct” refers to the perfection of both wisdom and virtue, meaning that everything has now been perfected.
Seeing the Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas reminds us that in our Buddhist practice, we must cultivate both wisdom and virtue. We can’t just focus on one aspect. Complete happiness and longevity can only be attained through cultivating both.
The Bliss & Longevity Twin Stupas at Wutai Shan not only have a vibrant and charming appearance, with exquisite and rustic stone carvings, but they have also been meticulously designed to have strong earthquake and hurricane resistance.
The stone beams of the stupa are attached using a mortise and tenon joint, connecting the base of the stupa to its walls, and greatly enhancing its stability. The walls are made out of finely-carved granite blocks, stacked in an interlocking pattern, ensuring structural durability. With a solid foundation and a base that adheres to the laws of motion, these stupas can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes, remaining firmly by Wisdom Lake for years to come.
阿彌陀佛，大家好，歡迎來到加國五台山。福壽雙塔的位置是在靈泉湖畔！
靈泉湖上的玉帶橋橫貫湖東西畔，福壽雙塔遙相呼應，湖光倒映塔影，山青水秀，非常令人寧靜歡喜了！
福壽雙塔相距200米，皆為仿木構樓閣式石塔，採用的材質以優質花崗岩為原料，塔高度為5米，塔身為六角形，翹角飛簷，總共十二層，氣勢磅礴。
在塔身須彌座的束腰部，六面各嵌有龕室，是釋迦成佛故事浮雕，表情各不相同，刀工細膩，線條流暢，巧奪天工，每一尊浮雕都可稱得上雕工精美的鉅作！
從塔的腰部以上逐層收緊，上面就是仰蓮形式的剎座，上置七級環相輪，剎頂有寶珠形裝飾，所以也稱為「寶珠剎」。
福壽雙塔在佛教中意義非常殊勝。大家都知道，「兩足尊」是釋迦牟尼佛的十大稱號之一。佛有十大稱號：如來、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上調禦丈夫、天人師、佛、世尊。其中的“明行足”也稱“兩足尊”，明足代表智慧圓滿，行足代表福德圓滿，“兩足尊”的意思就是福慧兩足，什麼都圓滿了。
所以看到福壽雙塔就要提醒自己，學佛一定要福慧雙修 ，不能光修一種。只有福慧雙修，才能福壽雙全！
五台山的福壽雙塔不僅外型生動美觀，造型宏偉壯麗，石雕工藝精湛古樸；也經過精心設計，具有極強的抗地震和抗颱風能力！
寶塔的石樑與梁托榫眼接合，使塔心與塔壁連結成一體，大大加強了塔的牢固，塔壁使用加工雕琢的花崗岩，以縱橫交錯的方法疊砌，築工纈密。穩固的基礎，配置符合力學原理的堅實塔心，可以在地震颶風中巋然不動，屹立在靈泉湖畔！
