Zhu Zixing (Chinese: 朱士行, or Zhu Shixing) is described in Chinese Buddhism as the first Chinese person to be ordained and become a Buddhist monk via contact with others on the Silk Road.[1][2] His hometown is recorded as Yingchuan, located in Lishui, and he was ordained in Luoyang at the White Horse Temple.[1] Zhu first went to Khotan in Central Asia from Yongzhou in 260 to investigate Buddhism, long before other Chinese monks and travelers reached India to study Buddhism.[3] In Khotan, he acquired a copy of the Sanskrit Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā, copied it, and had his disciples bring it back to China. Initially he was opposed by Hinayanist monks who outnumbered Mahayanist monks and were allied with the ruling king. He was eventually successful and the manuscript was sent to China in 282.[4]

Zhu left no records of his travels. His journey was recorded in Buddhist literature, including Hyecho's Memoirs of Eminent Monks, which used material from Zhu's disciple.

References

  1. ^ a b Li, Xiao (2020-09-10). Studies on the History and Culture Along the Continental Silk Road. Springer Nature. pp. 44–47. ISBN 978-981-15-7602-7.
  2. ^ Dharma World. Kosei Publishing Company. 1991. p. 17.
  3. ^ Storch, Tanya (2016). Wu, Jiang; Chia, Lucia (eds.). Spreading Buddha's word in East Asia : the formation and transformation of the Chinese Buddhist canon. New York. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-231-54019-3. OCLC 929851458.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ DE LA VAISSIÈRE, ÉTIENNE (2010). "Silk, Buddhism and Early Khotanese Chronology: A Note on the "Prophecy of the Li Country"". Bulletin of the Asia Institute. 24: 85–87. ISSN 0890-4464. JSTOR 43896121.
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