Fazang () (643–712) was the third of the five patriarchs of the
Huayan school
The Huayan or Flower Garland school of Buddhism (, from sa, अवतंसक, Avataṃsaka) is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that first flourished in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907). The Huayan worldview is based primar ...
of
Mahayana
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
Buddhism, of which he is traditionally considered the founder.
He was an important and influential philosopher, so much so that it has been claimed that he “was in fact the real creator of what is now known as Hua-yen”. Fazang’s ancestors came from
Sogdia
Sogdia (Sogdian language, Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also ...
, a major center for trade along the
Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
(modern
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
and
Tajikistan
Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...
), but he was born in the Tang capital of
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
(now
Xi'an
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
),
where his family had become culturally Chinese.
Names
Although there remains ambiguity with varying interpretations of biographical sources, most recent scholarship promotes that the well-known name Fazang is not only the monk's dharma-name, but the secular name he used prior to being ordained. His surname was Kang, which originated from his place of birth, Kangjuguo. Furthermore, he had the nickname of Xianshou 賢首 which appears to have been the style-name given to him by his parents, despite prior claims that it was an honorific title from
Empress Wu
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
.
This is further supported by Fazang’s self-reference using the nickname, which strongly suggests it was not an honorific title as previous scholars thought. His title as a teacher and of distinction (biéhào 別號) was Dharma Master Guoyi 國一法師, in which his disciples referred to him post-ordination and in the latter stages of his life.
Life and Times
643–700 AD
Fazang's family, originally prime ministers in
Samarqand
fa, سمرقند
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zin ...
, migrated to China by his grandfather and resettled in
Chang’an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
. His father, Kang Mi, held an official title in the Tang court, and not much was known about his mother, although supposedly she “... became pregnant after dreaming of swallowing rays of sunshine”.
Accounts of the affluence of Fazang’s grandfather hint at his father’s ability to attain higher up positions in Tang aristocratic circles, despite being a
Sogdia
Sogdia (Sogdian language, Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also ...
n immigrant. However, epigraphic and textual sources show an abundance of ambiguity in terms of who his parents were, and especially his younger brother, Baozang, who is mentioned only in one textual source.
In contrast to the uncertainty and narrow roots of his immediate and blood relatives, Fazang’s dharma family is better recorded and far more extensive.
Zhiyan, the second patriarch of the Avatamsaka tradition, was his primary teacher and philosophical influence, while his fellow scholars Daocheng and Baochen, additionally exerted influence. Fazang also had a multitude of fellow-disciples although sources only record four primary names: Huixiao, Huaiji, Huizhao, and most famously,
Uisang, who went on to establish
Hwaeom, Korean Huayan Buddhism. It is argued that he had many other disciples, a nun-disciple Facheng, two Korean disciples in addition to Uisang, and finally a Chinese biographer, Qianli.
In regard to Fazang’s life from his birth in 643 to his renouncement of homelessness in 670, biographical sources do not tell much. However, there are three primary facts that we do have evidence of during this time, namely Fazang's hermitage on
Mount Zhongnan
The Zhongnan Mountains (), sometimes called the Taiyi Mountains () or Zhounan Mountains (), are a branch of the Qin Mountains located in Shaanxi Province, south of Xi'an, China that extend from Wugong County in the east of the province to Lantian ...
(
Tàibái 太白山), his discipleship under
Zhiyan 智嚴, and his entering the monastery in 670.
Not much is recorded about his childhood in a Sogdian enclave, until he turned fifteen and set his finger on fire in front of a “''Ayuwang shelita''” – namely, a
Famensi pagoda enshrining the finger bone of the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
. Fazang had interest in the Buddhist tradition from a young age and became disappointed in his initial search for a proper teacher. Consequently, he found solitude on nearby Mount Zhongnan, where he engaged in
Daoist practices of consuming herbal elixirs and
self-immolation, as well as beginning to study the
Avatamsaka sutra
The ' (IAST, sa, 𑀅𑀯𑀢𑀁𑀲𑀓 𑀲𑀽𑀢𑁆𑀭) or ''Buddhāvataṃsaka-nāma-mahāvaipulya-sūtra (The Mahāvaipulya Sūtra named “Buddhāvataṃsaka”)'' is one of the most influential Mahāyāna sutras of East Asian B ...
from other fellow hermits who mastered the text.
