Xi Ming Temple

Xi Ming Monastery (Chinese: 西明寺; pinyin: xi ming si, also romanized Hsi-ming-ssu) is a famous monastery located in Chang'an, the capital of Tang Dynasty in Chinese history. The Temple is located in Chang'an, current day Xi'an, which was located at the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, and placed within a cosmopolitan metropolis. Ximing was established by Tang Gaozong in 656.^[1] It was at Ximing that pilgrim and traveller Xuanzang (602-664) had translated the scriptures he had brought back from India. Another traveller Yijing (635-713) also based himself at Ximing while working on translations of Indian scriptures. Indian scholar monk Shubhākarasimha, was responsible for the introduction of the Mahavairocana Sutra and the tantric traditions associated with it. Japanese monk, Kukai studied Sanskrit there under the tutelage of Gandharan pandit Prajñā (734-810?) who had been educated at the Indian Buddhist university at Nalanda. Ximing was celebrated for its library which was the most comprehensive library of Buddhist texts in China at the time. Woncheuk (613–696) (Chinese Yuáncè) was a Korean Buddhist monk, also known as Ximing fashi (西明法师) after the name of this temple where he did most of his important work.^[2]

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