Date of Birth and Death [Editor] In the fourth year of Tang Wu (688), Jian Zhen was born in Yangzhou, and his common name was Chunyu. In 702 AD, Jian Zhen entered the Dayun Temple in Yangzhou as a Shami, and was awarded a title by a Bodhisattva in 706 AD. In 709 AD, he entered Chang 'an with a Taoist Zen master, and was awarded a title by a lawyer from Jingzhou Hongjing, the actual temple, to study the Nanshan method with him.
During his stay in Chang 'an, Jian Zhen was diligent and eager for knowledge, reading extensively and visiting eminent monks. In addition to Buddhist scriptures, he also has certain attainments in architecture, painting, especially medicine. In July15, he returned to practice in daming temple, Yangzhou. In 733, he became the local Buddhist leader and abbot of daming temple. More than forty thousand people were preached by him. At that time, people praised it as "between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River".
In 742 AD, Rong Rui and Pu Zhao, Japanese monks studying abroad, arrived in Yangzhou, pleading with Jian Zhen to teach "real" Buddhism and to teach Japanese believers the precepts. At that time, all the monks in daming temple were "silent and unresponsive", only Jian Zhen said "it's for legal affairs, so why not". So I decided to cross east.
In the winter of 742, Jian Zhen and his disciples (265,438+0), together with four Japanese monks, went to Donghe Jiji Temple near Yangzhou to build a ship and prepare for the eastward crossing. At that time, Japanese monks were holding official letters that Prime Minister Li got from his brother Li, so local official Cang Cuo also gave assistance. Unexpectedly, one of Jian Zhen's disciples, Dao Xing, joked with a younger brother, Ruhai, saying, "Everyone is highly respected and the industry is obsolete. If you learn as little as the sea, you can stop. " If you believe it, you will break into a furious rage and falsely accuse Jian Zhen and his party of colluding with pirates to build ships and prepare to attack Yangzhou. When pirates were rampant, an interview in Huainan alarmed Ben Qian Jing and sent someone to detain all the monks. Although they were released soon, they ordered the Japanese monks to return to China immediately, and their first trip to the East was aborted. And Jian Zhen once said: "The mountains and rivers are exotic, and the wind and the moon are the same."
Second eastward crossing
Jian Zhen and other 17 monks (including the hidden Rong Rui and Zhao Pu), together with 85 hired craftsmen such as "carving, casting, writing, embroidering, writing and carving tablets", set out again after careful preparation. As a result, before she went to sea, she was shipwrecked at Langgoupu in the Yangtze River estuary. No sooner had the ship been repaired than it went out to sea and was blown to an island in Zhoushan Islands by strong winds. Five days later, everyone was rescued and moved to Asoka Temple in Yuyao, Mingzhou (now Ningbo, Zhejiang) to settle down. After the spring, temples in Yuezhou (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), Hangzhou, Huzhou and Xuanzhou (now Xuancheng, Anhui) invited Jian Zhen to give lectures, and the second trip to the East ended.
The picture scroll of the Crusade (part of it) was preserved in the back room, and now it is in Zhao Ti Temple in the Tang Dynasty [Editor]. After the third lecture tour, Jian Zhen returned to Asoka Monastery, ready to go there again. After learning this, the monks in Yuezhou accused Japanese monks of hiding in China in order to keep Jian Zhen, with the purpose of "luring" Jian Zhen to Japan. So the government put Rong Rui in prison and sent him to Hangzhou. Rong Rui pretended to be ill on the road, before he could escape. The third trip to the East is over.
Because the fourth trip to Jiangsu and Zhejiang was inconvenient to go to sea, Jian Zhen decided to buy a boat from Fuzhou and led more than 30 people to set off from Asoka Temple. I was stopped when I first arrived in Wenzhou. It turned out that Ling You, a disciple of Jian Zhen who stayed in daming temple, was worried about the master's safety and begged the Yangzhou government to stop him. Huainan reporter sent someone to stop Jian Zhen and his party from returning to Yangzhou. I can't cross the east for the fourth time.
The Fifth Journey to the East In 748 AD, Rong Rui and Pu Zhao came to daming temple again and begged Jian Zhen to travel to the east. Jian Zhen immediately led 14 monks and 35 craftsmen and sailors, and set off from Chongfu Temple on June 28th of the lunar calendar, heading east again. In order to wait for the downwind, Jian Zhen and his party stayed in Zhoushan Islands for several months after leaving the Yangtze River, and could not go to sea until June 165438+ 10. In the East China Sea of China, the ship encountered a strong north wind. It drifted continuously 14 before it saw land, and it took 16 before it landed. It was found that it had drifted to Zhou Zhen (now Sanya) and settled in Dayun Temple. Jian Zhen stayed in Hainan for one year, bringing a lot of Central Plains culture and medical knowledge to the local area. Up to now, there are still Jian Zhen relics in Sanya, such as "Sunbathing Slope" and "Large and Small Cave Dwellings". .
