The course of Jian Zhen's five eastward crossings

The Tang Dynasty was the heyday of the development of Buddhism in China, and Buddhism spread abroad. Japanese students studying Buddhism were sent to China. Japanese monks Rong Rui and Pu Zhao sent Tang Dynasty master Dan Yong to China to study Buddhism in the 21st year of Kaiyuan (AD 733). At the same time, they also have the task of inviting China missionaries to preach in Japan. First, they invited Dao Zhuo, a lawyer from Dafuxian Temple in Luoyang, to go to Japan on a Japanese vice-envoy's boat to prepare for official missionary work. By the first year of Tianbao (742), Rong Rui and Pu Zhao had been studying in China for ten years. These two monks studying in Japan have never forgotten the mission of asking their teachers to return to China to preach the precepts. They asked Li, the younger brother of Prime Minister Li, to write to Yangzhou officials, asking them to build ships and prepare food for Dongdu. Rong Rui and Pu Zhao visited Jian Zhen, a great monk in Yangzhou, twice and invited him to give lectures in Japan. Jian Zhen was a monk in the Tang Dynasty. Tang Chuigong was born in Jiangyang County, Yangzhou in 688. His common surname is Chunyu. 14 years old became a monk from Zhiman Zen master. In the first year of Shenlong (705), he was ordained by Bodhisattva, a lawyer from Daoan, Gwangju. In the first year of Jinglong (707), he studied in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and later entered Xijing Chang 'an. In the second year, Yu Chang 'an was consecrated by Hengjing lawyer. Influenced by these famous teachers, Jian Zhen learned the Sanzang teaching method in a few years. Later, I learned the four-point method of Taoism, and got paper money, ink-dissolving books and weights and measures from Rong Ji. From Yiwei, Zhiquan, Daliang and so on. I studied quartering, which was honed by the method of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jian Zhen has made great achievements in communication law. In the 21st year of Kaiyuan (733), Jian Zhen was 46 years old. He returned to Yangzhou from Chang 'an and made great efforts to publicize the law and discipline in Jianghuai area, and his reputation spread far and wide. He trained 35 famous disciples. At the same time, many temples and Buddha statues were built, three Tibetan scriptures were written, and social undertakings such as helping orphans and poor diseases were set up. Jian Zhen has mastered many cultural achievements. Jian Zhen's fame and achievements won the respect of Japanese Buddhist circles, and invited him to preach in Japan wholeheartedly. Jian Zhen believes that Japan is a "country of destiny" and is willing to go to Japan to preach. His disciple Xiang Yan said: Japan is far from the sea, and the road is difficult and dangerous. Those who leave rarely arrive safely. Jian Zhen said, "Why should we cherish life?" ? If people don't go, I will go to the ear! "The disciples were inspired by Jian Zhen, and Xiang Yan was willing to go with the teacher at first. Other 2 1 disciples also expressed their willingness to go. From then on, Jian Zhen embarked on the arduous journey of crossing Japan eastward, experiencing five failures and the sixth success. After the success of the sixth crusade, Jian Zhen wrote an epic page in the history of Sino-Japanese cultural and academic exchanges. Jian Zhen made six crusades before and after, and only the fifth crusade reached Wuzhou. This time, Du Dong Road passed through Wuzhou, which was also the most difficult and tortuous journey for Jian Zhen to move eastward. Let's briefly introduce his previous trip to the East. First East Tour: In the winter of 742 AD, Yangzhou built a ship and was ready to set out. And his disciple 265,438+0, as well as four Japanese monks, stressed that the monks who went there demanded moral integrity and suggested that people with low education like Hai should not follow. This incident caused great dissatisfaction. He falsely accused Huainan Reception Hall of collaborating with pirates in navigation and shipbuilding, which caused a great storm. I can't cross the east. Second eastward crossing: 65438+744 10 month, 100 people set out. This time, the ship didn't go out to sea, and was sunk by the wind and waves at Langgoupu in the Yangtze River estuary, so it couldn't make it. Jian Zhen settled in Asoka Temple in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Third East Tour: After being known by the monks in Yuezhou, the government accused the Japanese monks of hiding in China and lured Jian Zhen to Japan, in order to keep Jian Zhen, and the government put Rong Rui in prison. Du Dong forget about it. Fourth East Tour: Jian Zhen decided to buy a boat from Fuzhou, and more than 30 people set off from Ashoka Temple. Because his disciples were worried about Jian Zhen's safety and asked the Yangzhou government to stop him, Jian Zhen and his party were sent back to Yangzhou. Du Dong is blocked. The fifth Du Dong: that is, a Du Dong to Wuzhou. In the seventh year of Tianbao (AD 748), Japanese monks Rong Rui and Pu Zhao begged Jian Zhen from Du Dong. Jian Zhen led 35 sailors and apprentices to set out from Yangzhou for Du Dong again. The lunar calendar begins on June 27th, and 1 month ends at the bank of Santan Mountain in Huiji County. Sail with the wind to Weifeng Mountain and park in January. 