Information on ancient scientists and cultural celebrities in China

Monks and their entourage, whose real names are Zhang Sui, were born in Changle, Weizhou (now Nanle County, Puyang City, Henan Province) in the fourth year of Xianheng, Tang Gaozong (AD 673). Become a monk when you are young, and act in a legal name. As a teenager, he studied hard and mastered profound knowledge. He once went to Du Yuan, a city rich in books, to borrow books and read. Later, in order to learn mathematics knowledge, he traveled thousands of miles and visited celebrities for advice. This learning spirit made this group famous for its mastery of astronomy and calendars when it was young.

In the fifth year of Kaiyuan (AD 7 17), a group of people came to Chang 'an, Kyoto, from Dangyang Mountain Buddhist Temple, where Jingzhou lived in seclusion, to serve as a consultant to Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. This group of people lived in Chang 'an for ten years and died in the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan (AD 727). Over the past ten years, our party has devoted itself to astronomical research and calendar reform and made outstanding contributions.

In the ninth year of Kaiyuan (AD 72 1 year), Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered his party to preside over the revision of the new calendar. On the issue of calendar revision, the delegation inherited the fine tradition of astronomy in China, and advocated compiling a new calendar based on the measured operation of the sun, moon and five stars. To this end, together with Liang Lingzan, a mechanical expert, and relying on a group of craftsmen, he created large-scale astronomical observation instruments and demonstration instruments, such as the Zodiac Patrol Instrument and the Waterborne Astrologer, which prepared material and technical conditions for revising the new calendar.

Zodiac is an astronomical instrument used to observe the position and operation of the sun, moon and stars, and it is a kind of armillary sphere. The water-borne armillary sphere (elephant) is an instrument driven by water, which can imitate the movement of celestial bodies, similar to the modern celestial sphere. This kind of water transport almanac regularly demonstrates the movement of the sun, moon and stars, which is more delicate and complicated than Zhang Heng's water transport almanac. In addition, there are two wooden figures on the water-borne armillary sphere, driven by gears. One automatically beats the drum every moment (in ancient times, it was 100 minutes a day and night), and the other automatically rings the bell every morning (within two hours). It can be said that it is the ancestor of modern clocks, six centuries earlier than the wicker clock that appeared in the west in 1370, which fully shows the intelligence of the working people and scientists in ancient China.

After the instrument was made, in the 12th year of Kaiyuan (AD 724), the team initiated and organized a large-scale astronomical survey. The measurement contents include the length of the sun shadow at noon on the equinox (vernal equinox, autumnal equinox) and the second solstice (winter solstice, summer solstice), the height of the North Pole (elevation angle of the celestial pole), the length of day and night, and so on. In order to measure the elevation angle of the North Pole, we designed a measuring tool called "moment superposition" and drew 24 "moment superposition diagrams" according to the observed data. At the same time, according to the measured data, the line also calculates that the height difference of the North Pole is one degree, and the north-south distance is 35 1 80 steps, that is, 15 1.07 km. This data is essentially the length of the meridian of the earth (that is, the meridian). Although it is not very accurate, it is the beginning of large-scale meridian measurement in the world. In foreign countries, the earliest longitude measurement was carried out by Arabian astronomer Al-Khwarizmi and others in 8 14, 90 years later than in China.

On the basis of large-scale field observation and absorption of previous research results, the group began to formulate a new calendar in the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan (AD 725), and completed the first draft in the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan, named Dayan Calendar. Unfortunately, in this year, the party passed away. His posthumous works were edited and arranged by Chen and others, with a total of 52 volumes.

