The Life of Monk Jianzhen

Ganzhen, who passed the precepts across the sea

Ganzhen, whose common surname was Chunyu, a native of Jiangyang County, Yangzhou (present-day Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province), was born in the fifth year of the Tang Dynasty in the fifth year of Emperor Zhongzong's Sisheng (688) into a family that practiced Buddhism. His father was ordained by Zen Master Zhiman of the Dayun Temple in Yangzhou and studied Zen Buddhism. When he was 14 years old, Jianzhen went to the temple with his father to pay homage to the temple. When he saw the tall and benevolent statue of the Buddha, he was very touched and asked his father to let him become a monk. Seeing that he was young and ambitious, his father granted his request. In this year, Wu Zetian issued an imperial decree to let all the states in the world to educate monks, Jianzhen then Zhiman Zenji monk, in the Danyun Temple as a young monk. In the first year of the Shenlong reign of Emperor Zhongzong (705), he was ordained as a Buddhist monk under the famous lawyer Dawan. In the first year of Jinglong (707), he traveled to Luoyang, the eastern capital, and Chang'an, the western capital, and on March 28 of the following year, he took the precepts at the actual temple in Chang'an, presided over by the highly respected lawyer Hongjing of Nanquan Temple in Jingzhou.

Ganjin's Bodhisattva preceptor, Dawan, and his preceptor, Hongjing, were both renowned monks in the field of legal studies. In particular, Dawan, in the Jianghuai area, vigorously promote the Nanshan Ruling Sect initiated by Dawan, and finally made the Jianghuai area, which has always practiced the Ten Recitation Laws, change to the Four Points of the Laws. He presided over the precepts on many occasions, and was known as the master of precepts in more than 400 states in the world. Under the influence of these famous monks, Kanjin devoted himself to the study of the Tripitaka, and in particular to the study of the Torah. After receiving the full precepts, he had the status of a full-fledged monk and was qualified to teach. After several years of painstaking study, he became well versed in such legal works as Dao Xuan's Acting Notes on the Abridgement and Completion of the Four Points of the Law, Karmapa Shuo, and the Light and Heavy Rituals of the Starry Places and Fatien's Omissions on the Four Points of the Law, and began teaching the Omissions on the Law in the first year of the Kaiyuan era (713), at the age of twenty-six.

Shortly afterward, he returned to Huainan. Dawan lawyer died in the first five years (717 years), Jianzhen took over the burden left by the teacher, continue to spread the law in the jianghuai region, on the altar of precepts, in order to straighten out the mission to promote buddhism and spared no effort. more than 30 years, he a **** preaching law, 40 times, the law of the note 70 times, light and heavy instrument and karmic sparse 10 times; and organizations to start the construction of temples, statues, the Kai yuan chai assembly for the monks in ten directions, sewing robe 3000 collar gift to the wutai mountain. He also organized and mobilized the construction of temples and statues, the opening of the Yuanjia Assembly to support the monks of the ten directions, sewed robes and presented them to the monks of Wutai Mountain with 3000 collars, and copied and wrote three parts of the All Sutras, each of which consisted of 11000 volumes. After he shaved the precepts of the **** more than 40,000 people, Jianghuai precepts of the people, are honored him as the master of the precepts.

Ganjin's fame spread far and wide, but also to be in Chang'an, the Japanese monk Rongrui, Puzhao ears. At that time, Japan was still in the stage of slave society, class conflict, people living in hardship. Since monasteries enjoyed the privilege of being exempted from taxation and labor, the people who could not stand the tyranny of the ruling class fled into the monasteries, either to become monks, or to become monks and godparents with their property. In this way, the power of the monasteries continued to expand, while the exploitative interests of the secular slave owners were jeopardized. The imperial court, which represented the interests of the secular slavers, was eager to rectify the order and clean up the situation of the monks and nuns, but it had little effect despite repeated decrees. So someone proposed to learn from China, strict conditions and procedures for ordination, which was immediately approved by the court, and it was decided to send people to the Tang Dynasty to recruit monks to come to preach the precepts. Rongrui and Puzhao were on a mission to recruit monks to study in the Tang Dynasty with the 10th envoy to the Tang Dynasty in the 5th year of the Tianping era (the 21st year of the Tang Dynasty, (733)).

