General Buddhism: Course 5 - Lesson 2 Chinese Buddhist history

Universal Buddhist Studies

SRAMANA. Thich Thien Hoa

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Fifth Course

History of Buddhism Spread,
10 Sects and the Universe Nhon Sanh.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.

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Lesson 2

History of Chinese Buddhism

A. Open Topic

As we have learned in the first lesson, the Buddhist one in India, while growing into two large trunks, one facing south, which is the Southern religion, in the direction tree. to the north, that is to say, North Buddhism.

Referring to the Northern Buddhism, the largest country and has a decisive influence on the surrounding countries is China. So if we want to know the history of spreading Buddhism in the North or Mahayana Buddhism, we cannot help but study the development, ups and downs of Chinese Buddhism, since Buddhism was introduced into the mass. the most crowded people in the world until modern times.

Once we have realized the main contours of Chinese Buddhist history, we will also have acquired some of the main concepts and colors of Buddhism in Vietnam in the past:

B.- Right View:

I.- Early Period

According to the historical books, the Chinese people had heard about Buddhism for a long time and scattered about people in the West. Hung until the time of the Dong dynasty, the tenth anniversary of the Vinh Binh year (T.L67) King Minh De sent Vuong Tuan and Thai Ham, all eighteen to the country of Nhuc Chi (a country 1 in the West, on the road from India to China) to bring the Buddha to worship and have invited two monks, Ca-Lettuce Ma Dang (Kerssoapa Matanga) and Truc Phap Lan (Falan) through China. King Han Minh De commanded to build Bach Ma pagoda to worship Buddha and let them stay there translating the Dao transmission. They translated the Sutta of the Four Deces and the other sixteen. Buddhism is recognized in China, built temples, translated business started from there. Gradually, Buddhism expanded and the Taoist tradition spread from the West to throw China to China. Among them are the most famous ones: An The Cao, Chi Lau Ca Thunder, Chi Dieu, Truc Buddha Soc. The number of Sanskrit scriptures translated into Chinese characters in this early period increased to 300 volumes.

I I.- Times of Prosperity

In the period of more than two thousand years from the beginning of the introduction to China to the modern Buddhism, many times failed and decayed over the ages. Meticulously describing the prosperity and decline in succession, the writing did not know how many pages were finished, and it was difficult for the readers to remember. So to help you remember, we just point out the main points, the most prominent in the conversion schedule of Chinese Buddhism. We must first list the most flourishing periods, then the darkest periods, so that you have a fairly clear concept of the history of Chinese Buddhism propagation.

Regarding prosperity, we can record the following four periods:

1.-  The first period.  From the Three Kingdoms to Tay Tan (3rd century to 4th century TL). after the loss of the Dong Han Dynasty, the Chinese nation was divided into three blocks, ie the Three Kingdoms period: Wei, Shu, and Wu. Despite this division, among those countries, from the king to the people, they all followed Buddhism, and each country had monks from Western Europe to evangelize: in Dong Ngo, there was Mr. Khuong Tang Hoi. In North Wei, there was Mr. Dam Ma Ca La; in Tây Thục, he is Châu Tử Hàng, a Chinese monk who went to Tây Vân to study Sanskrit and found the original Sanskrit script to translate it, so as to enrich the Chinese canon.

But it was not until the time of the Xun Dynasty that Chinese Buddhism saw the brilliant painting of the first flourishing period. In 310 CE, under the reign of Tay Tan, in the reign of Vinh Gia, a high monk from Tay Vuc, Lord Buddha Do Trung, came to the sermon to the people as prescribed by thousands and people. He has trained some famous disciples like them: Dao An Phap Hoa.

Shortly after that, he Cuu-Ma-La-Cross continued the pro-legal career of the senior monks and brought Chinese Buddhism to an extremely brilliant position. It was during this first period that China began to have new sects of religious treatise and sincerity.

2.- The  second period . -Under the Southern and Northern dynasties (the fifth to the sixth century). During this period many monks increased the power of Buddhism both in the people and the court, as He He Lam attended the government. And many of them have introduced sects from outside, or founded new sects. As Mr. Bodhidharma has passed from Thien Truc to Zen Buddhism, and is the first ancestor of this sect in China; His Tripitaka Siddhartha translated Mahayana Mahayana teachings, His Holiness the Thunder infused Nirvana transmission, Mr. Nam Nhac set up Thien Thai Ton. That was the second flourishing period of Chinese Buddhism.

