There is a very interesting phenomenon in Chinese history: a group of scholars and officials are often gathered around a monk. This phenomenon has been very prominent since the Eastern Jin Dynasty. If you just browse the historical records of the time, you can find many such examples.
Text/Zhou Pu
The eminent monk Kang Sengyuan was originally from the Western Regions and was born in Chang'an . "Although his appearance is a Brahman, his words are actually Chinese." He debated with Yin Hao about the meaning of the temperament of the common books, "From the day to the morning, the great cannot bend." Kang Fachang, who crossed the river south with Kang Sengyuan, "often held the last journey, and every time he was a famous guest, he would talk all day long." (Biography of the Emerging Monks, Volume 4)
zhidaolin , known as Dun, is known as "Zhi Gong". He is an eminent monk, Buddhist scholar, and writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He can almost be said to live among the elites of the gentry at that time. The famous scholars he had dated were Wang Xizhi, Xie An , Xie Xuan, Xu Xun , Sun Chuo , Wang Xiu , etc.
Daoan Master and scholar Xi Zaochi have close contacts. When the two met for the first time, the wonderful match of "Learn Zaochi in all seas, and explaining the Taoist peace in the sky" was talked about by the world. Fu Jian, the lord of the Former Qin Dynasty, captured Xiangyang , and brought Master Daoan and Xi Zaochi to Chang'an, saying, "I took Xiangyang with a 100,000 troops, but only one and half... An Gong was one, and Xi Zaochi was half a person." ("Biography of the Emerging Monks·Volume 5") Because Xi Zaochi had foot disease, he was nicknamed "half-man". Later, Master Daoan standardized and rectified Buddhism, and Xi Zaochi played a great role in it.
The first ancestor of the Lotus Sect, Master Huiyuan, Liu Yimin, Zhou Xuzhi, Zongbing, , Lei Cizong, Zhang Ye, Zhang Quan and other famous hermits. They also dated Tao Yuanming, Xie Lingyun, , Yin Zhongkan, , Huan Xuan, and others. The occurrence of this phenomenon is not accidental, but accompanied by the spread and acceptance of Buddhism in China.
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The mysterious wind of Buddhism, establishing a victorious relationship
The Wei and Jin Dynasties were eras that raised the spirit of birth. Although scholars and scholars were people in the world, they had obvious feelings of birth at that time. As children of the gentry, they all inherited family studies, including Confucianism or Taoism, and each had its own specialties. In addition to learning at home, we can learn all kinds of schools of thought and numerology.
The study of Lao Zhuang was very popular among the scholars at that time. Literature and scholars advocated pure talk, and the trend of metaphysics was prosperous. During this period, the Buddhist Prajna School was prosperous, and monks were good at talking about nothingness and exerting their wonderful principles. Therefore, when the Buddhist monks came to China one after another, "the monks and famous scholars were fascinated by each other with clear talks and mysterious words" ( Qian Mu " National History Outline "), the knowledge of Prajna emptiness in Buddhism was also presented to the world in the form of Confucianism and Taoism.
Dutch Sinologists Xu Li and called Chinese Buddhism from the end of the third century to the early fourth century AD "literati Buddhism", believing that the monks at that time were "literati and officials wearing cassocks." Because although those monks are outsiders, they are also knowledgeable people who are familiar with various worldly knowledge.
" Biography of the Empress Monks " records many such monks: Kumarajiva "The Yin and Yang stars are calculated, and they are all wonderful and good and bad, and they are like charisma"; Zhu Faqian "is either smooth "Fang and mercy", or interpret "Lao" and "Zhuang", and those who devote themselves to the north will be in harmony with both internal and external"; Shizong "good at "Zhuang" and "Lao", and explore "On" and "Filial Piety", and No one knows about the world"; Daoan "is involved in a lot of books outside and was good at writing. Those who wear children in Chang'an who write poems and essays all rely on praise"; Huiyuan "comprehensively summarized the six classics, especially "Zhuang" and "Lao""; Shi Daorong When he was a child, he read the Analects of Confucius and recited them through his eyes. At the age of thirty, he "was well-written the classics inside and outside, and was familiar with the traveling house of the heart"; Shu Sengjin "shao was good at Zhuang", "Lao" and "Poetry" and "Rites"; Shi Fayuan "when discusses the "Book of Filial Piety" and "Morn Clothes", etc.
