Chapter 10 Making Friends
(There is a lot of historical information in this chapter, which can be regarded as a detailed introduction to Jianzhen, haha.)
After Yun Canghai was initially confused, he immediately calmed down. He discovered that he was in a temple, and the little monk in front of him should be the human being who saved him and would not harm him. Moreover, according to his aura induction, he was unable to discover his identity and strength due to his cultivation. It happened that he needed cultivation and experience, so he might as well start here.
Thinking of this, Yun Canghai immediately decided to have a good relationship with this young monk. At this time, he happened to hear Jian Zhen's inquiry, and the scene just happened.
Although Jianzhen was startled by Yun Canghai, he was a young man after all, so he immediately turned from surprise to joy, and because Jianzhen was accepted as a novice monk by his master Zhiman when he was fourteen years old, he became a novice after being ordained and became a monk. He has been practicing Buddhism and has a pure heart, so he still retains a large part of his childlike innocence, and Yun Canghai's cute and cute appearance immediately aroused his affection. Jianzhen couldn't help but gently caress the body of this little snake that he thought was very cute. He felt that the skin of the little snake was very smooth, delicate, and gentle, just like caressing Wen Yu, and it felt very comfortable to the touch. .
The moment Yun Canghai was touched by Jian Zhen, his whole body stiffened. This was the first time since he became conscious that he felt the feeling of being caressed by someone. The gentle, slow and trembling feeling spread from the surface of his skin. In my heart, there is no hostility, only warmth and care, and another kind of feeling that is so warm and comfortable that it makes the soul tremble. A thought suddenly flashed in Yun Canghai's heart: "Friendship! Is this friendship? Between humans and monsters. Can friendship develop between them?" Thoughts flashed through Yun Canghai's mind. "It should be possible. As long as they are intelligent beings, they will have feelings. As long as under certain conditions, people and monsters can also have friendship. Am I not an example?" Thinking of this, Yun Canghai felt that the doubts in his heart were swept away. Kong, also gained a little more insights. With this enlightenment, his soul became more condensed, his mind became more harmonious and transparent, and his feeling of "friendship" became clearer. Not only did he feel comfortable, he stretched out his body and let Jianzhen caress him. mo.
Jianzhen was very happy when he found that the little snake in his hand looked very comfortable and enjoying it. He found that he and this little snake really hit it off. Buddhism emphasizes the cycle of cause and effect, and everything depends on fate. This encounter with the little snake may be fate, and missing it would be a sin. After thinking of this, he asked Yun Canghai: "Then we will be friends from now on, and I should also give you a name. Most of your skin is silvery white, so how about I call you A Yin?"
After hearing this, Yun Canghai thought for a while. Anyway, he hadn't told the young monk his true identity yet, and as a friend, it was okay to accept such a familiar title. After thinking about it, he nodded to Jianzhen. Jianzhen increasingly felt that meeting this little snake was a blessing from the Buddha. It was so spiritual that it could understand human speech.
He was so happy that he said to Yun Canghai: "Ah Yin, then we will be friends from now on. My dharma name is Jianzhen, and I am the little Shani of Dayun Temple. From now on, this will also be your home." Jianzhen? The famous eminent monk Jian Zhen in the Tang Dynasty who traveled east to Japan? Yun Canghai was swayed by his friend's dharma title, and the Jianzhen information circulated in later generations came to his mind: Jianzhen, an eminent monk and physician in the Tang Dynasty. His common surname was Chunyu, a native of Jiangyang, Guangling (now Jiangdu, Jiangsu Province). When he was fourteen years old, he became a novice monk in Dayun Temple and studied Buddhism with the eminent monk Zhiman Zen Master. He then went to Chang'an to receive full ordination from Master Hongjing for three years, and then returned to Yangzhou with profound knowledge. Japanese monks Rongrui and Puzhao came to China to study Buddhism and urged Jianzhen to go to Japan to spread Buddhism. Jianzhen readily agreed, overcame various difficulties, and succeeded six times. He arrived in Japan in the twelfth year of Tianbao (753) carrying Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist utensils and Buddha statues. At this time, Jianzhen was blind, but he still worked hard to promote Buddhism, spread Chinese culture, and used his rich experience to teach medical knowledge, especially the spices and medicines he brought, etc., to this day, Nara Shoti Temple and Todaiji Shosoin Temple in Japan Its remains are still preserved. Tried to cure the diseases of Empress Dowager Guangming and Emperor Shomu (see Tiantai Wuyao). Japan once awarded him the titles of "Great Monk Capital" and "Dawa Shang", and the Japanese people praised him as the "Master of Crossing the Sea". His works include "Secret Recipes of Master Jian", but unfortunately it has not been circulated.