The most outstanding contribution of Dayan Calendar is to correctly grasp the changing law of the apparent speed of the sun on the ecliptic. Ancient astronomers always thought that the speed of the sun was uniform. They divide the ecliptic into three degrees, six degrees, five degrees and twenty-five degrees, and think that the sun passes through one degree at a constant speed every day. Through calculation, it is pointed out that the sun runs fastest in winter solstice, then slows down gradually, and runs slowest in summer solstice. The situation after the summer solstice is opposite to that before the summer solstice. The understanding of lines is more realistic. According to the calculation of a group of people, from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox, the sun runs a quarter of 365.25 degrees, about 9 1.3 1 degree, and it takes six solar terms and * * * 89 days. From the vernal equinox to the summer solstice, the sun also passed 9 1.3 1 degree, which took * * * 93.37 days. The situation around the autumnal equinox is the same as that around the vernal equinox. This is illustrated by concrete data, which shows that the degree on the ecliptic between every two qi is the same, but the time interval is not equal. A line further creates a quadratic interpolation formula with unequal spacing, which is not only of great significance to astronomical calculation, but also of certain significance in the history of world mathematics development.

Dayan Calendar was compiled on the basis of a comprehensive study and summary of ancient calendars. It summarizes the China calendar without a unified format in the past into seven parts: one is to calculate the solar terms and the average time of the first month (step by step); Second, calculate the seventy-second phase (the first phase is calculated in five days, and the climate change is described by the change of bird and animal vegetation) (gradual convergence); Third, calculate the movement of the sun (step method) (sound entanglement, Chá n); Fourth, calculate the movement of the moon (step-moon separation); Fifth, calculate the time (track leakage); Six, the calculation of solar eclipse and lunar eclipse (step intersection); Seventh, calculate the five-element operation (step five-star technique). This writing method is systematic in content, reasonable in structure and strict in logic, so it has been used until the end of the Ming Dynasty. It can be seen that Dayan history plays an important role in the history of China. Although Dayan Calendar was the most superior calendar at that time, it was opposed by the old school soon after its promulgation. Later, it was calculated by Linde calendar, nine calendars introduced from India and Dayan calendar respectively. Results Dayan calendar was accurate seven or eight times, Linde calendar was accurate three or four times, and nine calendars were accurate only once or twice ten times. In the face of facts, the Dayan calendar can continue to be used.

In a word, he and his party have made great achievements in astronomy, calendar, instrument manufacturing, mathematics and so on, and are famous astronomers with outstanding achievements in the history of science and technology in China.

About Zhang Sui (one line)

1) character:

A group (683~727), a famous astronomer and Buddhist in China in the Tang Dynasty, whose real name was Zhang Sui, was from Changle, Weizhou (now Nanle County, Henan Province). Born in Yongchun, Tang Gaozong in the second year, he died in Kaiyuan, Xuanzong in the fifteenth year.

His great-grandfather was Zhang, the hero of Emperor Taizong. The Zhang family had declined in the era of Wu Zetian. Zhang Sui studied hard the calendar, Yin and Yang and the Five Elements since he was a child. When he was young, he was famous for his extensive knowledge in Chang 'an. In order to avoid Wu Zetian's wooing, he was named a monk and named Xing. Studied Buddhist classics and astronomical mathematics in Songshan and Tiantai Mountain successively. He translated a variety of Indian Buddhist scriptures and later became the leader of Tantric Buddhism.

After Wu Zetian abdicated in the first year of Loyalty to Shenlong (AD 705), the Li and Tang Dynasties called her back to Beijing many times, but all of them were rejected. It was not until the fifth year of Kaiyuan (7 17 AD) that Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, sent someone to pick him up, and he returned to Chang 'an.

In the ninth year of Kaiyuan, according to Li's Linde Calendar, solar eclipses failed to be predicted several times, and Xuanzong ordered one party to preside over the revision of the new calendar. The most important achievement in his life is the compilation of Da Yan Li, and he has also made many contributions in making astronomical instruments, observing astronomical phenomena and presiding over astronomical geodesy.

