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Paul, the great foreign missionary, the “altar ... to the unknown God,’ and, from among the great con- fusion of writings and systems, to seek out pearls of deep spiritual inspiration, such as the famous saying, 1Acts 14:17, 2Acts 10:35. SActs 17:26, 27, #Acts 17:23. [6] INTRODUCTION “For we are also His offspring,’’! quoted by St. Paul from one of the Greek poets,” If one once surrenders oneself to this point of view about God’s world and His marvellous leading of the races of men in order to gather them into the eternal kingdom of God tkrough Christ, then it may happen that the new orientation of thought will be a source of the greatest blessing, that God Himself will become greater in one’s thoughts, and that man’s existence will be seen in a truer perspective. The whole will then work together as a positive missionary motive of the highest order. A very special spiritual enrichment will be our portion if we enter upon a closer investigation of our present subject with this wider viewpoint. In number- less ways it will be shown how the innermost lines of thought in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism all lead out to that great thought about one universal saviour who is dimly perceived, and who, it is hoped, will offer the great response to all longings and ideals. If ever Justin Martyr’s famous saying about Christ as “Logos Spermaticos” (the Word which, like the seed-germ, lies behind the religious systems of salvation) has had its application, it is surely here. But, if this is so, we are standing on holy ground. There will therefore be no question, either, of winning over Buddhism in China in any outward manner, but rather of winning Buddhists from within, so that they, in their own peculiar way, may move into Christ’s great temple, 1Ade6 17:28. 2Aratus or Cleanthes. [7] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM and take their place there as gleaming jewels in His crown. } “Think not that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.” 1Matt. 5:17. [8] CHAPTER I “THE INTRODUCTION OF BUDDHISM INTO CHINA AND ITS HISTORY THERE Buddhism began its propaganda in China openly about the year A.D. 61 after the Emperor Ming had had his famous dream; but, long before that, the ground had been prepared through fantastic legends and com- munications from China’s neighbours on the west. There were many circumstances which worked to- gether to pave the way for the new religion. In the first place, the right religious conditions were present. Confucianism, with its clearly thought-out system of morals, had never succeeded in satisfying the deeper religious needs of the Chinese and, after that system became a state religion, it was felt more and more as a burdensome yoke. It gave no answer to the deepest questions of existence; it gave neither strength for the battle of life nor comfort in the hour of death. On the other hand, Taoism had, to a high degree, awakened the desire for religious speculation. Hearts were turned to something undefined, something that could fill life and eternity with light and hope. By Taoism itself it was darkly hinted that this “some- thing” was to come from the distant wonderlands of the West. Marvellous legends came from “T“ien-chu”’ (K &, the old name for India), and lands lying still farther west. [9] TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM In the second place, China acquired a real know- ledge of India, of her strong and peculiar religious life, through the trade caravans that began to pass between the two countries. During the reign of the Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty (140-86 B.c.), the Chinese traveller, Chang Chien, was sent to China’s western and southern boundaries to deal with the tribes there. It seems that, on one of these journeys, he went as far as Parthia, where, at that time, Mithridates IT was king. From that journey Chang Chien brought back with him to the Chinese court an account of Buddha’s golden statue. This man, who had sat in prison for ten years among the Turks of eastern Asia, seems 1 have been among the first Chinese who knew the na: of Buddha. Others, also, who were connected with the trade caravans little by little got hold of the strange legend of a mystical holy one in the neigh- bouring countries. Later on, Buddhist literature began imperceptibly to sift in over the borders, and, about the year A.D. 60, there was, among various circles in China, a certain acquaintance with Buddhism.? 