09.08.2013 Views

CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

— 440 —<br />

IV. Sixth Chinese Patriarch.<br />

Hwei-neng m (jg) fg (A.D. 637-712).<br />

1°. Biography gleaned from the Chronicles <strong>of</strong> Gods, Show-<br />

shen-hi ^ jjifp<br />

%.<br />

Hwei-neng I|f fjg (1)<br />

is held to be the 6 th<br />

, and last <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Chinese Buddhist patriarchs. His family name was Lu jfM. According<br />

to some writers he was born at Puchow-fu f^ j'\] f{f , in Kwangtung<br />

Jl iff, while others hold he was a native <strong>of</strong> Sinchow ^r j'\], in<br />

Northern China (2). After studying some time in a village school,<br />

he entered in early life a Buddhist monaster}'. Charmed with the<br />

beauty <strong>of</strong> the Ts'ao-k'i landscape, Ts'ao-k r<br />

i-shui "^ ^ 7k. (3\ he<br />

selected it as a site for himself and monks, and begged<br />

the owner<br />

to grant him a piece <strong>of</strong> land for that purpose. He required, added<br />

he, only as much as his habit could cover. The owner agreed to<br />

the request, whereupon Hwei-neng J|C |j{? laid his habit on the<br />

ground, and wonderful to say, it expanded out until it covered an<br />

area <strong>of</strong> 80 Chinese square miles. The present-day monastery on<br />

the Nanhwa Hills, Nan-liwa-slittn ~\fc Ipj (Jj , occupies<br />

and Hwei-neng 3C |?£ 5 the 6 th<br />

years, and died in the same place A.D. 712.<br />

the above site,<br />

patriarch, abode there for several<br />

After his death, his corpse is said to have remained incorrupt (4\<br />

and even to exhale a sweet fragrance. The chest maintained its<br />

natural position, as if he still lived, and the skin appeared glossy<br />

and flexible. His habit and begging-bowl were taken to the North,<br />

(1) Hwei-neng ^ fj?. The Chronicles <strong>of</strong> Gods, Sliow-shen-hi $1 jflji IE,<br />

employ the character $£., while the General Mirror <strong>of</strong> Gods and Immortals,<br />

Shen-sien t'ung-kien %$ {|I| iffi Hi, writes 3§, in designating this patriarch.<br />

(2) Mayers. Chinese Reader's Manual, p. 137. — Giles. Chinese Diction-<br />

ary, p. 545. —Chinese Superstitions. Vol. IV. p. 457.<br />

(3) Ts'ao-k'i W $g. A mountainous place, on the borders <strong>of</strong> Kwangtung<br />

and Kiangsi. Mayers. Chinese Reader's Manual, p. 137.<br />

(4) The corpse was probably lacquered, a practice which thoroughly<br />

accounts for its preservation. See Johnston. Buddhist China, p. 231. —<br />

Chinese Superstitions. Vol. VII. p. 244. note 3.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!