Rong Rui and Puzhao studied in Chang'an while searching for suitable recruits. At first, they invited a lawyer, Daosuan Dosuan, from Dafusenji Temple in the eastern capital, and a Brahmin monk, Bodhi, to travel to Japan on the ship of Nakamoto Nayo, the deputy envoy of the Tenno mission, to serve as preceptors. When they heard of the great name of Jianzhen, they decided to invite him to Japan to preach the precepts. In the first year of Tianbao (742), they invited the monks Dao Hang and Cheng Guan of Da An Guo Temple in Chang'an, the monk De Qing of Luoyang and the monk Ru Hai of Goryeo, and also asked the Japanese monks Xuan Lang and Xuan Fa, who had been studying in China, to come to Yangzhou together. At that time, Jianzhen was lecturing on the law for the monks at Daming Temple in Yangzhou. Rongrui and Puzhao went to Daming Temple to pay homage to Jianzhen, and stated their intention: "Buddhism flowed to Japan from the east, and there are temples and monks, but there is no one to preach the Dharma and accept the precepts. In my country, there was a prince of Shotoku who predicted: 'In 200 years, the Holy Religion will flourish in Japan.' Now that the 200-year period has come and gone, I hope that the monks will travel east to Xinghua." After listening to the statements of the two monks, Ganjin felt that they were very sincere, so he replied, "I have heard that in the past, after Zen Master Huisi of Nanyue moved to Japan, he was reborn as the son of the King of Japan, who promoted the Dharma, and helped the sentient beings. I also heard that the King of Japan Nagaya revered Buddhism, made a thousand robes, to give this country's great masters, monks; the robe edge embroidered with four words: 'mountains and rivers in a different place, the wind and moon in the same day, send all the Buddha's son, * * * knot to come together.' It seems that Japan is indeed a country where Buddhism flourishes and where there is good fortune. So, who among my Dharma congregation is willing to respond to this distant invitation to teach the precepts in Japan?" The hall is full of monks, for Jianzhen's question, all do not know how to answer is good, a moment in the cold. After a while, Jianzhen's disciple Xiangyan only broke the silence, replied: "His country is too far away, life is difficult to survive, the sea is vast, a hundred no one. The person is difficult to get, China is difficult to be born; further training is not ready, the road fruit is not yet arrived. For this reason, the monks are silent." Jianzhen heard, do not feel angry, cut off: "We go, is to spread the law, why hesitate to life? All of you do not go, then I will go myself!" Xiangyan hastened to say, "If Master wants to go, I will also follow." As a result, 21 monks, including Dao Xing, Dao Hang, Ru Hai, Cheng Guan, De Qing, and Si To, also expressed their willingness to go to Japan with Jian Zhen.

Ganzhen see many disciples willing to follow their own to Japan to preach the law, turn anger into joy, so *** with in front of the statue of the Buddha to make a grand wish, and discussed the preparation of the strategy and steps to the east. In view of the imperial court sea defense is very strict, they decided not to publicize the purpose of crossing the sea for the time being, declared that they were preparing offerings to go to Tiantai Mountain Guoqing Temple to feed the monks, under the guise of which they stepped up the building of boats and prepared dry food. When Rong Rui and Pu Zhao were in Chang'an, they had begged a letter from Lin Zong, the brother of Chancellor Li Linfu, asking their nephew Li Min, who was a warehouse officer in Yangzhou, to help them build the ship, so the shipbuilding work was supported by Li Min, and the progress was smooth.