Evidence supposes that such practices contributed to Fazang’s later metaphysical doctrines, which have a Daoist flavor.
After several years of seclusion and hearing his parents were ill, Fazang returned to
Chang’an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
and eventually met his first teacher Zhiyan, supposedly in dramatic fashion.
He began his discipleship in roughly 663, however Fazang did extensive traveling and did not remain with his teacher consistently. Before Zhiyan's passing in 668, he instructed his two ''bhadanta''-monks, Daocheng and Baochen to care for Fazang in his wake. This keen decision bode well, insofar as Daocheng was appointed as one of the three principles of the newly constructed monastery, Taiyuansi, which would be where Fazang would enter Buddhist priesthood for the remainder of his life. Previous biographical sources claim that Fazang was either overqualified for the bodhisattva-precepts or had his ordination situated in a miraculous context, yet both were distorted accounts attempting to validate the lack of evidence Fazang ever had a full ordination.
After 670 and Fazang's ordination to the Buddhist path, he spent time traveling between Mount Zhongnan and Taiyuansi. In 680, Fazang provides evidence that he was working with the Indian monk Divākara on translating Indian texts into Chinese. Between 688–689, Fazang was ordered by
Empress Wu
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
to build a high Avatamsaka-seat and
bodhimanda of ''Eight Assemblies'' in
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
.
Such was a convention for elucidating and promoting the Avatamsaka sutra, further establishing rapport between Fazang and Empress Wu, who would soon after establish her dynasty in 690. It is also worth mentioning that during this period, Fazang kept important correspondence with his disciple
Uisang, not only displaying his immense affection for his disciple, but providing a rare glimpse into the friendship between a Buddhist monk and master.
In the founding of Empress Wu’s dynasty in 690, Fazang continued his teaching of the Avatamsaka sutra, visiting his family, and debating with Daoist practitioners. A notable occurrence during this time was that Fazang was exiled to the south, but later returned to complete a new translation of the sutra after struggles with interpreting the text.
Furthermore, Fazang participated in suppressing the rebellion of the
Khitans against Empress Wu, invoking Buddhist rituals and ‘black magic’ which led to the Zhou army's victory and ultimately, strengthened the relationship between Empress Wu and Fazang.
The victorious war effort only increased enthusiasm for Buddhism, and accordingly, allowed the new translation of the Avatamsaka sutra to be rendered and released smoothly. In 700, Fazang continued lecturing on the new translation of the sutra, in one instance his commentary caused an earthquake and was celebrated as a great sign. Furthermore, Empress Wu’s ‘dream of ambrosia’ also occurred during this time, in which was a supposed auspicious sign accompanying the new translation of the sutra.
700–713 AD
The divide between the 7th and 8th centuries constitutes not only a change in century, but a sublimation from political and religious exuberance to unrest, especially with three successive reigns and political turmoil from the
Zhang brothers. From 700–705, Fazang continued translation work on the order of Empress Wu, specifically a retranslation of the
Lankavatara sutra, which was completed in 704. During this time, Fazang is said to have gone on a quest to
Famensi
Famen Temple () is a Buddhist temple located in Famen, Fufeng, Famen town (), Fufeng County, 120 kilometers west of Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It was widely regarded as the "ancestor of pagoda temples in Guanzhong".
History
Han dynasty
One theor ...
to retrieve a sacred relic that supposedly provided therapeutic relief, which proved ineffective in addressing Empress Wu’s deteriorating health.
After her retirement of the position due to political infighting, Li Xian was reinstated as emperor and Fazang declared his loyalty to him. Fazang is specifically credited with quelling the political rebellion of the Zhang brothers, and was accordingly recognized and rewarded with a fifth-rank title from
Emperor Zhongzong.
From 708–709, a drought threatened the capital area, and Fazang was commanded to perform the proper religious rituals to manifest rain. Much to Zhongzong’s contentment, on the 7th day, a heavy downpour came about and lasted for ten nights. Fazang’s miraculous abilities continued to be efficacious through shifts in power, combating continual droughts when
Emperor Ruizong was awarded the throne in 710. In response to a lack of snow and water, he performed a
dharani
Dharanis (IAST: ), also known as ''Parittas'', are Buddhist chants, mnemonic codes, incantations, or recitations, usually the mantras consisting of Sanskrit or Pali phrases. Believed to be protective and with powers to generate merit for the Bud ...
ritual for snow which had positive results.