Making instruments and observing

The bank advocates compiling calendars on the basis of actual measurement. To this end, it is first necessary to have instruments to measure the position of celestial bodies. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan, he recruited Cao Jun, an official in Lianglingzan, to join the army, designed the patrol etiquette of the zodiac, and made it into a wooden model. The group decided to adopt copper-iron casting, which was completed in the eleventh year of Kaiyuan. The ecliptic of this instrument is not fixed, and it can be translated on the equator to conform to the precession phenomenon (at that time, it was thought that precession was the westward retreat of the ecliptic along the equator, but it was actually the opposite).

Later, the delegation and Liang Lingzan designed and manufactured the water elephant. This kind of hydraulic elephant, with a time-telling device, can automatically tell the time, which is called the top view of water-borne turbid days or Kaiyuan water-borne turbid days. A group of people observed the movements of the five stars of the sun, the moon and the ecliptic with the newly-made zodiac navigator, and measured the equatorial coordinates of some stars and their relative positions with the ecliptic. It was found that the positions of these stars changed greatly from those measured in the Han Dynasty.

Presided over astronomical geodesy

Since the 12th year of Kaiyuan, the delegation has presided over a large-scale national astronomical geodesy, among which a group of observations by Nangong and others in Henan Province were the most successful. They measured the height of the local North Pole, the length of the summer solstice shadow and the distance between the four places in Henan today. After a row of calculations, it is concluded that the height difference of the North Pole is one degree, and the distance between north and south is 35 1 80 steps (Tang Dynasty scale). This is actually to find out the length of the earth's meridian.

Make a big calendar

From the 13th year of Kaiyuan, a group of people began to compile calendars. Two years later, it was written as a draft and named "Greater Yan Li". His party died at the age of 45. "Da" was later compiled into a book with Li Guan Chen. Since the 17th year of Kaiyuan, calendars compiled according to Dayan calendar have been issued nationwide. After testing, Dayan Calendar is more accurate than other calendars in the Tang Dynasty. In the 21st year of Kaiyuan, it was introduced to Japan and used for nearly a hundred years.

Monks, scientists and their political parties

There are two kinds of secret methods: the secret method of fetal storage and the secret method of king kong. The tantric descendants who have made outstanding contributions to the astronomical calendar are a group of monks and scientists.

One line (673-727), the common surname is Zhang, the surname is Sui, and Julu (now Hebei) is a native (according to the old Tang book 19 1 volume in Biography of Song Monks, it is called Weizhou, that is, a native of East Changle, daming county, Hebei). He read widely since he was a child, and by the time he was about twenty years old, he was already proficient in classics, especially the study of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. He once wrote a monograph to explain Yang Xiong's "Tai Xuan", which was quite famous. At that time, Wu Sansi was interested in making friends with him, but he ran away for fear of his bad reputation. He happened to meet the Zen master Puji and became a monk from Puji. A hermit named Lu Hong, after learning of his talent, said to Puyi in amazement that this son "was not taught by you, and he is going to study abroad" (Biography of One Line and Biography of Song Monks, Volume 5). Puyi agreed to go out to visit a famous monk, so he visited the famous place at that time and went to the Congress Temple in Tiantai Mountain, Zhejiang Province to learn from an old monk. According to the Book of Old Tang Dynasty, in the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty (7 17), a group of uncles were sent to Hubei, and a group of people were invited to Beijing to ask him how to save the country and the people. According to "Buddhist History", it was twenty-nine years, and in the third year of Kaiyuan (7 15), a delegation went to Beijing.