After that, Jian Zhen returned to the north, passed through Wan 'an Mansion (now Wanning, Hainan), Yazhou (now Haikou, Hainan), Leizhou and Wuzhou, arrived in Shi 'an County (now Guilin, Guangxi), lived in Jian Zhen and Shi 'an Kaiyuan Temple for another year, and was welcomed to give lectures in Guangzhou. When passing through Duanzhou (now Zhaoqing, Guangdong), Rong Rui died of illness in longxing temple. In Guangzhou, Jian Zhen wanted to go to Tianzhu and was comforted. After the summer, Jian Zhen continued to leave. When he passed through Shaozhou, he resigned as usual. When he left, Jian Zhen swore that he would not go to Japan. This is not what I want. "At this time, Jian Zhen's blindness was due to the acclimatization and travel fatigue, and he was mistaken for a quack. After the Tomb of Dayu, Xiang Yan, the great disciple of Jian Zhen, sat down in Jizhou (now Ji 'an, Jiangxi), and Jian Zhen was very sad. Then Jian Zhen passed Lushan Mountain, Jiangzhou (now Jiujiang, Jiangxi) and Jiangning County, Runzhou (now Nanjing, Jiangsu) and returned to Yangzhou. The fifth eastward crossing is over.
The sixth eastward crossing
Jian Zhen's sixth voyage to the Western Ocean was famous for Jian Zhen's travel to more than half of China. In 753, Japanese envoys, such as Fujiwara Qinghe, Kibi No Asomi Makibi and Chao Heng (Akihito Nakama, Japan), came to Yangzhou and begged Jian Zhen to join their eastward journey again. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty believed in Taoism and wanted to send Taoist priests to Japan. Japan refused, so Jian Zhen was not allowed to go to sea. Jian Zhen secretly took a boat to Huangsipu, Suzhou, and changed to a ship that sent envoys to the Tang Dynasty. There were 24 people accompanying him, including monks and nuns 17. 165438+1October16th, the fleet went to sea. At this time, Zhao Pu also arrived in Yuyao. 165438+1October 2 1 day, Jian Zhen's ship separated from Chao Heng's ship, and on February 6, 65438, the remaining two ships and one ship hit the rocks. The sixth eastward crossing finally succeeded.
When Jian Zhen, a Japanese grandmaster, arrived in Japan, he was given a grand courtesy by Kejsarinnan Koken and Emperor Shengwu. On February 1 day, 754, Fujiwara Nakama, a senior official, personally met him at the Hanoi Pavilion. On February 4th, Jian Zhen and his party arrived in Nara, where they had a dispute with another local China monk, Little Monk Capital, and took charge of Japanese Buddhist affairs with the titles of "Deng Chuan Exorcist" and "Big Monk".
According to Wu Sheng's and Xiao Gan's wishes, Jian Zhen, as a legalist monk, should shoulder the responsibility of regulating Japanese monks and put an end to the phenomenon of holding Buddha, which was prevalent in Japanese society at that time, so as to avoid the phenomenon of labor tax. Therefore, Xiao Gan issued a decree: "From now on, teach and quit becoming a monk." However, this has aroused the opposition of Japan's own "vow to quit" faction, especially the strong opposition of Jing Xian and others in Xinghua Temple. Therefore, Jian Zhen decided to hold an open debate in Xiaofu Temple. During the debate, Jian Zhen made a concession and admitted that the "self-sworn precept" could still exist, but as a formal discipline officially recognized, there must be three teachers and seven certificates. As a result, Xian Jing and others were moved and abandoned the old example. Jian Zhen then set up an altar in Dongda Temple to consecrate about 500 people, including Wu Sheng, the Queen of Light, members of the royal family and Xiao Gan's monks. In 756, Jian Zhen was named as the "Big Monk Capital", commanding all the monks and nuns in Japan, and established a formal discipline system in Japan.
However, in 758, as the main supporter of Jian Zhen, Kejsarinnan Koken lost power in the court struggle and was forced to abdicate to Emperor Chunren. As a result, Jian Zhen also suffered from exclusion. In 758, Emperor Chunren demoted Jian Zhen to "the capital of great monks" on the grounds of "political restlessness" and gave Jian Zhen the official residence of the former Crown Prince Daozu who lost in the court struggle. The following year, Jian Zhen's disciples built a temple in the official residence, which Chunren named "Tang Temple", and Jian Zhen moved here from Dongda Temple. Chunren also issued a decree that Japanese monks must study in Tang Zhao Ti Temple before being ordained, making Tang Zhao Ti Temple the highest institution of learning for Japanese Buddhists at that time. In 763 (the first year of Guangde in Tang Daizong, the seventh year of Junren Emperor Tian Ping Baozi), Jian Zhen of the Tang Dynasty died in Zhao Ti Temple. Before his death, his disciple was Jian Zhen Moying, who had a lacquer statue handed down from generation to generation.