In the last years of his life, Fazang had an increased support from the government in promoting
Huayan Buddhism
The Huayan or Flower Garland school of Buddhism (, from sa, अवतंसक, Avataṃsaka) is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that first flourished in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907). The Huayan worldview is based primar ...
, and established monasteries in Wu and Yue. Fazang died on December 16, 712 at Great Jianfusi and was honored accordingly by Emperor Ruizong:
The late monk Fazang inherited his virtuous karma from the Heavens, and his open (literally “empty” u 虛 intelligence marked a match with the rue
''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bl ...
principle. With his eloquence and excellent understanding, his mind was infused with penetrating enlightenment. He opened wide a gate for thers to hearthe parables about rossing saṃsāraon a raft; he propagated in full detail the teachings for handing the lamp over o the generations Demonstrating roper Roper is a craftsman who makes ropes; a ropemaker.
It may also refer to:
Places
*Roper, North Carolina, USA
*Roper River, Northern Territory, Australia
People
* Roper (surname)
Other
*'' Roper v. Simmons'', a decision of the United States Sup ...
responses in accordance with conditions, he thereby accorded with transformations and exhausted his life.
Philosophy
The
Avatamsaka tradition depicts the cosmos as an infinite number of interdependent and interpenetrating parts, deploying the metaphor of
''Indra’s Net'' as a
metaphysical
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
and
ontological theory. Furthermore, the
Theravadan Buddhist theory of
Pratītyasamutpāda
''Pratītyasamutpāda'' (Sanskrit: प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद, Pāli: ''paṭiccasamuppāda''), commonly translated as dependent origination, or dependent arising, is a key doctrine in Buddhism shared by all schools of ...
is the derivative principle through which much of Huayan Buddhist operates, namely how all dharmas are conditioned and arise upon other dharmas. It would be safe to say that Fazang brought out the metaphysical implications of this Buddhist doctrine following the
Mahayana tradition, in a uniquely Chinese prose with Daoist influence. Fazang is said to have authored over a hundred volumes of essays and commentaries, but two of his works in particular are among the most celebrated Huayan texts: ''The Rafter Dialogue'' and ''On the Golden Lion''.
The Rafter Dialogue
One of more well-known texts written by Fazang is “''The Rafter Dialogue''”, in which conceptualizes his attempts to explain Huayan principles and
mereology
In logic, philosophy and related fields, mereology ( (root: , ''mere-'', 'part') and the suffix ''-logy'', 'study, discussion, science') is the study of parts and the wholes they form. Whereas set theory is founded on the membership relation bet ...
through the relation between a
rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...
(a part) and the
building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fun ...
(a whole). It is a portion of a longer, systematic treatise, ''Paragraphs on the Doctrine of Difference and Identity of the One Vehicle of Huayan'' (), which may be found in the
Taishō Tripiṭaka
The Taishō Tripiṭaka (; Japanese: ''Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō''; “ Taishō Revised Tripiṭaka”) is a definitive edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon and its Japanese commentaries used by scholars in the 20th century. It was edited by ...
, where it is text 1866. In the dialogue, the principles of
interpenetration and
emptiness
Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression (mood), depression, loneliness, anhedonia,
wiktionary:despair, despair, or other mental/em ...
of phenomena are articulated, insofar as no condition or dharma can arise without the arising of another condition or dharma. Any thing or condition therefore is necessarily dependent upon another condition and conversely, lacks both independence and a static or substantial identity. In this way, things share in being empty and lacking an essential character, but also are distinct insofar as they have a unique and particular function in web of dependent causes. As Fazang says, “''each part is identical'' (in making the whole and in allowing each part to be what it is), ''and they are identical because they are different''”. The dialogue itself is structured into six characteristics, or six various ways to understand the relation between part and whole and between part and part. David Elstein depicts these in a summarized fashion.
