Chapter 22 2. Stowaways

On April 5, the fourth year of Emperor Wuzong of Tang Dynasty (839), a ship bound for Japan docked in Haizhou (now Lianyungang, Jiangsu).No one expected that a Japanese monk on board who was supposed to return to China secretly disembarked with three entourages because he made a bold and reckless decision: to return to Datang and live illegally. This monk is Master Yuanren. Ennin was the founder of the Tiantai Zongshan school of Japanese Buddhism. After his death, he was posthumously named Master Cijue by Emperor Qinghe.His dharma name is very famous today, but at that time he was just a monk who came to Tang Dynasty with the Japanese mission.Please Yiseng, like the learned monk, is a monk who went to the Tang Dynasty to study Buddhism.The difference is that the learned monks enjoy the treatment of foreign students and can stay in Datang for a long time; the invited monks can only come and go with the group, which is equivalent to a visiting scholar with a limited visa period.

An inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time, so you must hurry up to ask Yiseng. That's all right.Yuanren's teacher, Zuicheng, invited Yiseng back then, and his merits and virtues were also perfect.When Zuicheng returned to China, he brought back 128 chapters and 345 volumes including the "Lotus Sutra" from Longxing Temple in Linhai, and also brought back 17 rubbings of rubbings by famous artists such as Wang Xizhi, so he was able to officially establish Japan. Tiantai sect of Buddhism.It is a pity that Saicheng failed to learn orthodox esoteric Buddhism in Chang'an like Master Kukai, the founder of the Shingon Sect who entered the Tang Dynasty on the same boat, so that it became a heart disease of the Japanese Tendai Sect.

Yuanren went to Tang, hoping to make up for this shortcoming. Unfortunately, after Enren arrived in Yangzhou, he was restricted by the authorities to study Sanskrit at Kaiyuan Temple and was not allowed to leave the boundary.He hoped to pay homage to Mount Tiantai, the sacred place of Tiantai sect visited by his teacher, but he was not supported or approved, let alone go to Chang'an for further studies.None of the purposes of Enhito's trip could be achieved. As he was about to return home, he had no choice but to turn himself into a stowaway. Smuggling is risky.In fact, after Yuanren disembarked, his identity was found out by the locals, and he was escorted back to the ship by the government.But Enren did not give up his efforts.On June 7th, the envoy ship he took to the Tang Dynasty stopped at Chishanpu (now Chishan Village, Qingning Township, Wendeng, Shandong), and Yuanren disembarked again the next day.

Fortunately, he hid in the temple of the Silla people. Silla had contacts with China very early, especially after becoming the master of the Korean peninsula.Confucian classics are the examination subjects of Silla Guoxue, and a large number of noble children came to Chang'an to become foreign students.Among them, those with outstanding achievements, such as Cui Zhiyuan, became a Jinshi at the age of eighteen, and his book "Guiyuan Bigeng Ji" has even been handed down to this day. Maritime trade between the two countries is also very frequent.The merchant ships in charge of logistics traveled between the Shandong Peninsula, the coast of Jiangsu, the Korean Peninsula, and the Japanese archipelago, and returned with a full load.These merchant ships transported goods and passengers, and Enren boarded nine Silla ships hired by the Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty.

It's really international. At the same time, many Silla people settled down in the coastal areas of China and had their own settlements called Sillafang.Chishanpu, where Enren landed for the second time, was a settlement of Silla people. The Chishan Fahuayuan where he hid was also a Buddhist temple built by Silla people, and the temple was built by Silla overseas Chinese leader Zhang Baogao. Zhang Baogao is extraordinary. Zhang Baogao, who made his fortune through international trade, has both political acumen and military talent. He is deeply involved in domestic politics and has a strong background, armed forces and personal connections.Yuanren entered his monastery, just like entering the concession in Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and was protected by people like Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng, although we don't know whether he visited the pier.

What is certain is that eight months later, Enren received a pass issued by the local government, turning from a stowaway to a legal traveler.It was a small official from an agency sent by the local government who was responsible for his change of identity. His job was to be a liaison officer in charge of coordinating relations with overseas Chinese in Silla. A Japanese wish was fulfilled by Silla and Chinese. This can really be called international cooperation. Enren, who had acquired a new identity, paid homage to Mount Wutai as he wished, and then went to Chang'an to study for nearly five years. His experience was written in the "Journey to the Tang Dynasty to Seek the Law" written in Chinese.Although many people compare this work with Master Xuanzang's "The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" and Marco Polo's "Oriental Insights", it is Xuanzang and Enren who are really comparable.

