I Ching (monk)

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This article is about the Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk. For the ancient Chinese Confucian text, see I Ching.
An artist impression of Yi Jing 义净(635～713), Tang dynasty Buddhist monk.
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An artist impression of Yi Jing 义净(635～713), Tang dynasty Buddhist monk.
Yi Jing's travel map of 7th century.
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Yi Jing's travel map of 7th century.

I Ching (monk) or Yi Jing (Yijing, Yiqing, I-Tsing or YiChing) (義淨, 三藏法師義淨 635-713) is Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk, original name was Zhang Wen Ming (张文明). He contributed to the world the information of ancient Srivijaya (written in Chinese), large numbers of Buddhist scriptures, his adventure stories en route to Nalanda of India in the 7th century and many more.

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[edit] Journey to Srivijaya and Nalanda

Zhang Wen Ming became a monk at age 14, admirer of Fa Xian and Xuanzang, both famous monks of his childhood. He was funded by someone named Fong and decided to visit the famous Buddhist university of Nalanda, in Bihar, India, to further study Buddhism, he came to Guangzhou and hopped on a Persian boat. 20 days later, he arrived at Srivijaya (today's Palembang of Sumatra), he stayed 6 months learning Sanskrit grammar and Malay language and recorded in his journey book where he visited a nation called Malayu and later another nation called Kiteh (Kedah), 10 days later he reached 'naked kingdom' (south west of Shu), the year was 673. Yi Jing recorded he saw 'Kunlun peoples' (ancient Chinese word Malay peoples). "Kunlun people have curly hair, dark bodies, bare feet and wear sarongs." He then arrived at the East coast of India, where he met a senior monk and stayed a year to learn Sanskrit. Both later followed a group of merchants and visited 30 other principalities. Halfway to Nalanda, Yi Jing fell sick and was unable to walk; gradually he was left behind by the group. He was looted by bandits and stripped naked. He heard the natives would catch white skins to offer sacrifice to the gods, so he jumped into mud and used leaves to cover his lower body; he walked slowly to Nalanda where he stayed 11 years.

[edit] Return home

Year 687 Yi Jing on his way back to Tang (China) stopped at Srivijaya, at that time Palembang was a centre of Buddhism where foreign scholars gathered, Yi Jing stayed there 2 years to translate original Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures to Chinese. In the year 689 he returned to Guangzhou to obtain ink and papers (note: Srivijaya then had no paper and ink) and returned again to Srivijaya the same year. In year 695, he completed all translation works and finally returnd back to Tang China at Luoyang, and received a grand welcome back by Empress Wu. His total journey took 25 years. He brought back some 400 Buddhist translated texts. 南海寄歸內法傳 & 大唐西域求法高僧傳(Account of Buddhism sent from the South Seas & Buddhist Monks Pilgrimage of Tang Dynasty) are two of Yi Jing's best travel diaries, content covered his adventurous journey to Srivijaya and India, society of India, lifestyles and many more. He translated more than 60 sutras into Chinese, including:

  • Saravanabhava Vinaya (一切有部毗奈耶)
  • Avadana, i.e. stories of great deeds (譬喻經) in 710.
  • Suvarnaprabhascottamaraja-sutra, i.e. Sutra of the Most Honored King (金光明最勝王經) in 703.

[edit] Buddhism in Srivijaya

Yi Jing praises the high level of Buddhist scholarship in Srivijaya, he advised Chinese monks to study there prior to making the journey to Nalanda India.

"In the fortified city of Bhoga, Buddhist priests number more than 1,000, whose minds are bent on learning and good practice. They investigate and study all the subjects that exist just as in India; the rules and ceremonies are not at all different. If a Chinese priest wishes to go to the West in order to hear and read the original scriptures, he had better stay here one or two years and practice the proper rules...."

Yi Jing's visits to Srivijaya gave him the opportunity to meet with others who had come from other neighboring islands. According to him, the Javanese kingdom of Ho-ling was due east of the city of Bhoga at a distance that could be spanned by a 4-5 days journey by sea. He also wrote that Buddhism was flourishing throughout island Southeast Asia. "Many of the kings and chieftains in the islands of the Southern Sea admire and believe in Buddhism, and their hearts are set on accumulating good actions."

[edit] References

  • Dutt S, Buddhist Monks and Monasteries of India, with a complete translation of Yi Jing's book:Buddhist Pilgrim Monks of Tang Dynasty as an appendix. London, 1952.
  • A Record of the Buddhist Religion : As Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago (A.D. 671-695)/I-Tsing. Translated by J. Takakusu. Reprint. New Delhi, AES, 2005, lxiv, 240 p., ISBN 81-206-1622-7. https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no43511.htm

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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