# ''Wholeness'' – the identity of part and whole
# ''Particularity'' – the distinction between the parts and whole
# ''Identity'' – the mutual identity between each part, by virtue of the fact that they together form a whole
# ''Difference'' – the distinct functions of each part that allow them to form a whole
# ''Integration'' – how the distinct parts unite as conditions for the whole
# ''Disintegration'' – the fact that each part maintains its particularity while constituting the whole
As Elstein emphasizes, this isn’t an attempt to explain how parts fit into a whole but rather the elucidation of six different mereological perspectives which are available for viewing at any time. In other words, Fazang is not providing a strict sequential analysis of our causal nexus, but rather displays available perspectives of things depending on what elements are in the spotlight. Furthermore, throughout the text, Fazang warns readers of the extremes of “
annihilationism” and “
eternalism” insofar as these are both ontological extremes that the Buddha originally rejected in embracing the “
Middle Way
The Middle Way ( pi, ; sa, ) as well as "teaching the Dharma by the middle" (''majjhena dhammaṃ deseti'') are common Buddhist terms used to refer to two major aspects of the Dharma, that is, the teaching of the Buddha.; my, အလယ် ...
”. To either posit objects as completely illusory and non-existence or conversely, to posit objects as independent and uncaused entities will both result in error.
Only in embracing the mean between these extremes and understanding things as such will result in
‘right view’, one of the original tenets of the
Eightfold Path.
Essay on the Golden Lion
In his most famous and widely-known work, Fazang is attempting to describe the high-flying and abstruse principles of
Huayan Buddhism
The Huayan or Flower Garland school of Buddhism (, from sa, अवतंसक, Avataṃsaka) is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that first flourished in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907). The Huayan worldview is based primar ...
to China’s only female emperor,
Empress Wu
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
, who wanted a clearer demonstration of them. His essay “On the Golden Lion” may be found in the ''
Taishō Tripiṭaka
The Taishō Tripiṭaka (; Japanese: ''Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō''; “ Taishō Revised Tripiṭaka”) is a definitive edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon and its Japanese commentaries used by scholars in the 20th century. It was edited by ...
'', where it is text 1881, and is accompanied by the Song dynasty commentary of Cheng Qian. Although skepticism remains as to if these conversations did really occur,
such a teaching is intended to make Huayan more accessible and concrete to the novice through using the statue of a golden lion as a metaphorical device. As
van Norden states, “The gold of the statue is a metaphor for the unified, underlying
Pattern (li 理) while the appearance of the statue as a lion is for our illusory perception of things as independent individuals”.
Such a metaphor is intended to illuminate the relation between pattern and appearance, namely how the reality of the statue is not really a lion, but only gold carved to look like a lion. Analogously, this is supposed to entail the relation between objects and their underlying nature, i.e. an object appears independent as does the keyboard in front of oneself, and yet ‘keyboard’ was just a name attached to this object that actually is empty of any inherent essence or essential name. The names we attach to things are without a doubt pragmatic and Fazang makes clear we should not abandon our conventional way of understanding, as without it, the teachings could never be made accessible.
However, our conventional labels are not wholly representative of the Pattern and ultimate nature of the object, therefore showing their limitations in seeking enlightenment and seeing
‘things-in-themselves’.
Influence
Fazang's greatest influence was upon his disciple
Uisang, who was a senior disciple to Fazang and eventually returned to Korea to establish a brand of Korean Huayan Buddhism, namely
Hwaeom. It is well documented that they had a lifelong friendship and frequently corresponded through written letters. Furthermore, he is sometimes credited for having contributed greatly in improving, if not inventing the technology of wood block carving, i.e.
xylography.
In terms of propagating Huayan Buddhism in China, one of Fazang's greatest contributions was through his translation work, producing a new translation of the Avatamsaka sutra and collaborating with six Tripitaka masters in his efforts to translate it from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
to Chinese. Furthermore, the teachings of the Avatamsaka sutra were propagated through his close relationship with Empress Wu, and which was strengthened by Fazang’s quelling the Zhang brothers, and Khitan rebellion. This ultimately led to the further establishment of Huayan Buddhist monasteries in around Chang'an as well as in Wu and Yue.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{Authority control
Tang dynasty Buddhists
Chinese Buddhists
Chinese Buddhist monks
Huayan Buddhists
7th-century Buddhist monks
8th-century Buddhist monks
643 births
712 deaths
Sogdian people
Buddhist monks from the Western Regions