Hong Sun Chuo, a famous scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, wrote "Theory of Taoist Sages", emphasizing the monks' moral conduct and comparing the "Seven Monks of India" with the "Seven Sages of Bamboo Forest", can be said to be a proof of the recognition and acceptance of Buddhism by the mainstream gentry class at that time. (The "Daoxian Theory" is no longer there, and the content is scattered in the "Biography of the Emerging Monks": "Later Sun Chuo compiled the "Daoxian Theory" and used the seven monks of India and the seven sages of the square bamboo forest to protect the great source of Pishan Mountain." "Use (Silk) method of Zupi Ji Kang ." "Use (Zhu) method of comparing Wang Junjun to clash." "Use (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of comparing Liu Bolun." "Use (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of (Zhu) method of becoming a monk is often present. In the Wang family of Langya, the younger brother of General Wang Dun became a monk and was Zhu Daoqian. Prime Minister Wang Dao 's younger brother became a monk and served as the Tao Bao. This kind of situation of children from aristocratic families becoming monks is also common in later generations. Tang Dynasty Prime Minister Pei Xiu , born in the Pei family in Hedong, and is a family of aristocratic families. Emperor Xuanzong often said to people: "Xu is a true Confucian." Although his son Pei Wende won the top scorer, Pei Xiu's final choice, as a father, was to send his son to become a monk. In his "Version to Show My Son to Become a Monk", he sincerely instructed: "If you send your son to the emptiness gate with compassion, you should plant good roots day and night. Do not follow the wealth and color of the body and eyes, and the heart of Tao must be kept in the cold year. Read the sutra and recite the Buddha's teachings, and follow the teacher's teachings, and make the heart clear and the heart repay the four kindnesses. Suddenly, you will become a great gift in the next day, and you will be called honored in heaven." Being a monk and carrying the great Dharma of Tathagata is a supreme glory. When the Tang Dynasty prime minister Du Huangshang was dying, he regretted that he had no chance to become a monk in his life, and ordered someone to help him shave and then bury him. There was also a famous prime minister Wang Dan in the Song Dynasty, and the same was true for his lasting destiny.
02
The relationship between monks and monks is passed down from generation to generation
The moral knowledge of monks is admired by the world and has become an important factor leading the spiritual life of the entire society. Mr. Qian Mu said: "I don't believe in Buddhism, but I admire some Chinese monks and monks very much. I only use an ordinary personality standard to look at monks and monks to see their performance. But Chinese monks rarely write about " Twenty-Four Histories ". There are too many historical figures in Chinese, and the "Twenty-Four Histories" cannot be written entirely." (New Theory of National History)
The interaction between monks and scholars is a tradition in Chinese culture. There are many stories of monks of all generations and their interactions with scholars and officials. But in the official history, many contents have been cut off, just as Master Yin Guang said in : "History of Tang of , all Buddhist deeds, as well as the rebellion of scholars and monks, are all selected to record. Ouyang Xiu wrote "History of Tang " and deleted more than 2,000 pieces. The same is true for "History of the Five Dynasties of ". It is because he is afraid that in the future generations of the world, he knows that Buddhism is beneficial to the body, mind, life, national politics, and learns it. Most of the other historians are such people who are in custody. Therefore, those who practice and prove secretly by ancient masters are not known." ("Lin Wenzhong's Day Tribute to the Duke of Lin Wenzhong") This is a great regret. However, in the existing scriptures, we are still lucky enough to read many touching stories about monks’ interactions.
During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi was devoted to Buddhism and was willing to get close to monks in temples. He got close to Zen Master Niaoke, who taught him the essence of Buddhism: "Don't do evil, do good, and purify your own mind, which is all Buddhists." When he was demoted to Sima of Jiangzhou , Bai Juyi often visited monks in Donglin Temple. When of the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo and Foyin Zen Master had a close relationship. There were countless interesting stories about their interactions. The allusion of " Eight Winds cannot blow, and a fart comes across the river" has long been widely known.
, and , who likes to write erotic words, and Li Boshi, who likes to draw horses, were also inspired by Zen Master Yuantongxiu. Because he was afraid of falling into the three evil paths, Li no longer painted horses, and Huang no longer wrote erotic words. Master Chang of the Seventh Patriarch of the Lianzong Dynasty formed a Jingxing Society on the side of the West Lake in the Northern Song Dynasty, and specially invited literati and doctors to join the society to chant Buddha's name.When , of the Ming Dynasty, Master Huiyi was closely related to Qian Qianyi, one of the "three great masters of , Jiangzuo ". During the Republic of China period, Master Yin Guang was surrounded by famous lay Buddhists such as Xu Zhijing , Zhang Yunlei, Ding Fubao , and Gao Henian . They were all intellectual elites at that time. Master Hongyi is followed by famous scholars such as Xia Yizun , Feng Zikai . Although Feng Zikai has not become a monk, he has always held disciple etiquette to Master Hongyi. His creation of " Collection of Life-Protecting Paintings " was influenced by Master Hongyi.