While in Beijing, he participated in the translation of classics and engaged in his own astronomical research. "History of Buddhism" said, "King Kong, who preaches esoteric teachings, is fearless" and learned esoteric teachings from these two masters who preach different esoteric teachings. When it comes to Xubodhi Sinha, Volume XIII of Buddhist Biography of Past Dynasties also records that a group of people participated in the translation of Xubodhi Sinha. In the 12th year of Kaiyuan (724), a line of pre-translation of Dasunjing was written in Shushu, which was written by a line asking Mituo Buddha to explain the meaning of Dasunjing, and recorded and developed by a line. Therefore, this Shu Shu reflects the thoughts of Suhakarasinghe and his party. According to the biography of the eminent monk in the Song Dynasty, this group learned Dhara Nikunyin from King Kong Zhi. King Kong's body also set up an altar for the Party, and the Party also asked King Kong's body to translate a series of secret laws of King Kong's realm. So in the eleventh year of Kaiyuan (723), King Kong's body organized the translation of Yoga Chanting and Dalagni, which was accepted one after another. A line of worship is not empty for the teacher, not empty in its "Diamond Sutra, Big Yoga Secret Practice Righteousness Tactics" said, "In the seventh year of Kaiyuan, as for Xijing, thich nhat hanh begged me to be enlightened." Therefore, the secret method of a line can be combined with the Tibetan and diamond circles and can be integrated. It turns out that the theory of the hidden world and the wisdom of the diamond world are also combined, and the integration of the two constitutes a complete whole.

The main purpose of Xuanzong's invitation to Beijing was to draw up a new calendar. Because there were 25 calendars in the history from the beginning (the year number of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty) to the first year of Linde (664), none of them were accurate, because the solar eclipse marked by Linde calendar was always inaccurate, so Xuanzong ordered the formulation of a new calendar. The team spent seven years, consulted a lot of data, made a lot of actual measurements and made instruments. With rigorous scientific spirit, it finally wrote Da Yan Li. And made a very precise ecliptic instrument for the compilation of Dayan calendar. The zodiac is made into a sphere by imitating the shape of the sky, cast in copper, and marked with the degrees of stars, equator and Sunday. It rotates by hydraulic drive, day and night, and the sky turns once. There are two wheels in the sky, on which the sun and the moon are cast, and they can also rotate. Take the wooden cabinet as the ground, put it in the wooden cabinet, half of the celestial sphere is outside the cabinet, and half is inside the cabinet. Make two wooden figures, put them in front of the wooden figures respectively, and automatically beat the drums every moment, and automatically ring the bell every morning. A gear system is used here. At that time, everyone called this production a wonderful feat, and Xuanzong ordered it to be placed on the Wucheng Hall for officials to visit. But later, because of rust, it couldn't move, so it was collected in Jixian Hospital.

His party died in October in the 15th year of Kaiyuan (727), and Xuanzong personally wrote the inscription of Taming, and named his party "Dahui Zen Master".

A line of works, with Da Sun Jing Shu as the masterpiece of his profound thoughts and Da Yan Li as the masterpiece of his calendar, was compiled and officially used by Xuanzong imperial edict in the second year after his death, and it was called Kaiyuan Da Yan Li, with a total of 52 volumes.

A line "Shu" in Tai Sun Jing explains some obscure meanings. The exposition of some doctrines combines the viewpoints of various Buddhist schools such as Huayan, Tiantai, Pure Land, Knowledge-only, Confucianism, etc. More importantly, Shu systematically organized the theory and rituals of tantric Buddhism, so it is very important to tantric Buddhism.