When Tianbao two years (743 years), the southeast coast of the pirates rampant, Taizhou (today's Zhejiang Linhai, Huangyan, Wenling, Xianju, Tiantai, Ninghai, Xiangshan and other counties), Wenzhou (today's Zhejiang Wenzhou City, and Yongjia, Yueqing, Rui'an, Pingyang, Wencheng, Taishun, and other counties), Mingzhou (today's Zhejiang Yongjiang River basin and Cixi, Zhoushan Islands, etc.) seaside have suffered from the harm, the sea road damages, the private and public transportation is cut off. The sea routes were blocked, and the public and private sectors were cut off from traveling. In this situation, the movement of the line of Jianzhen, especially notable. In order to reduce resistance, to avoid misunderstanding, they need to strengthen unity, unity of thought, unity of action. To this end, Dao Hang proposed: "now to other countries, for the precepts of the law, people are highly virtuous, industry clean. Ru Hai and others have not yet studied Taoism for a long time, can they stay in the country for a while and not anticipate this trip?"

Ru Hai heard the words of Dao Hang, angry exceptionally, immediately wrapped his head into the state, on the interview with the magistrate's office falsely accused: "There are monks Dao Hang boat into the sea, and pirates collusion. Total **** a number of people, has prepared dry food, distributed in both Ji, Kaiyuan, Daming Temple, and 100 pirates have entered the city." Interview makes the newspaper, that is, sent troops to search and arrest Jianzhen and his party. After questioning, proved that Jianzhen and other innocent, but the boat was not built by the government, the Japanese monks were imprisoned for four months, was ordered to return to their own country. XuanLang, XuanFa this return to go, RongRui, PuZhao do not want to send the official, stayed. Ru Hai was convicted of false accusation and was sent back to Silla with a sentence of 60 strokes of the cane. But the first eastward plan, after all, was destroyed by him.

Rong Rui and Puzhao, the two monks are determined, through this ordeal, not discouraged, and turn around to find Jianzhen, to discuss the matter of the east again. Jianzhen comforted them, said: "do not worry, wait until the right time, will fulfill the wish." And take out the good government money 80 Guan money, buy Lingnan Road interview with Liu Ju scales of a military ship, hired sailors and other 18 people, and the procurement of a variety of food, utensils, scriptures, Buddhist statues, magic objects, spices, clothing, enough money and silk, carrying monk Xiangyan, Daoxing, Deqing, Si Tuo, etc., together with Rong Rui **** 17 people, jadesmiths, painters, and other types of craftsmen 85 people, in the Tianbao two years in December and again sailed east. But the ship just out of the mouth of the Yangtze River was broken by the hurricane, had to go ashore to repair the ship, a month after the third east, and because of the voyage in the wind and waves in the dangerous, difficult and dangerous channel, the ship was broken, after all the painstaking, drifted to the state of ming, was the governor of the state of ming to be placed in the old town of guixian (now ningbo, zhejiang province) ah yuwang temple to rest.

Tianbao three years, Jianzhen successively should Yuezhou (jurisdiction is equivalent to most of today's Zhejiang Puyang River Basin, Cao'e River Basin and Yuyao County, ruled in today's Shaoxing), Hangzhou, Huzhou (ruled in today's Zhejiang Wuxing), Xuanzhou (ruled in today's Xuancheng, Anhui Province) monks of the invitation to tour around the world, opening lectures, precepts, and finally to the Ayurvedic Temple of Anji County. When the monks in Yuezhou learned that Jianzhen wanted to go to Japan, in order to keep him, they reported to the state officials, saying, "The Japanese monk Rongrui has induced Yamato-sama to go to Japan." The Japanese monk Rong Rui was arrested again and sent to the capital, and only when he passed through Hangzhou, claiming that he had died of illness, did he get away.