03
3 Internal and external resources, spreading the Dharma and abducting teachings
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the monks were able to establish close contact with local literati and scholars, which was based on the common attributes of their intellectual elites and their shared feelings of birth. After that, in the process of Mahayana Buddhism being deeply embedded in Chinese local culture, monks received strong assistance and support from these lay intellectual elites, whether they were translating scriptures or spreading the Dharma.
In the spread of Buddhism, monks are protecting the inner world, and lay people are protecting the outer world. Master Yin Guang said: "In the past, Tathagata was about to enter Nirvana. With his Dharma, he asked the kings and ministers to protect and spread. He was good at making monks and became monks and practiced the Brahma practice. He lacked wealth and had no power. Even if he could promote the Dharma, he would inevitably invade the foreign invasion. If he was protected by the Kings and Ministers, the Dharma would be widely accepted and the foreign invasion would not arise. Those who were violent and rebellious would stop their shadows and hide their traces. Those who were gentle and kind would arise and surrender. Therefore, they obtained the Da Zhangjiao Network to reap the sea of suffering. The fish. The priest is strong and the moon is fully visible to the heart. Protect the inside and protect the outside, and move with each other. Then the Tathagata's Dharma can be transformed across the ten directions and the three realms. All the orders are conscious and the same is fertile. " ("On the Regulations on the Management of Temples of the Great President")
Buddhism has been circulated in China for more than two thousand years, and scholars and officials have made great contributions. The famous translator Zhu Fahu, a famous classic translator during the Western Jin Dynasty, had many right-hand men in the process of translating classics, such as Nie Chengyuan , Nie Daozhen and his son, Chen Shilun, Sun Bohu, Yu Shiya, etc. During the Tang Dynasty, Venerable Panlamidi translated the "Lingyun Sutra", and Prime Minister Fang Rong was an important member of it, serving as a pen.
Because Buddhism came from a foreign land, it is difficult to believe and understand, it has been criticized a lot. Under such circumstances, many scholars and officials assumed the responsibility of protecting the Dharma, and thus many wonderful texts of apology were born, such as the "Hongming Collection" compiled by lawyer Sengyou of Liang Dynasty, the "Guanghongming Collection" compiled by lawyer Daoxuan of the Tang Dynasty, and so on. Many of the articles included in these collections were written by scholars and officials at that time, such as the "Theory of Reasons and Confucianism" written by Mou Rong in the "Hongming Collection", and the "Theory of Buddhas and Confucianism" written by Zong Bing (one of the eighteen high wise men of the Donglin Lotus Society). These articles can also reflect the traces of monks' interactions at that time. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Prime Minister Zhang Shangying and his official post on "The Protective Law", and Song Lian, the founding official of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote "The Protective Law Record". This kind of pride of pride, with a thorough analysis of reasoning and unobstructed literary talent, is amazing.
Confucian talks about "the view of the world", while Buddhism talks about "the view of the Dharma Realm". In the two-way interaction between monks and monks, monks are importantly influenced by scholars, but scholars and officials are even more influenced by monks. Buddhism has subtly improved the realm of scholars and officials. Master Yin Guang said that since ancient times, most of the people who have made immortal achievements have been learned from Buddhism. Wen Yanbo, the Prime Minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, once and Master Jingyan gathered 100,000 people to hold a Pure Land Dharma Assembly, and vowed to rebirth in the West. This kind of original intention of wishing all sentient beings to be liberated has far surpassed the scholars' expectations for "establishing virtue, making meritorious and making words."
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Conclusion
As an important role in the world and transcendence, monks' interactions have had a profound impact on Chinese culture.
Master Nengxu said that monks are the big axis of the world, the center that maintains people's hearts and socializes, and monks cannot move.The monks set an example of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Path spirit, which is in harmony with the traditional Chinese literati spirit, and with the worldly feelings, they have done worldly careers, jointly depicting a beautiful scenery in the history of Chinese culture.
Article source丨《Pure Land》2022 No. 1
Image source丨Shenyuan.com
photography丨Gongying, Miaochuan, Danzhen Wangmu, Menghe Deligen
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