Summary and Impressions of "Biography of High Priest Hoken (Butsuguoki)" - The oldest record of travel to India by a Chinese monk! What was Hoken's grueling journey of seeking the Dharma that also brought him to Sri Lanka?
The work introduced here is "Hokkenden," translated by Kazutoshi Nagasawa and published by Heibonsha in 1971, and is part of the "Hokkenden: Songun Gyoiki.
Fa Xian (ca. 337-422), author of the "Biography of the High Priest Fa Xian" or also known as "The Record of the Buddha's Kingdom," is a leading Chinese monk of the Dharma Seeking Order.
I have previously introduced the great achievements left by Hoken.A History of Buddhism in New Asia 06: China I, Northern and Southern Dynasties: The Eastern Propagation and Reception of Buddhism.The following is explained in the following section.
The most famous of the priests who sought the precepts at this time was Hoken. Lamenting the fact that the precepts had not yet been fully transmitted, he departed from Chang'an in 399, Ryuan 3, together with several comrades, without regard to his near 60 years of age. He lost comrade Huijing and others along the way, but finally reached Rajagriha (Wangsha Castle) in India, where he obtained the Mahasangha Gionshiryoku (Gionshiryoku), Zoabhidoshinron (The Gospel of Abhidharma), and other works. On his way back to Japan, he took the sea route through Shishikoku (Sri Lanka), and returned in the 10th year of the 10th lunar month of Ukihi (414). Hoken was the only one who returned at that time. The travel record written by Hoken, "Biography of High Priest Hoken" (also known as "Butsukoku-ki"), is not only a simple travel record, but also the oldest record of the situation in India.
Kosei Shuppansha, Katsumi Okimoto and Hiroshi Kanno (eds.), New Asian Buddhist History 06: China I, Nanbokucho: Eastern transmission and reception of Buddhism, p. 90.
To his surprise, he embarked on this grueling journey at the age of nearly 60 years old. The journey was so dangerous that even young and healthy men lost their lives one after another. Hoken himself wrote the following famous sentence in his "Biography of Hoken.
There are many demons and hot winds in the river. If you encounter them, you will all die. There is no one who is perfect. There are no flying birds above and no running beasts below. Only the dead man's withered bones serve as a sign.
Heibonsha, translation by Kazutoshi Nagasawa, Hokkenden, Songun Gyoiki, p. 233
It is astonishing that a monk near his 60th birthday made such a life-threatening journey through the desert and across rugged mountain ranges.
I searched for some good images and videos to get a feel of this Silk Road journey, and found the following images, which I would like to introduce here.
It is not the same path that Hoken walked, but I think it conveys the harshness of the path.
And this time I decided to read this work by Hoken because I was interested in the fact that he had visited Sri Lanka.
I am currently studying Sri Lanka. At first, I started learning about Sri Lanka as a comparison with Indian Buddhism, but before I knew it, I was hooked on Sri Lanka, and I have been reading books on Sri Lanka from one end to the other.
So I picked up this book to learn about Hoken's experience when he came to Sri Lanka.
The commentary at the end of this book summarized his experience in Sri Lanka as follows.
After that, he went alone to the mouth of the Ganges River to study for two more years in the state of Tamraliputai, and then took a merchant's boat to the island of Ceylon. There are many Buddhist sites in Ceylon, and he toured around the island, but when he happened to worship the statue of Aojyu at the Mueishan Monastery in Seongbuk, he was indeed struck by a deep sense of nostalgia for his travels. Since leaving Hanland, he has always encountered people from foreign lands, mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, all of which are unusual in their own way. My comrades who accompanied me in our endeavors have returned home, or fallen ill, or stayed in India, and now I am all alone. He was always lonely and heavy-hearted, and when he stood in front of a statue of Buddha in blue jade, some merchant made an offering of a white silk fan made in China. When he saw it, he was indeed moved to tears, and his tears flowed unceasingly.
Nevertheless, Hoken stayed in this country for another two years, acquiring the Yisa Yulchang, Cho-Agan, Zo-Agan, and some other miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures, all of which were not found in the Han lands. After acquiring these Buddhist scriptures, he boarded a merchant's ship and finally set out for home.
Heibonsha, translated by Kazutoshi Nagasawa, Hokkenden, Songun Gyoiki, p. 237-238
Hoken came to Sri Lanka alone, separated from his companions who had traveled with him. The loneliness must have been immeasurable. However, it was also for the sake of the prosperity of Buddhism. He studied there for two years, and then returned to China via a difficult sea route. Even just getting to India was the most difficult of difficulties, but to return home safely with a large number of sutras was a feat that was unimaginable at the time.
The commentary at the end of the book, "Biography of Hoken," which describes the great deeds of Hoken, also states the following.
Thus, "Hokkenden" (Buddhist Record) was not only read by many monks as a book that conveyed the reality of the countries of India and the western regions at that time, but it was also used as the most appropriate travel guide for monks seeking to travel to the west. In his concise travelogue of 9,500 words, he wrote, "Where one's sincerity is felt, it can never be denied, and where one's ambition is pursued, it can never be accomplished. It is also highly valuable as an excellent travel literature.
Heibonsha, translation by Kazutoshi Nagasawa, Hokkenden, Songun Gyoiki, p. 239
As will be described here, the "Biography of Dharma Sangha" is a wonderful travelogue that reveals his personality even though it is written in a very concise manner. After the epic journey of the first half of the book, we are now excited to see more and more Buddhist sites in India that we are all familiar with.
Hoken's journey was a long one, spanning more than 10 years. By the time he returned to Japan, he was almost 80 years old, an amazing feat of vitality. It is unbelievable! A great man who has left his mark on the history of the world has a different scale.
This book is written in an easy-to-read Japanese translation, rather than a transcript of the Chinese text. If you want to enjoy the flavor of the Chinese text, this book may not be enough for you, but if you are like me and just want to know more about Hoken's journey, I highly recommend this book. It is very easy to read and understand, with extensive notes, photos, and maps.
I picked up this book because of its connection with Sri Lanka, and I am very satisfied with it. I hope you will also pick up a copy of this book.
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