3.- The third period- Under the Tang Dynasty (VII-IX century) At the beginning of the seventh century, under the reign of Duong Thai Ton (the second king of the Tang Dynasty), after a period of being dispersed due to aggression, piety in China began to prosper again. The high monk who started this flourishing period is Xuanzang-Trang, often called the Tam-Tibet Tripitaka. Realizing that sutras in his home country were either destroyed or lost due to war, or were erroneously original due to misinterpretation or copying, Mr. Xuan-Trang spontaneously made a vow to go to India, seeking study with the wise men- monks, and traveled all over India. After 15 years, he returned to China, brought many sutras with Pham-Van and organized an translation into Han-Van with over 1,500 volumes. King Duong Thai-Ton respected him very much, commanding him to build the Dai-Tu-An pagoda so that he could translate the meridians (1).

Readers who want to know clearly about the journey to the West and translate the Sutra of Huyen-Trang, please read the two volumes of Xuan-Trang by the Shell-Dinh-Cuong author published by the Hung-Dao.

After Huyen-Trang, Mr. Nghia-Tinh also traveled to India by sea and also offered about 60 volumes, totaling 230 volumes.

Since then, under the Tang Dynasty, with the exception of a few kings, most of them supported and adored Buddhism, and Buddhism was strongly penetrated among the people. Considering the four periods of prosperity, this period was the most glorious period of Chinese Buddhism.

4.- the fourth period.-  Under the Ming Dynasty. Since the Tang dynasty's demise, to the Ming Dynasty, several hundred years ago, China underwent a series of generations: the Five Great Dynasties (Hau Luong, Hau Duong, Hau Tan, Hau Han and Hau Chu). Song Dynasty, then Yuan Dynasty.

In these kings, only the Song Dynasty had a good will in reviving Buddhism, after a period of devastation due to war and the destruction of the pagoda of King The-Ton after Chu Chu. The Song monarchs sent envoys to West-Veu to request the name of the Sangha, and the classic translations, so Buddhism gradually recovered, though less than before.

But it was not until the Thai-ancestor of the Ming Dynasty (Chu Nguyen Chuong) that Buddhism regained the splendor of the previous flourishing times. Minh Thai-To, originally a small Sa-Di, so when he ascended to the throne, he strongly supported Buddhism.

He established the rules for monks, placed the Sangha, the Sangha and the Sangha to handle the monks. the next king Minh Thai-Ton, also continued to revive Buddhism, so Buddhism in China once again has the splendid nuance of the old time. But it was also the last flourishing period.

Indeed, since the Ming dynasty lost the throne to the Qing Dynasty, although the monarchs also supported Buddhism, in the world few people understood the Buddha's morality, but only thought of offering, superstition, deformities. presentable.

It was not until the Tam-democracy-revolution (1912) that Buddhism emerged from the form of Buddhist studies and the establishment of Buddhist societies throughout the country. But this is part of modern and modern Buddhism, which we will study in a later article.

III.- Periods of Recession

As we know, life is impermanent, nothing can escape the common law. Chinese Buddhism had a time of extreme prosperity, as we have seen above, there is also a period of decline that we are about to mention.

The Chinese historian of Buddhism, when it comes to the period of the decline of Buddhism, is often summarized in a sentence: "Tam Chu, Nhat Ton yoke". This sentence refers to the dark times of Buddhism, in the three generations of King Vo 'Thai Hoa of Hau Wei, Vo-De of the North-Chu Dynasty, and Vo-Ton of Duong Dynasty' and in the reign of The-Ton Dynasty Queen. Zhou.

Below, we refer to these four dark periods sequentially:

1.-  First period .- Under the post-Wei period of Thai-Vo-De (439-450 TL). In the middle of the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-588) while Buddhism was prevailing, the king was worshiping and the monks increased every day, until the reign of the 7th Thaí-Bình Chơn-Quân (446 TL) Wei Thai-Vo-De is a brutal monarch who listens to the murmurs and horribly masses clergy and destroys the image of temples in the country. But the fate of the tyrant could not last long, so four years after the execution of the atrocious tactic, Thai-Vo-De died. Van-thanh kings ascended the throne, realizing the cruel, unreasonable and dangerous deeds, should have reverted to reviving Buddhism, so Buddhism gradually regained the old bar.

2.-  The second period: -Under the life of northern Chu Vo-De (574 TL). In the reign of Võ-Đế in northern Zhou Dynasty, Buddhism suffered a second yoke. The king decreed to abolish Buddhism, take the monks to become people, and join the army; The pagoda was turned into a royal palace for the kings to live in, the people were forbidden to worship Buddha.