The group thinks that the first product in the Great Sun Sutra, Being True and Keeping Mind, is the outline of the whole classic, and discusses the general idea of the whole classic. This product has three sentences: bodhicitta is the cause, compassion is the root, and convenience is the meaning, which is particularly important. All kinds of merits are born from the heart, so bodhicitta is the cause. This heart is like a void. "Those who are empty in mind are pure bodhi" (The Great Sun Sutra, Volume 19). The so-called great compassion is the root, which means "holding". Just like the root of a tree, holding the stem, leaves, flowers and fruits will not fall down. Sorrow is also bright and compassionate, and it should be great sorrow. Initiate sorrow and wish to return to all sentient beings, uproot the suffering of all sentient beings. This great compassion is born of bodhicitta. "Since then, the bodhi mind has been pure, and great compassion has been born" (ibid.). The so-called convenience, in the final analysis, means that everything goes round and round, and there is no way to increase it. We should do what we can. " (The Great Sun Sutra, Volume I) refers to the convenient method of entering the door of truth. The line said that this convenience has three basic aspects, namely, the secret door of body, the secret door of language and the secret door of heart. These three secrets all have profound meanings. For example, the mantra read by the secret door is "Tathagata quip". Another example is the body seal of the secret door of the body, "The left hand rubs the ground three times, the right hand prajna paramita is more, and the ten fingers and ten paramita are more to satisfy the righteousness" (Volume II of the Great Sun Sutra). These three sentences are all from the bodhisattva's bodhicitta. Because since the enlightenment, a sentient being, can't feel it, so he is merciful and compassionate, saying convenient methods for all sentient beings, saving all sentient beings and letting them get to the end.

For Datura hidden in great compassion, the bank gave a detailed explanation. This kind of mandala takes the fetus as a metaphor, which means that when the yogi first develops bodhicitta, just like the parents' karma, the knowledge of seeds first enters the fetus, then grows up gradually, and after birth, he has enough roots. Great compassion is also gradually born from seeds, and it is full of thousands of lines. Another example is a baby, who can start a career by learning various skills after birth. The same is true of all kinds of things born of pure heart, and all kinds of conveniences are initiated to help all beings. This is called "hidden fetus". Take the lotus as an example. The seeds of the lotus are hidden in a hard shell, but the seeds contain the characteristics of branches, leaves, flowers and strips of the lotus. So is the original bodhicitta seed. When the seeds are in bud, the lotus and the fruit are hidden in the lotus leaves, just like the heart is hidden in the pile. Under the cover of lotus leaves, lotus can grow day and night, free from the wind and rain, just like compassion. Once it is realized, it can bloom in the sun. This meaning is called "lotus fetus hiding"

This kind of fetal storage is also called Aryan knowledge, "Aryan knowledge", which means "containing storage". The translation is' room', which means that all aggregates are born here and die here. It is the cave of all aggregates, hence the name. "("The Great Sun Sutra "Volume II) The bank analyzed Alaye's knowledge in terms of separation, industry and truth.

The position of mandala in the uterus is triple from the inside out, with the center as the first, which indicates the Buddha's bodhi self-certification virtue. The second is great compassion and the third is convenience. The third is like the monarchs of various countries, and the second is like the officials of the imperial court. The first priority is to protect the monarchs of the listed houses. This gentleman is the Buddha of the Great Sun.

This triple Datura, the first central eight-leaf courtyard, is surrounded by eight-leaf lotus flowers, and the Great Buddha is the king of the Great Datura. Eight leaves are among the four buddhas and four bodhisattvas. The four buddhas in the southeast and northwest represent the four wisdom of the Buddha, and the four bodhisattvas represent the four lines of the Buddha. Around the central courtyard, "the Buddha's body is on the top, the virtues are solemn, and the Buddha's messenger is on the bottom, all of which are named Tathagata Department, the right is Tathagata's great compassion and samadhi, hence the name Lotus Department, and the left is Tathagata's great intelligence to break through three obstacles, hence the name King Kong Department" (Volume 5 of the Great Sun Sutra). The upper part is the Institute of Cosmic Knowledge in the East, the lower part is Jimyoin in the West, the right part is the Vajrayana Institute in the East, and the left part is the Guanyin Institute in the West. The second category includes the obstacle-removing courtyard in the south of Vajrayana Courtyard, the Dizang Courtyard in the north of Guanyin Courtyard, the Dizang Courtyard in the west and the Sakyamuni Courtyard in the east of Quan Zhi Courtyard. Thirdly, Wen Shu Academy is in the east of Sakyamuni Academy, Suxi Ground Academy is in the west of Void Tibetan Academy, and Waijingangbu Academy is in the south of Seal Academy.

