Kim Hwasang (), also known in Chinese as Wuxiang (, , 684–762), was a
Korean master of
Chan Buddhism
Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit ''dhyāna in Buddhism, dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century Common Era, CE onwards, becoming e ...
who lived in
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...
, China, whose form of Chan teaching was independent of
East Mountain Teaching and
Huineng. His teachings were amongst the first streams of Chan Buddhism transmitted to Tibet.
Chan, the Tangut and Kim Hwasang
Solonin links the
Tangut people
The Tangut people ( Tangut: , ''mjɨ nja̱'' or , ''mji dzjwo''; ; ; mn, Тангуд) were a Tibeto-Burman tribal union that founded and inhabited the Western Xia dynasty. The group initially lived under Tuyuhun authority, but later submitte ...
, the
Helan Mountains and
Baotang Wuzhu Baotang Wuzhu (, 714–774CE), was the head and founder of Baotang Monastery () in Chengdu, Sichuan, south west China. Both ( Kim Ho-shang) and Baotang Wuzhu were of the same school of Chinese Chán, the East Mountain Teaching (incorrectly known ...
:
Yün-Hua Jan (1986: pp. 27–28) states:
Buswell (2005: p. 191) states:
Transmission of Chan to the Nyingma school
Chan Buddhism
Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit ''dhyāna in Buddhism, dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century Common Era, CE onwards, becoming e ...
was introduced to the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and trans ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
in three principal streams: the teachings of Kim Hwashang transmitted by Sang Shi in c750 CE; the lineage of
Baotang Wuzhu Baotang Wuzhu (, 714–774CE), was the head and founder of Baotang Monastery () in Chengdu, Sichuan, south west China. Both ( Kim Ho-shang) and Baotang Wuzhu were of the same school of Chinese Chán, the East Mountain Teaching (incorrectly known ...
was transmitted within Tibet by Yeshe Wangpo; and the teaching of
Moheyan, which were a synthesis of the East Mountain and Baotang schools.
Legend states that
Trisong Detsen (742–797) invited Moheyan to teach at
Samye. Moheyan had been teaching at
Dunhuang
Dunhuang () is a county-level city in Northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027, though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800. Dunhuang was a major s ...
, which the
Tibetan Empire
The Tibetan Empire (, ; ) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of imperial expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. The empire further expanded under the 3 ...
had conquered in 786, but he lost an important philosophical debate on the nature of emptiness from the Indian master
Kamalaśīla and the king declared Kamalaśīla's philosophy should form the basis for Tibetan Buddhism rather than Chan. This legendary "great debate" was known as "the Council of Lhasa" and is narrated and depicted in a specific
cham dance held annually at
Kumbum Monastery,
Qinghai
Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
.
Ray (2005) holds that the first documented dissemination of Chan to Tibet, chronicled in what has become known as the ''Statements of the Sba Family'', occurred around 761 when Trisong Detsen sent a party to
Yizhou to receive the teachings of Kim Hwashang, whom they encountered in Sichuan. The party received teachings and three Chinese texts from Kim, who died soon after.
[Ray, Gary L. (2005). ''The Northern Ch'an School and Sudden Versus Gradual Enlightenment Debates in China and Tibet''. Source]
(accessed: December 2, 2007)
Notes
Further reading
* Yun-Hua, Jan (1989). ''A Comparative Study of 'No-thought' (Wu-nien) in Some Indian and Chinese Buddhist Texts.'' VVol. 16/1989: pp. 37–58. Dialogue Publishing Company. Source
(accessed: January 25, 2008)
{{Asia in topic, Buddhism in
Korean Zen Buddhists
Korean emigrants to China