Wansong Xingxiu
Wansong Xingxiu (simplified Chinese:
Biography[edit]
Wansong was born into the Cai family from Jie county in Hezhong (modern Yuncheng in Shanxi).[1] At the age of fifteen he went to Xingzhou (modern Xingtai in Hebei) where he became a monk, taking the religious name Xingxiu. He then travelled to Cizhou (modern Ci County) to study under Chan Master Xueyan Huiman (
In 1193, Wansong came to the attention of Emperor Zhangzong of Jin (reigned 1189–1208), who invited him to court in order to expound Buddhist teaching.[1] Impressed by his knowledge the emperor presented Wansong with a brocade monk's robe, and asked him to move to the central capital Zhongdu (modern Beijing). In 1197, Wansong moved to Bao'en Temple (
In 1215, the Jin capital of Zhongdu was sacked by the Mongols, and the Jin capital was relocated to Kaifeng. However, Wansong remained at Bao'en Temple, outside the city now renamed Yanjing. In 1223, the Khitan statesman Yelü Chucai (1190–1244), who had surrendered to the Mongols in 1218, visited Wansong to receive Buddhist instruction from him, and thereafter he frequently visited Wansong to ask his advice.[3]
In 1230, Wansong was made abbot of Wanshou Temple (
Wansong died at the age of 81. Just before his death he composed a gatha: "Eighty-one years old, only this one saying; cherish and value all people, and never make a false move" (
Works[edit]
Wansong wrote two important commentaries on kōan compiled by Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157). In 1224, at the urging of Yelü Chucai, he published a commentary to a collection of one hundred songgu (頌古) kōan by Hongzhi under the title Congrong Lu (
Pagoda of the Old Man of Wansong[edit]
After the death of Wansong, his disciples built an octagonal seven-storeyed brick pagoda, 5 metres (16 ft) in height, in Yanjing (modern Beijing) to house his remains.[6] In 1753, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty, a new nine-storeyed brick pagoda, 15.9 metres (52 ft) in height, was built around the original pagoda, and it was not until 1986 that the original Yuan dynasty pagoda was rediscovered to be still intact inside the later pagoda.[7][8][9]
The pagoda now stands near the Xisi intersection in the Xicheng District of Beijing, next to Brick Pagoda Hutong. Until 2010 the pagoda was largely hidden by shops and residential buildings, but after redevelopment of the area for the construction of Xisi Underground Station and restoration of the pagoda it is now open to the public.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Yang, Ne (1986). "Xingxiu"
中国 历史大 辞典 :辽夏金元 史 . In Cai, Meibiao (ed.). Zhongguo Lishi Dacidian: Liao, Xia, Jin, Yuan Shi (in Chinese). Shanghai cishu chubanshe. pp. 158–159. - ^ Zhao, George Qingzhi; Qiao, Stephen (2010). Leaves of enchantment, bones of inspiration. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. p. 10.
- ^ a b Buswell Jr., Robert E.; Lopez Jr., Donald S. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 197. ISBN 9781400848058.
- ^ Sasaki, Ruth Fuller (2009). Kirchner, Thomas Yūhō (ed.). The Record of Linji (PDF). University of Hawai‘i Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-8248-2821-9.
- ^ Schlütter, Morten (2004). "The Record of Hongzhi and the Recorded Sayings Literature if Song-Dynasty Chan". In Heine, Steven; Wright, Dale S. (eds.). The Zen Canon : Understanding the Classic Texts. Oxford University Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780198034339.
- ^
中 华人民 共和 国 地名 词典:北京 市 [Geographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China: Beijing Municipality] (in Chinese). Commercial Press. 1987. p. 389. - ^ Fu, Gongyue (1997). Historical photos of old Beijing. Beijing Press. p. 107.
- ^ a b Pillsbury, Adam (2008). Insider's Guide to Beijing 2008. Beijing: True Run Media. p. 246.
- ^ Wang, Bohai (2006-02-16). "
北京 城 从一处高丘和一池湖水到几代王朝的中心". Beijing Youth Daily (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-06-26.