Mo-ho-yen

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Mo-ho-yen (Traditional Chinese: 摩訶衍; pinyin: Móhēyǎn) is a Chinese phonetic approximation of Mahayana, which is more commonly referred to in Chinese by the translation Dàshēng (大乘). Tibetan Buddhism usually uses the term Ho-shang Mo-ho-yen (Chinese for Mahayana Monk) to refer to one spefific individual.

That individual was a Chinese Buddhist monk active in the late 8th century CE. After teaching in the area of Dunhuang he was invited by King Trisong Detsen of Tibet to settle at Samye Monastery. Mo-ho-yen taught a form of Chán (Chinese Zen) and attracted a number of followers at Samye; however, in 793, however, the king decided that he was a harmful influence and banned him from teaching. Following intense protests from Mo-ho-yen's supporters, the king proposed to settle the matter in a debate: an Indian monk named Kamalaśila was invited to represent Indian Buddhism, while Mo-ho-yen represented Chán and Chinese Buddhism. In the end, the debate was decided in Kamasila's favour and Mo-ho-yen was required to leave the country. This was a pivotal event in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, which would afterward continue to follow the late Indian model with only minor influence from China. ^[1] Mo-ho-yen's teachings were a mixture of the Northern School Chan associated with Shen Xiu and Baotang Chán.^[2]

[edit] Notes and references

↑  Yamaguchi Zuihō (1997). "The Core Elements of Indian Buddhism Introduced into Tibet". In Jamie Hubbard and Paul L. Swanson (ed.), Pruning the Bodhi Tree: The Storm over Critical Buddhism, pp. 220-241. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 0-8248-1949-7.

↑  A. W. Hanson-Barber (1985). "'No-Thought' in Pao-T'ang Ch'an and Early Ati-Yoga". Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 8, no. 2: 61-73.