Yes, Tang Sanzang is also a smuggler. In fact, Xuanzang originally submitted an application for his journey to the west, but it was not approved; after he left, the authorities also stopped him, but they didn't stop him.If they didn't stop him, of course someone helped, including the officials of the empire.It is said that when Xuanzang came to Guazhou (now Anxi, Gansu) on day and night trips, Duguda, the governor of Guazhou, happily hosted a banquet for him. Only the state official Li Chang had doubts about the identity of the visitor. Li Chang said, I have a document from Liangzhou (now Wuwei, Gansu) by courier, and I want to arrest Xuanzang who left the country without authorization. Is it you, Master?

Xuanzang didn't know how to answer. Li Chang said: As long as the master tells the truth, the disciple will be fulfilled. Xuanzang said: The poor monk is Xuanzang. Li Chang destroyed the documents.Then he said: Master, let's go! Xuanzang was able to continue his journey westward.Although there are still many difficulties and dangers, the danger will be saved when they arrive in Yiwu (now Hami, Xinjiang), because King Gaochang has sent someone to wait here.Their moving stories, which have been told in Chapter 4 of this book, can move people to tears and prove that the power of religion transcends national boundaries.

Thereafter, the journey all the way green light.At that time, all countries in the Western Regions believed in Buddhism, and King Gaochang handled the customs clearance documents for Xuanzang, and attached generous gifts with the documents.Master Sanzang has since become a legal traveler, but he belongs to Gaochang Kingdom. Xuanzang and Yuanren are so similar! It's just that one can't get out, and the other can't get in. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that the empire is conservative and closed.On the contrary, opening up to the outside world was the basic state policy of the Sui and Tang dynasties, and it had been established in the time of Emperor Yangdi.In fact, it was precisely because of the encouragement of Emperor Sui Yang that the Japanese ambassador Ono Meizi visited China for the second time.This time, he brought four foreign students and four learned monks, and the opening line of the letter written in Chinese characters was: Emperor Dongtian respects Emperor Baixi.

It is said that this is the first time that Japan has sent a letter to China in the name of the emperor. In this regard, Chinese history books did not say a word, and the exchanges between the two countries seemed to have no further details.The enthusiasm of the Japanese, however, continued unabated.In August of the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), that is, four or five months after Tang Taizong was revered as Tian Khan, Japan sent the first batch of envoys to Tang Dynasty and lived in Chang'an for two full years. Since then, there have been an endless stream of envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty, and there were nineteen times in the Tang Dynasty.The largest number of people was in the eighth year of Taihe (834) of Emperor Wenzong of Tang Dynasty, with 651 people; the second was in the 20th year of Kaiyuan (732) and the fourth year of Kaiyuan (716) of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, with 594 people and Five hundred and fifty-seven people.Most of them set foot on the land of China, but some of them died halfway or died in foreign countries, and could never return to their dear motherland.

So many Japanese went to Datang without fear of hardships and dangers. What was it for? Learn and communicate. In fact, the large number of missions sent to the Tang Dynasty was due to the fact that there were also foreign students and learned monks accompanying the mission.Some of them return to China after studying and contribute to Japanese civilization, such as Kibi Mabi who created katakana; some stay in China to build a bridge for Sino-Japanese friendship, such as Abe Nakamaro, who served as the envoy of the Tang Dynasty to Japan ; There are even eminent monks returning to China to establish schools, such as Kukai and Saicheng mentioned above. Here, religion shows a great sense of presence.In particular, Buddhism is more popular among the Japanese.Sister Ono made it clear that they came to study this trip solemnly because they heard that the Chinese "Bodhisattva Son of Heaven" revived Buddhism. In fact, the foreign religions that flourished in the Tang Dynasty were not limited to Buddhism, at least Zoroastrianism (Zoroastrianism, also known as Zoroastrianism, also known as Zoroastrianism), Nestorian Church (that is, Christianity) Nestorians) and Manichaeism, and even Islam.They built temples and recruited believers in the Tang capital and first-tier cities, and the Tang government not only protected them, but also granted their patriarchs official positions, or enjoyed the same level of official treatment. Obviously, this is a worldwide opening.The worldwide civilization of the Sui and Tang Dynasties can also be said to have been jointly created by the people of all countries. However, the center of civilization is in Chang'an.

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Notes: , Jian Bozan "Outline of Chinese History". , the investment amount exceeded, which aroused strong repercussions in Korea and China.