Rong Rui, Puzhao two in order to seek the Dharma, before and after the difficulties experienced indescribable, but solid will, no regrets. Jianzhen was y moved, and also to go forward to realize the desire to preach the precepts of the East. Therefore, he sent the monk Fajin and two attendants to Fuzhou with money to buy a boat, and purchase food and miscellaneous goods, for the preparation of the fourth eastward journey. He himself led Xiangyan, Rongrui, Puzhao, Situo and other more than 30 people, over the mountains, wind and dew, from the land to Fuzhou. But in Taizhou Shifeng County border, was sent by the Jiangdong Road interview with people chased, escorted back to Yangzhou. The original Jianzhen's disciple Lingyou and some other monks, worried about the Jianzhen across the sea encountered untoward, with the official document to the government reported to the movement of the line of the Jianzhen, so that the East plan and aborted.

Tianbao seven years in the spring, Rongrui, Puzhao two monks from Anhui to Yangzhou, and Jianzhen planning the fifth east matters. This time, the eastern counterparts of the monk Xiangyan, Shenlun, light evolution, Deqing, Rong Rui, Puzhao, Si Tuo and other 14 people, sailors 18 people, June 27 from Yangzhou Chongfu Temple, the Guazhou Canal into the sea to the south. All the way to the wind and high waves, water and rice cut off, nine deaths, drifting to Zhenzhou (now Hainan Yaxian) boundary to dock. In this way, the fifth voyage and failed. Jianzhen and other local officials by the offerings, in various places to do some Buddhist services, will be sent back to Yangzhou. On the way back, the Japanese monk Rong Rui and Jianzhen's senior disciple Xiang Yan has died, Jianzhen's spirit has been a great blow, coupled with the hot climate of Hainan, suffering from eye disease, vision is greatly impaired.

Tianbao twelve years (753 years) on October 15, Japan's Tang dynasty envoy Fujiwara Kiyoha, deputy envoy of the right side of Maro and Yoshibei Zhenbei, as well as studying in China for many years has been China's Secretary Secretary of the Ministry of Wei Weiwei Secretary of the Abe Zhongmaeru, came to Yangzhou Yanguang Temple to visit Jianzhen. They told Jianzhen that the Japanese ambassador had formally requested Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty to allow Jianzhen to preach in Japan, but he had refused. In view of this situation, Jianzhen was asked to decide for himself whether or not to accompany the envoy's ship to Japan. At this time, Jianzhen has 66 years old, eyes and bad, and the Tang government for the private cross-border and expressly prohibited, but Jianzhen adhere to the original intention of crossing the sea to preach the law, despite the difficulties and obstacles, and gladly agreed to go to Japan with the Tang envoys ship. After a lot of arrangements, monk Jianzhen finally in October 19th left the Yangzhou Longxing Temple, embarked on the sixth journey; and in November 16th on the Japanese Tang deputy envoy of the ship, from the mouth of the Yangzi River to Japan. This time with Jianzhen traveled with disciples such as Situo 14 people, and nuns such as Zhishou 3 people, as well as several residents: Yangzhou's Pan Xiantong, Westerners An Ru Bao, Southeast Asian people Jun Fali, Vietnamese good to listen to, etc., a total of * * * 24 people. In addition to all kinds of Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues, relics, sutra scrolls, law codes, streamers, there are also all kinds of gold, jade utensils, ornaments, Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, and other famous calligrapher's word posters, and so on.

December 20, Jianzhen ship arrived in Kagoshima Akimura, officially set foot on the Japanese soil, the realization of Jianzhen 12 years wish. On February 4 of the following year, Jianzhen passed through Dazaifu, Osaka and arrived in Nara, the capital of Japan at that time. Everywhere he went, he received a grand welcome and warm hospitality from the rulers and the Taoist masses. In Nara, he was welcomed into the Todaiji Temple. The King of Japan issued an imperial edict to console Jianzhen and conferred on him the title of Grand Master of the Transmission of the Lamp, declaring that "from now on, the precepts will be taught and the law will be passed on, and I will be a monk."

