Xi Ming Temple

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Xi Ming Monastery (Chinese: 西明寺; pinyin: xi ming si, also romanized Hsi-ming-ssu) is a famous monastery from Chang'an (today's Xi'an), the capital of Tang Dynasty in Chinese history.

In the 7th century, monk-pilgrims such as Yi Jing and Xuanzang translated Indian sutras at this temple.

Around 804-806, Kūkai 空海 spent time at the temple studying Sanskrit in the Siddham script with Prajñā (who had studied at Nalanda), before being initiated as a Vajrayana master by Hui-kuo 惠果 at 青龍寺 (Green Dragon Monastery) and returning to Japan in 806 to found the Japanese Shingon tradition.