1October 16 set out again and entered the deep sea. In the East China Sea of China, the ship was attacked by strong winds. It drifted at sea 14 before it saw land. 16 days later, it drifted to Zhou Zhen (now Sanya, Hainan) and had to stay in Dayun Temple and stay in Hainan for one year. Jian Zhen and his party continued to travel to Wan 'an Prefecture and arrived in Zhu Ya County (Yazhou). Then take a boat from Chengmai County, cross Qiongzhou Bay to Haikang County (Leizhou), and then pass through Zhao Yi County (Luozhou), Lingshui County (Debate State), Elephant County (Xiangzhou), Nanchang County (Baizhou), Puning County (Rongzhou), Ganyi County (Tengzhou) and Cangwu County (Wuzhou) to Shi 'an County (Guizhou). After that, Jian Zhen and his party took a boat from Shi 'an County to the east of Gui Jiang, passed through Cangwu County to Gaoyao County (Duanzhou), and then to Nanhai County (Guangzhou). Take a boat northbound and arrive at Shixing County (Shaozhou). After the trip out of Shixing County, we will go from Dagengling to Nankang County (Ganzhou), cross Xunyang County (Jiangzhou) and climb Lushan Mountain, then take a boat from the Yangtze River to Jiangning County, Danyang County (Runzhou), and then cross the river to Yangzhou. The fifth time, I set out from Yangzhou, experienced drifting in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and returned to the inland. Go a big circle, a trip to Vandory, returned to Yangzhou. The fifth trip to Japan was unsuccessful. The fifth trip to the East was a great adventure for Jian Zhen. It was the ninth year of Tianbao (750), and he was 63 years old. During this trip, Jian Zhen has been engaged in Buddhist activities in Guangxi for more than a year. Among them, I came to live in Wuzhou twice, once from Wuzhou to Gui Jiang to Guilin and once from Guilin to Wuzhou. During their stay in Wuzhou, Jian Zhen and his party lived in Guangxiao Temple. This Guangxiao Temple, located at the foot of Yungai Mountain in Wuzhou, was built to commemorate the famous Weichi Gong after the founding of the Tang Dynasty (the site is now in Wuzhou No.14 Middle School). Jian Zhen preached here and was appointed by the government and the people to spread medical knowledge. When he taught the precepts of the Bodhisattva in Wuzhou, he also told the monks: Monks should be self-reliant, don't live by giving alms, and promote Buddhism and help all beings. Although Jian Zhen arrived in Wuzhou because of the failure of his inland trip, he was still ambitiously preparing for the sixth eastward expedition. This inland trip provided Jian Zhen with an opportunity to discover talents from Du Dong. Three people, Bhikuni Zhishou of Tongshan Temple in Tengzhou (now Tengxian), were the people who later traveled to Japan with Jian Zhen and made contributions to Japanese cultural exchanges. Monks are nuns. The first batch of monks in the history of China were born in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and became the new destination for women. Bhikuni enjoys many privileges in politics and economy. As an important group of Buddhist disciples, he has made outstanding contributions to promoting the foreign culture of Buddhism and promoting the development of Buddhism. Zhishou became a monk in Tongshan Temple, devoted himself to studying Confucian classics and was good at law. She spread Buddhism in Tengzhou, enlightened future generations and tirelessly taught people, enjoying considerable fame among female nuns at that time. After Jian Zhen's sixth trip to Japan, Zhishou provoked the heavy responsibility of educating Japanese women believers and spreading the law, and became Jian Zhen's right-hand man to spread the law. Before Jian Zhen went to Japan to preach Buddhism, Japanese Buddhists would not go to the altar to be ordained. After Jian Zhen traveled to Japan, monks and nuns prevailed in Japan, which was inseparable from the help of wise leaders. It should be noted that Jian Zhen left Wuzhou this time, and on his way from Xijiang to Duanzhou (now Zhaoqing), the Japanese monk Rong Rui who accompanied him was unfortunately lonely. This Japanese monk, who studied in China, stayed in China for a long time in order to invite Jian Zhen to cross eastward, accompanied Jian Zhen through hardships and left his body and soul in a foreign country, and his body was buried next to Tallinn, longxing temple, Duanzhou. Unfortunately, one by one, while mourning Rong Rui, Jian Zhen read a eulogy, but suddenly fainted with grief, woke up blind, and became blind from then on. Soon, the capable disciple Xiang Yan died of illness again. This is all because of the consequences of drifting at sea for several months, the climate is hot and walking is tiring. However, despite his blindness, Jian Zhen finally started his sixth China Eastern Airlines flight on the 12th year of Tianbao (AD 753) 1 1 month 15. This time, I finally succeeded in crossing to Japan. Jian Zhen left a glorious page in the history of Buddhist and Sino-Japanese cultural and academic exchanges, which has become an eternal memory of the Chinese and Japanese people.