10f more doubtful nature is the account given by the old Buddhist monk, Tao-shih (34 }), in his historical work “Fa-yiian Chu Lin” (# 3 x #k), in the year A.D. 668. He recounts that, as early as 217 3.c., a monk from India, with the Chinese name of Lifang (lj fj); came over to Sianfu with seventeen other “brothers.” There they were imprisoned by the authorities, but later set free in a miraculous manner. The same author believes that a great many writings had already been translated before the Ch in dynasty in China, but that these writings were burned. This last statement particularly makes the whole matter highly improbable, for, at that time, the Buddhist writings were scarcely completed and collected in India itself, That which makes the question of China’s first connection with Buddhism very difficult to decide is the fact that the greatest Chinese historian, Ssu-ma Chien, mentions nothing about these things, in spite of the fact that he lived oS a: \ te 7 Booey = Buppua’s Foorprints 8 es INTRODUCTION INTO CHINA When, therefore, in the year A.D. 61, the Emperor Ming had his dream or vision, one of his ministers, Fu-yih, could immediately refer the emperor to the Indian deity, Buddha. The dream was as follows: A huge golden figure — came flying down from heaven. It halted in its course _ just over the emperor’s palace. Here it swayed gently back and forth. The head was surrounded with a radiant light (hua-kuang, 3 5), and the light of the moon and the sun fell upon its body. The emperor was greatly terrified, but, on Fu-yih’s assurance that the whole thing was only a reflection of the radiant Buddha in India, he was quieted. Prompted by his strange experience, the Emperor Ming sent a deputation to seck further information about this deity. The deputation consisted of eighteen men, who left the capital, Loyang (the present Ho- nanfu), in the year A.D. 63, tracing their route across oe Central Asia. They finally reached Khotan, and from there travelled down to that part of north-east India which had shortly before been conquered by the “white Huns,” Vagjis (Yiieh-chih, H 5). Without great difficulty, they proceeded farther, and, within a short time, we find them in Magadha, south of the Ganges. This place was a treasury of Buddhist relics and literature. The deputation succeeded in getting pos- session of a part of this treasure. Taking with them two Buddhist scholars (priests), they proceeded on the homeward journey. About the year A.D. 67, they from 145 to 86 8.c. also that there is no hint found m the history of the Western Han dynasty written by the other great historian, Pan Ku. [11] ste Gast ag: we uN = rs TRUTH AND TRADITION IN BUDDHISM reached China’s capital city, Loyang. The relics and sacred writings had been loaded on white horses, and, for this reason, the first temple that was built in Loyang received the name of Pai-ma Ssii (4 & 3), the “ White Horse Temple,” a temple name adopted later all over China. The two priests who had been brought from India were Kasyapa Matanga (Chinese: Shé-mo-téng, #§ J Hé) and Gobharana (Chinese: Chu-fa-lan, ¥: fj). The former died quite soon after his arrival. The latter attained the age of sixty years in China, and did a very important work there. Among the first books which these priests translated may be mentioned a freely remodelled and abbreviated text of Asvaghosha’s work on the life of Buddha (“Buddha Charita Kavya”). There is an account, on the whole correct, given in five chapters, of Buddha’s life as we know it from the Indian sources. Thus began the invading stream of Buddhist monks from India to China, which continued for over seven hundred years, and which became of such great significance to the ** Middle Kingdom.” Tt is interesting to see how, during the first two hundred years, the immigrant monks held positions of leadership, and to note how the responsibility and administration little by little went entirely over into Chinese hands, Only when that took place did the great increase come. Then Buddhism became nation- ally established in China. But China will never forget these first immigrant Buddhist missionaries, who oo faithfully and ably went [12] INTRODUCTION INTO CHINA forward with the difficult work of translation and organization, and who threw themselves into the work of propaganda so completely and whole-heartedly. When one now goes through the enormous mass of Buddhist writings translated and prepared by these pilgrims from India, and written in the highest and finest style by the old Chinese literati, one cannot but be filled with deep wonder and respect. There is, however, another side which is, if possible, still more striking. Attention must be called to the spiritual influence which these representatives of the most intense religious life of the Aryan race haye ex- ercised upon the rather cold and calculating character of the Mongol people. The Indian monks—who moved about in the first temples in China, sat in cells and carefully copied out sutras, went to their simple vegetarian meals and to the regular services—were deeply religious men, for whom the absorption into the absolute was life’s main task.