April of the same year, Jianzhen first in the East Temple Rushena Hall in front of the altar, the altar for the Emperor of Japan St. Wu, Empress Guangming, Emperor filial piety and other Bodhisattva precepts. Soon after that, more than 400 people were ordained for Shamai Chengxiu and so on. Has been precepted by the Japanese monk Ling Fu more than 80 people also have to give up the old precepts, from Jianzhen precepts. In September of that year, the Tōdaiji Temple Precepts Center was established, with Jianzhen as the preceptor monk, and he ordained all the monks.

In May of the following year, the Japanese imperial court appointed Jianzhen as a great monk, and stipulated that Japanese monks would not be recognized unless they were ordained by him. But soon the Japanese rulers were conflicted, it turned out that the purpose of the Japanese supreme ruler to honor Jianzhen is to hope that through him to the monks and nuns direct control, while the guiding ideology of Jianzhen propagation of the Dharma is to want to let the Dharma to be more widely circulated. Therefore, shortly after the death of Emperor Shomu, the Japanese court excused the appointment of Jianzhen as a great monk, and honored him as a great monk. From then on, Jianzhen was freed from the administrative duties of organizing the monks, and concentrated on teaching and educating the monks and nuns. In order to eliminate interference, he used the Japanese court to give his own garden, set up a Tang law Zhaoti, moved from the East Daiji Temple to live in this place, the big thing to preach the law to promote the Way. Under the miserable management of him and his disciples Sito and Ru Bao, the Tang Ritsu Choti was adopted as an official temple and became the ancestral temple of the Japanese Ritsu Sect. And Jianzhen himself became the founding master of the Japanese Ritsu Sect.

Ganjin, in addition to founding the Namsan school of Buddhism in Japan, also contributed to the founding of the Tendai school and the Zengyin school of Buddhism, the two main schools of Japanese Buddhism. Many of the sutras he took with him on his journey to the east belonged to the Tendai and Zhenyan sects. The founder of the Tendai Sect and the founder of the Shingon Tantric Sect, Hiromitsu, both suffered from the legacy of Jianzhen when they were young, and they continued to honor this legacy in their retrospectives.

Ganjin also made an outstanding contribution to the organization of the Japanese Buddhist canon. Before the arrival of Jianzhen, the classics used in Japanese temples were all imported from the Korean Peninsula and handed down only by word of mouth, so there were many discrepancies and errors among the texts. Upon the arrival of Jianzhen and his party, the Japanese government entrusted them with the task of correcting the errors in the sutras. Through the hard work of Jianzhen and his disciples, most of these scriptures were corrected.

In addition, Jianzhen had a tremendous impact on the development of Japanese medicine, calligraphy, architecture, sculpture and art. Legend has it that he used the method of nasal sniffing to identify each of the medicines in the collection of the Shosoin Temple and to explain their uses, and he authored a book called "The Secret Formula of Kanjinjin", which has been handed down to the world. Before the Edo period, he was worshipped as the ancestor of medicine by Japanese medicine dealers. Kanjin brought to Japan two Wang authentic calligraphy posters, and with a disciple who can write a hand of beautiful Wang style calligraphy, later on the Japanese calligraphy industry popular Wang Shu has a great relationship. The Qian-lacquered ramie statues that Jianzhen brought with him, and the wood carvings of Tang Shodi Temple that he completed under the guidance of his disciples, are said to be the starting point in the history of Japanese carving. The architecture of Tang Shoti Temple and the stupa of Seodaiji Temple designed by his disciples deserve to be written about in Japan's architectural history. It is fitting that modern Japanese scholars revere Jianzhen as a man who stood at the highest peak of Nara culture and also as a man who opened the way for later Heian culture. Japan Tenpyo Baozong seven years (Tang Guangdeyuan year, 763 years) on May 6, Jianzhen lived in the Tang Zhouti Temple room sitting cross-legged, peacefully silent, at the age of 76 years. His life has made an important contribution to the friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people and cultural exchanges, and his six trips to the East for the lofty ideals, the spirit of sacrifice and perseverance, will always be a valuable treasure of traditional Chinese culture.