Śubhakarasiṃha

Śubhakarasiṃha (637–735 CE) () was an eminent Indian Buddhist monk and translator of Esoteric Buddhist texts.

He originally studied in Nalanda monastery and later arrived in the Chinese capital Chang'an (now Xi'an) in 716 CE and translated the ', better known as the ''Mahāvairocana Sūtra''. Four years later another master, Vajrabodhi (670–741 CE), and his pupil Amoghavajra (705–775 CE), would arrive and proceeded to translate other scriptures, thus establishing a second esoteric tradition. Along with these other masters, Śubhakarasiṃha was responsible for bringing Esoteric Buddhism to the height of its popularity in China.

Biography

Origins

There are differing views regarding Śubhakarasiṃha's place of origin.
According to Chinese sources, Śubhakarasiṃha was born in India as the oldest son of Buddhakara (Fo-shou Wang). Li Hua's ''Shan-wu-wei-hsing-chuang'' states that his family originated in Magadha. His funeral stele also refers to him as "''Late Trepiṭaka Upādhyāya Śubhākarasiṃha from Central India, Who Passed Away in the Great Shengshan Monastery in the Eastern Capital of the Great Tang''" (大唐東都大聖善寺故中天竺國善無畏三藏和尚碑銘并序). Other scholars state that he was from Odisha and that his ancestors have arrived there following unrest in their original homeland in Central India. A theory has been put forward that Śubhakarasiṃha may have been an ancestor of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty, which ruled in Odisha between the 8th and 10th centuries, and whose kings included people named Śubhakara.

India

According to his biography, Śubhakarasiṃha ascended to the throne as king when he was thirteen years old. Although emerging victorious from a power struggle with his older brothers, he turned over his position to his oldest brother and entered the monastic life. He became well known for his supernatural abilities and finally settled in Nālandā where he met the master Dharmagupta. After being instructed by him and gaining the title of ''Trepiṭaka'' (Buddhist doctor), Śubhakarasiṃha became a travelling teacher and was then told by Dharmagupta to go further east to China.

China

Due to unstable conditions in Central India, Śubhakarasiṃha reached Chang’an in China via Tibet.
When Śubhakarasiṃha arrived in China, he was already eighty years old and was carrying with him a variety of different manuscripts although the catalogue of what texts he brought with him has been lost. Upon his arrival, he became well known for his supposed supernatural abilities and became favoured by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. It was during this time that he translated several works of Esoteric Buddhism including the '. Emperor Xuanzong first invited him to Xingfu si but later reassigned him to Ximing si. From this point onwards he assembled a group of assistants to help him with the translations of the manuscripts that he brought with him. The Chinese hagiographies also praise his metallurgical skills and craftsmanship and state that he designed and modelled many Buddhist images and stupas.

According to Robert Sharf, Chán Master Yi Xing (Ch. 一行禅師) was the most eminent of his students. Yixing belonged to the northern school of Chán Buddhism, but this was not seen by Chinese Buddhist culture as being fundamentally different from the esoteric teachings of Śubhakarasiṃha. Around the turn of the eighth century, the northern school was known for its esoteric practices of dhāraṇīs and mantras.Faure, Bernard (1997) ''The Will to Orthodoxy: A Critical Genealogy of Northern Chan Buddhism'': p. 85
Śubhakarasiṃha died in 735 CE and was posthumously bestowed with the title of "Court Director of State Ceremonial" (Honglu qing ��臚卿. He was buried in 740 CE in the hills nearby to Longmen Caves and the site of his burial became a place of reverence for at least 250 years after his death.

Siddhis

After his death, many Chinese hagiographical sources on Śubhakarasiṃha's life began to place an emphasis on the supernatural feats or Siddhis that he was said to have performed during his lifetime. These include stories and legends of defeating monsters, dragons, serpents among others. Some of these stories also promoted his rainmaking abilities. One of these stories states:

Other stories also detail how he used his siddhis to save the lives of other people:

In Shingon Buddhism

Śubhakarasiṃha was the first patriarch of the Shingon teachings in China. Following Śubhakarasiṃha, the lineage is traced to his student Chán Master Yixing, then to Huiguo (Ch. 惠果), and finally to Kūkai ( Jp. 空海), who brought the teachings of Śubhakarasiṃha and his translation of the ' to Japan.

Works

A total of sixteen translations have been attributed to Śubhakarasiṃha. These texts range from initiation manuals as well as ritual manuals. Some examples of works he has translated include:
*'' Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra''
*'' Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra''
*'' Susiddhikara Sūtra''
*'' Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra''

References

Bibliography

*
*
*

{{Authority control

Vajrayana
Buddhism in China
Indian Buddhist monks
Indian Buddhist missionaries
Monks of Nalanda
8th-century Buddhist monks
Shingon Buddhism
Tendai
637 births
735 deaths
7th-century Indian monks
8th-century Indian monks
Tang dynasty people