Chou Yi-liang - Tantrism in China

TANTRISM IN CHINA CHOU YI-LIANG HARVARD UNIVERSITY TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION:

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I. Tantrism in Early Chinese Buddhism �. Tsan-ning and His Sources .

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BIOGRAPHY OF SHAN-WU-WEI AND NOTES BIOGRAPHY OF VAJRABODHI AND NOTES. '/

BIOGRAPHY OF AMOGHAVAJRA AND NOTES

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APPENDlCES: A

B C

D

E

807 809 809 811 818

F. G. H. I.

J.

818 814 815 817 818

K. L. M N O.

819 8�0 8�I 8�� 8�4

P.

Q.

R

S. T.

. 8�5 8�6 8�7 3�9 881

INTRODUCTION 1 . Tantrism in Early Chinese Buddhism The age of the T'ang dynasty (618-907 A. D.) was a period when various foreign religions were flourishing in China. Among these the most important by far was Buddhism. As a result of the development of Buddhist philosophy and theology during the Six Dynasties, there arose in the early part of the T'ang t>eriod different seets such as Ch'an and T'ien-t'ai. These represented the higher form of Buddhism the value of whieh was not easily appreeiated by ordinary people. On the other hand, the tantrie form of Buddhism, in whieh magie played a prineipal role, was quite popular among the upper classes during the eighth and ninth eenturies. It was during the seventh eentury that tantrie Bud­ dhism began to be systematized and redueed to a philosophieal basis in India.1 N evertheless, even before this time there existed 1

Cf. B. BHATTACHARYYA, Buddhist Esoterism 8�-4�.

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latent tantric elements in China, although it was not until the eighth century that the sect was officially introduced there. This thesis is devoted to the study of the biographies of three Indian monks who brought tantric Buddhism to China. Before dealing with them, however, it will be profitable to examine the work of their more obscure predecessors, whose efforts, in translating and teaching, left the earliest vestiges of this doctrine on Chinese soil. CHU Lü-yen MrW:�, a monk from Central India, translated in 230 A. D. a text called Mo-teng-ch'ieh ching .�1/JJJ*�. Besides directions for the worship of stars and some simple rites for sacrificing to them/ this sütra contains six dharanlS 3 which all begin with the word om and end with svaha, including instructions for necessary ceremonies during the recitation of the dharaI).l s. One of these rites is performed by lighting a great fire and throw­ ing flowers into it at the end of the recitation.4 This ceremony, most likely influenced by Brahmanism, seems to be a link between it and the homa rite taught in later tantric sütras. Among the translations of CHIH Ch'ien x� (d. after 253 A. D.) several texts 5 consist of dharaI).ls, but no rites accompanying them are described. In the early fourth century the great Master Dharmarak�a � �� (d. after 313 A. D.) made many translations. Quite a few of his sütras consist of dharaI).ls.6 It is characteristic of Dharma­ rak�a to translate the meaning of dharaI).1 instead of transcribing the sound. Examples may be found in two dharaI).ls in the Hai­ lung-wang ching wmEE*�.7 In the fourth century two other masters from Central Asia were particularly famous for their magic, which they used effectively to strengthen the people's faith. The first, Fo-t'u-ch'eng f�[lJfff (d. 348 A. D.) , is the sub­ ject of many legends.8 He was said to be particularly proficient in dharaI).is and could employ spirits as he wished. By applying oil 2 T 21 .404b25 (T Taishö°) . 3 T 21.400b2, 400c16, 404a24-b7. For this text also cf. S. LEVI; TP 7 (1907) . 1 1 8; IHQ 12 (1936) . 2. 204-205. • T 21 .400a27. 5 E. g., T 14, No. 427; T 21, Nos. 1351, 1 356. 6 T 14. No. 428; T 21, No. 1301. 8 T 50.383b-387a. • T 15.141b6, 156c20. =

TANTRISM IN CHINA

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to his palm he was able to see what was happening a thousand miles away. Another of his aeeomplishments whieh no later monk possessed was the ability to tell fortunes by listening to the sound of beIls hanging from the eaves of the temples.9 Srimitra 1ft P � �$ (d. between 335 and 34� A. D.) was another monk who praetised the art of dhäraI).I with brilliant results wherever he went.lO He translated some dhäraI).ls in a text now lost, ealled K'ung-ch'üeh-wang ching :JL1f3:rJ! .l1 SM-kung iJV� (d. 380 A. D.) , a monk from Central Asia, obtained Fu Chien's favor beeause he eould summon dragons and make rain.12 This is one of the earliest oeeasions on whieh a Buddhist monk in China prays for rain. Later masters of the esoterie seet were aIl supposed to be able to do this. T'an-wu-eh'an §�� (*Dharmak�ema, d. 433 A. D.) was learned in dhäraI).I and showed his magie power by eausing water to spring from a roek.1S In the Ta-chi ching *�*-Jl! whieh he translated, one pas­ sage declares that a bodhisattva has four kinds of ornaments, among whieh dhäraI).I ranks with SIla, samädhi, and prajiiä.14 Suvar'lJapra­ bhäsa �*@JHJ!, also translated by T'an-wu-eh'an, gives instrue­ tions for making offerings during prayers for worldly benefits/5 but the rite is by no means so elaborate as those praetised in later days. T'an-yao ftllll, the monk who suggested the building of stone eave-temples in Ta-t'ung, translated the Ta-chi-i shen-chou ching *S�IP$I]UJ! in 46� A. D. with the eoIlaboration of Indian monks.16 It deseribes the method of making an arena where Buddhist images arranged in a eircle reeeive the offerings of their votaries.17 The arena seems to be a rudiment of the maI).Q.ala, or altar, the eonstruetion of whieh is taught in later texts. The same sütra also teaehes all kinds of siddhis. There are siddhis to win a war, to stop a storm, to obtain rain, to eoneeal one's form, or to seeure a wish-jewel. For different purposes different deities as weIl 9

T 50.383b18. 10 T 50.328all. 11 T 50.328a12. 12 T 50.389b25. 13 T 50.336a5.

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T 13.5c28. 15 Cf. T 16.345a5-c6. 16 Cf. T 55.838a28. 11 T 21.579bl.

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as different ways of worshipping are assigned.' 8 The sütra on siddhis translated by Shan-wu-wei *�1l! in the time of the T'ang dynasty 19 apparently is a more elaborate text of the same type. Emperor Yüan 5G of the Liang dynasty, son of Emperor Wu j\ who was the most famous Buddhist emperor in Chinese history, says that he had learned several dharaI).Is in his childhood,20 indi­ cating that at that time they were popular among the upper classes. A text called Mo-li-chih-t'ien ching .5fUx���, considered a trans­ lation of the Liang dynasty (502-556 A. D.) , specifies the method of cleaning the hall of the temple and making offerings to the deity MarlcI.21 A considerable amount of this sütra is also devoted to the benefit which one would receive from reciting this dharaI).l . A later version of the text translated by Amoghavajra ��Blölj adds some new elements which are not found in this one. It says that in reciting the worshipper should make the proper mudras,22 and carry small images of the deity on the head or on the arms as amulets.23 Amoghavajra's version also mentions the building of a maI).