In 764, Kejsarinnan Koken suppressed Hui Mei's rebellion and successfully returned to the throne. Jian Zhen's disciples Stowe, Fajin and others have become "Big Monk Capital" one after another, and the Tang and Zhao Temple has also been expanded to become a national treasure in Japanese architectural history. The altar under the temptation created by Jian Zhen also became the only place where Japanese Buddhist monks were formally ordained before the establishment of Tiantai Sect in Japan. Jian Zhen is also regarded as the ancestor of Japanese legalists.
Disciple Jian Zhen has many disciples in Japan. Among them, Fajin (709-778) was Jian Zhen's right-hand man, preaching and teaching to solve doubts. He was regarded by Japanese legalists as the "second monk" after Jian Zhen. He wrote a lot of notes on laws and regulations, and often told Japanese monks about the three major parts of Tiantai four times, which was very popular. Stowe actively assisted Jian Zhen in building the Tang and Zhao Temple. In addition to teaching monks the law, he also teaches the teachings of Tiantai Sect. He wrote the earliest Japanese Buddhist biography, The Story of Monk Li Yan, the Biography of Jian Zhen and the Biography of Jian Zhen, a famous Buddhist preacher in the Tang Dynasty. The biography of Japan's Yuan Kai Dong Expedition is mainly based on this book. After Jian Zhen's death, the Zhao Ti Temple in the Tang Dynasty was presided over by Ru Bao. After he entered heian period, he became a monk by Emperor Kanmu, his concubines and the Crown Prince, and was regarded by Japanese legalists as the "third monk" after Jian Zhen and Fajin.
Jian Zhen not only brought Buddhist scriptures to Japan, but also promoted the spread of China culture in Japan. In Buddhism, medicine, calligraphy and other aspects, Jian Zhen has a far-reaching influence on Japan.
Buddhism Jian Zhen established a strict discipline system in Japan for the first time, which put Japanese Buddhism on the right track, facilitated the government's control of Buddhism, put an end to all kinds of disadvantages caused by neglect of management, and made Buddhism the national religion of Japan. Jian Zhen and his disciples founded the Du Nan Legalist School, which has become one of the six schools, and still has a bright future today.
Medical Jian Zhen is familiar with medical prescriptions. When the Queen of Light died, only Jian Zhen's prescription was effective. According to Japanese Notes on Materia Medica, Jian Zhen can distinguish the types and authenticity of herbs by smelling them with his nose. He also vigorously spread the knowledge of Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Febrile Diseases, leaving a volume of Master Jian's Secret Recipe. Therefore, he is known as "the ancestor of Japanese traditional Chinese medicine". According to Yasuhiro Nozaki, chairman of Nozaki Pharmacy in Korea, the following 36 kinds of herbs were brought to Japan from Jian Zhen for promotion and use [1]:
Herba Ephedrae, Asari, Radix Paeoniae, Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata, Radix Polygalae, Radix Astragali, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Radix Sophorae Flavescentis, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Bupleuri, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Rehmanniae, Perillae Radix, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Scutellariae Radix, Radix Platycodi, Inula, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Rhizoma Pinelliae, Raphani Semen, Fructus Gardeniae, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis and Cortex Phellodendri.
calligraphy
Jian Zhen asked for a position. Jian Zhen of Zhao Ti Temple in Tang Dynasty and his disciples also had profound attainments in calligraphy. On his sixth trip to the East, he brought a running script of Wang Xizhi, three original running scripts of Wang Xianzhi and 50 volumes of other calligraphy works. This greatly promoted the formation of Japanese calligraphy. Jian Zhen himself is also a famous calligrapher, and his Invitation Book is regarded as a Japanese national treasure.
[Editor] The commemoration of Jian Zhen by later generations enjoys a high reputation in both China and Japan. When the news of his death came back to Yangzhou, all the monks in Yangzhou mourned for three days and held a big ceremony in longxing temple to mourn Jian Zhen. In Japan, Jian Zhen also enjoys national treasure treatment. 1963 is 1200 years after Jian Zhen's death. Both Chinese and Japanese Buddhist circles have held large-scale commemorative activities, and Japanese Buddhist circles have also designated this year as the "Year of Master Jian Zhen's Awakening". 1980, under the mediation of Deng Xiaoping, Morimoto, the abbot of Zhao Ti Temple in the Tang Dynasty, presented a lacquer statue of Jian Zhen, "Going back to his hometown to visit relatives", so the daming temple in Yangzhou was rebuilt and became a major event in the history of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. Guo Defu, a ten-year-old Chinese painting, set off Jian Zhen fever in China, reflecting the friendly cultural exchange between China and Jian Zhen. [ 1]。