As far as every specific person is concerned, it is also considered as a fetal Datura, and its structure is, "The head is an inner tube, the first hospital is above the heart, the second hospital is above the navel, and the third hospital is below the navel" (Volume XIV of the Great Sun Sutra). The human body contains a triple mandala. In this sense, all sentient beings have Buddha nature. "All sentient beings are from the heart, that is, the Buddha hides Datura in great compassion, so what? All sentient beings, that is, the hidden in the middle of Taiwan ("Da Sun Jing" Volume 12). This line puts forward the view that "the heart is the Tao", but this is only the general view of Mahayana in obvious religions. The lines even talk about the unique view of Tantric Buddhism, that is, "People who know the land can keep their bodies secret without sacrificing their knowledge" (the fifteenth volume of Da Sun Jing). However, "if the heart is Tao, why can't all beings become Buddhas after reincarnation?" A group of people think that it is because all beings can't "know according to the facts" and don't know that their true self is Bodhi. Buddha without Buddha, always strict and clean. This is called "ignorance" and "ignorance" If we can know the truth, we can achieve enlightenment at the beginning, which is also the idea of Tathagata hiding. However, although other Mahayana religions also talk about the idea of Tathagata hiding, in the view of a group of people, the possibility of becoming a Buddha is often uncertain. "Those who have been robbed by countless monks have either become Buddhas or have not become Buddhas" (ibid.). It takes a long time to become a Buddha. And this curse door, as long as it is done according to its law, can quickly prove the solemn realm, and even "even on the same day, it can be caused" (ibid.).

As for the general procedure of becoming a Buddha, it is divided into five processes: believing, burying, five connections, two multiplication and becoming a Buddha. The letter means "I am sure that the Tathagata is hidden, and I have decided not to doubt it;" It is convenient to believe in Buddhism. If you follow the Buddha, you will become Bodhi. "("The Great Sun Sutra "Volume 15) When you enter the ground, you will enter the first place in ten places. Five links refers to the realm of five links after reaching the fourth place. Two-way means that sound, smell, ride and edge are perceived to be the eighth. Becoming a Buddha means becoming a Buddha from the ninth to the tenth place. After becoming a Buddha, "knowing the fruits of the world is inexhaustible." "(ditto) once realized, it becomes eternal.

The order of this mandala is earth, water, fire, wind and air. "First, the wind rises from the air, the wind catches fire, the water rises from the fire, and the ground rises from the water" (Volume 14 of the Great Sun Classic). These are the five elements of building the world, which are expressed by the word "seed", namely, "Gate A is the ground, Gate□ is the water, Gate Luo is the fire, Gate Feng is the wind, and House Gate is empty", and they are all indispensable and will not grow with time (Book of Great Sun, Volume I). In essence, the five edges represent color, and this kind of heart is also called dharma. "When you know the idealism of all dharma circles, the reality in your heart is all kinds of wisdom, that is, the dharma circles of all Buddhists, and the dharma circles are the noumenon of all dharma circles" (The Great Sun Sutra, Volume 7). These five fates and the fate of the heart constitute the tantric theory of six sources.

As a scientist, Hangxing has an important position in the history of science and technology in China. As a Buddhist monk, the role of inheriting the two secret laws of Tai Zang and Jin Gang in the history of tantric Buddhism is not only to systematically sort out the tenets and rules of tantric Buddhism, but also to integrate the two parts. As scientists and monks, their special status also shows the integration of Buddhism and science and technology under certain conditions.

2) Buddhist terminology

One line [Nirvana Sutra One Line]. A trip to Tathagata is also. This line is based on interest. Can make this trip. You can be interested in Buddha fruit. Although the name is one line, it has five lines. Therefore, after the Ming and five elements. Naiyun. One line is Tathagata. It means that you can walk in the five elements with one heart. It's full and flawless. (Five elements. Sacred thread. Sanskrit skyline Gross. Babies can do it. )