When he was 14 years old, he was accepted as a novice monk by Zhiman and lived in Dayun Temple. In the first year of Shenlong (705), lawyer Yi Daoan received the Bodhisattva ordination. In the first year of Jinglong (707), he traveled to Luoyang and then to Chang'an. The following year, he received full ordination from lawyer Hengjing at Chang'an Shishi Temple. Toured the two capitals and studied Tripitaka. He has particularly profound attainments in the Vinaya. Dao'an and Hengjing, who gave him ordination, were both famous in legal studies, and they were also disciples of Nanshan Sect's founder of Humanity Xuan Lawyer. Although his legal studies were taught by the Nanshan Sect, he did not hold the views of the same family. In the legal studies of the Tang Dynasty, in addition to the Nanshan Sect, which had a unique advantage, there were also the Xiangbu Sect of Riguang Temple in Xiangzhou and the Dongta Sect of Huaisu of Xitaiyuan Temple. Later, when Jianzhen traveled eastward to Japan, he brought with him legal texts including the latter two. In the teaching, three books are mainly based on Fa Li's "Si Fen Lv Shu", Ding Bin's "Zhu Zong Yi Ji" and Daoxuan's "Xing Chao". The focus is especially on the works of Fa Li and Ding Bin. Author of two books.
He also made many achievements in Buddhist architecture and sculpture. According to the "Biography of Tang Dahe's Shangdong Zheng", after Jianzhen returned to Huainan, he taught the precepts and "during his lectures, he built temples and... built countless statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas." In terms of medicine, Boda was very capable and had excellent taste. He once presided over the Beitian Hospital of Dayun Temple, treated people's diseases, and personally prepared medicines for the patients. His medical skills were very high.
In the first year of Tianbao (742), Japanese monks Rongrui and Puzhao were entrusted by the Japanese Buddhist community and government to invite him to teach in Japan. Jianzhen happily agreed. From that year to the seventh year of Tianbao, in 12 years, he led the congregation five times. The eastward journey failed due to rough seas, running aground on rocks, shipwrecks, sacrifices, and the obstruction of some local officials; especially the fifth time it was attacked by strong winds and roaring waves. It drifted at sea for 14 days and finally drifted to Zhenzhou on Hainan Island. (Today's Ya County). While passing through Duanzhou on the way back, the Japanese disciple Rongrui died of illness. Jianzhen was deeply saddened. Coupled with the heat, he suddenly suffered from eye disease, resulting in blindness in both eyes. However, his determination to travel eastward to spread the Dharma became stronger and never wavered. Tianbao made his sixth eastward journey in twelve years and finally arrived in Kyushu, Japan. In February of the following year, he arrived at Heijo Kyo (today's Nara).
Jianzhen was welcomed by both the government and the public in Japan. Xuan conferred Bodhisattva ordination on the Japanese emperor, empress, prince and others; conferred or conferred on more than 440 monks, monks, monks, etc.; conferred new ordination on the old ordination of 80 monks. Japan has a formal inheritance of legal studies since then. Jianzhen is revered as the founder of the Japanese Vinaya sect. In 756, Emperor Koken appointed him as the Great Monk Capital to oversee the affairs of Japanese monks and Buddhists. In 759, Jianzhen and his disciples worked hard to design and build Tangzhaoti Temple, where they taught discipline and precepts. In terms of construction, sculptures, murals, etc., he and his disciples adopted the most advanced techniques of the Tang Dynasty, which added splendor to the artistic climax of Japan's Tenpyo era. For example, the Tangzhaoti Temple complex is a masterpiece left by Jianzhen and his disciples. The entire structure and decoration reflect the characteristics of Tang Dynasty architecture. It is the largest and most beautiful building in Japan from the Tenpyo Period. Before Jianzhen's death, his disciples also used the latest technique of dry lacquer clipping to make a seated portrait of him. Japan regards it as a national treasure. In February 1980, in order to enhance the lasting friendship between the two peoples, the Japan-China Friendship Group sent the statue back to Beijing and Yangzhou for the Chinese people and Buddhists to pay homage. Most of Jianzhen and his disciples were good at calligraphy. When they went to Japan, they carried the authentic works of Wang Xizhi and Xianzhi and his son. Their influence was so great that the Japanese people still love the art of Chinese calligraphy. At that time, most Japanese Buddhist scriptures were imported from Korea and were dictated and copied by hand, so errors were inevitable. According to records in the "Continued Nihonki", the emperor commissioned an authenticator to correct the errors in the sutras for this purpose. The most outstanding contribution of Jianzhen to the Japanese people is the imparting of medical knowledge, and he is regarded as the ancestor of medicine by the Japanese people. The Japanese tofu industry, catering industry, brewing industry, etc. also believe that their industry skills were all taught by Jianzhen.
On the sixth day of May in the second year of Tang Baoying (763, the 7th year of Japan's Tianping Baozi), Jianzhen died in Tang Zhaoti Temple at the age of 76. Disciple Situo recorded his six journeys to the East, and it was polished by the famous Japanese writer Makoto Genkai in "Tang Dahe's Journey to the East", which has been passed down through the ages.
However, Yun Canghai remembered that later generations did not say that Jianzhen could also practice Buddhist techniques. The Jianzhen in front of him clearly had a certain degree of Buddhist cultivation, so why did he die at the age of 75? It seems that there are many unknown secrets in this, and it seems that Jianzhen's eastward journey to Japan should not be just for the purpose of promoting Buddhism.
Although he was shocked by his friend's Dharma title, Yun Canghai was still very happy to have made his first friend in his life. He suppressed the doubts in his heart and started playing around with Jianzhen. Jianzhen climbed up and down, making Jianzhen itch and laugh at the same time.
This unusual night passed unknowingly amid the playfulness of two new friends. While playing, Yun Canghai thought that all questions about the authenticity experience would be revealed one by one in the days to come.