But a few years later, Võ-Đế died, Tuyên-empire succeeded, and the projector revived Buddhism, transmitting discourses. Thanks to that, until Sui, Buddhism became a new one, the king of the Dharma took refuge in the Buddha Dharma.

3.-  The third period . Under the reign of Võ-Tôn under the Tang Dynasty (840-847 TL). The third ear of Chinese Buddhism happened in 845 TL under the reign of the Tang Dynasty Martial Arts.

As we all know, the Tang dynasty was a peak period in Chinese Buddhist history, the kings of this life all devoted themselves to Buddhism. But in the reign of Vo-Ton, a king who worshiped Lao-Tao, listened to the monks, instigated him to suppress Buddhism as well as other religions, and arrested 265,000 monks and nuns continuously; bronze bells were confiscated to make money.

But perhaps the ruthless kings could not live long, two years after Vo-De's death. Tuyen-Ton King ascended the throne, again lowering the colors to renovate the pagoda and the chief of Hung Buddhism.

4.-  The fourth period  .- Under the post-religious period of the chu chu (about the middle of the tenth century). After the Tang dynasty lost its throne, China was the bait for the rivalry between the vassals, the war raged everywhere, and Buddhism was also greatly affected by the time. In addition, there was the devastation of a King of Hau Dynasty, King The-Ton.

The-Ton really hated Buddhism, so he decimated the temple to 30,336 houses, brought bronze statues, bells, and cast money, all the sutras were burned or lost almost. Faced with such a dark situation, Chinese Buddhism thought to be missing. But not ! The Song Dynasty after pacifying the world, tried its best to promote Buddhism and send envoys to the West-region to visit Buddhist and Buddhist magicians to China.

IV. Six Chinese Zen Masters

Regarding the Buddhist sects in China, the Zen religion developed most strongly and extensively. It is not surprising that religious worship is very suitable for the majority of Chinese radicals and the ancestors of Zen-Ton are the highly-respected saints. Below, let us know more about those Patriarchs: The first Zen-Religion in China was Bodhidharma. After he was taught the Dharma by Bat-Nha-Da-La-La and blessed to transfer him to China in the reign of King Vo-De (528 DL). He sat on the wall and meditated always in the year, at the Shaolin Temple. He passed away at Thien-Thanh Pagoda in the Shell-Mon area, buried at the temple of Hung-Nhi mountain beside Dinh-Lam pagoda.

Before passing away, Toad Ma had said a poem to bless Hue-Kha, Thanh-Quang, (He cut off his arm to pray to him). The verse is as follows:

Chinese Literature:

Self-hybrid maize corn

Transmission of love passion

The most blossoming flowers

Result come in natural

Translate:

I came to China

Love love sermon

A flower bouncing five wings

result come in natural.

Mr. Huisheng succeeded him to the Ma, the second nest, He rose to the third, He believed faith was the fourth, Mr. Hoagong was the fifth and Hue Hui-Nang was the sixth, the ancestor. the last of Zen Buddhism in China.

C.- Conclusion

After reading the history of spreading Buddhism in China, we can draw a few useful comments as follows:

1.- Buddhism is a foreign religion from India. While Buddhism in India is declining every day, Buddhism in China is gaining more and more every day and eventually conquering most of the largest population in the world. Why? Perhaps because in India, the missionary leaders did not adapt to the situation, with the progress of the world of the time, kept the old lifestyle, while in China, the The missionary has clearly understood the roots of the masses, adapted to the situation and the times, always promoting new Sects to meet the spiritual needs of the people. Therefore, Buddhism in China is not dominated by any religion.

2.- As in Vietnam, when dynasties in China were newly enthroned, the kings of the founding nation always worshiped Buddhism and encouraged the mission, and the last kings, on the contrary, often destroy Buddhism, before losing the throne. These facts allow us to conclude that: The kings of the country declared most virtuous and wise men who realized that it was necessary to revive Buddhism in order for the people to be pure and prosperous. In contrast, the last kings were largely unethical soldiers, so they destroyed Buddhism. Therefore, the country was rioting more and more and your throne also collapsed with the collapse of the countries.

3.- Buddhism in China is sometimes prosperous and at times weakened. In that meditation, the sins and sins of kings are great, but not all. The kings only strengthened their predestined lives, while the main cause was the main motive, which was still the followers and especially the Buddhist leadership. When believers have strong morality and confidence, missionaries have clear eyesight, so even if kings want to break the religion, they can only destroy a part of it. Just as when the devotees were virtuous and had faith, the leaders lacked the spirit of progress and wisdom, the king, though he wanted to support Buddhism, only partially supported it.

So, always the same, the construction or the destruction, first comes from within. END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.26/1/2020.