From Western Lands: Dharma lineages of Ximing 西明 Monastery and Jingshan 徑山 Monastery

ABSTRACT Ximing 西明 Monastery was a famous imperial monastery during the Tang Dynasty. Its abundant collection of books and rich inheritance of Vajra Studies attracted many monks who went there to study. During the mid to late period of the Tang Dynasty, Chan Buddhism was extremely popular, and numerous interactions between Ximing Monastery and Chan monks also occurred. This article investigates that period of the Tang Dynasty; specifically, it discusses figures with a Chan Buddhism inheritance who stayed at Ximing Monastery, such as Ruhai 如海 and Dabei 大悲, as well as the monks who lived at Ximing Monastery, such as Gaoxian and Niaoke 鳥窠. A concise examination of the lives of these figures is provided, and the origins of their relationship with Dharma – along with those of their disciples – are neatly arranged. The study revealed that some monks spread Dharma far and wide after leaving Chang’an. Among them, several were related to the two generations of Jingshan 徑山 Monastery founders, and these figures were important witnesses to the course of monastic cultural propagation at Ximing Monastery and Jingshan Monastery.