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Chinese Esoteric Buddhism has the three lineages of Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian transmissions. Here we shall briefly discuss the Chinese transmission. Starting from the two Jin Dynasties of ancient China, practising esoteric monks began entering China over land and across the sea to transmit esoteric teachings. Later during the Tang Dynasty, Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi, Amoghavajra, and Yi-Xing, sponsored by Tang imperial court, officially established the Esoteric Buddhist tradition, and started giving initiations and dissemination of esoteric dharma. But ultimately, due to various restrictions from the changing tides of traditional Chinese thinking, official Esoteric Buddhism dwindled and disappeared from the public view.
During the time that Esoteric Buddhism enjoyed a prosperous period under the Tang Dynasty, a large number of Japanese monks arrived in China to seek dharma. When they completed their studies, they returned to Japan and formed the Shingon School, commonly known as Eastern Esoteric School or "Tai" Esoteric School. The Shingon School of Japan received a complete volume of Tang period Esoteric Buddhist scriptures. In contrast to Japan, Esoteric Buddhism in mainland China later waned from prominence. The many methods of Chinese Esoteric Buddhist Jin-Gang-Dhyana emphasize actual practice and attainment within the current life. Deducing from this fact, the Tang period Japanese monks did not secure the teachings of Esoterically Esoteric Jin-Gang-Dhyana for Japan. In terms of reason, perhaps at the time the karmic opportunity had not matured yet. Due to Esoteric Buddhism's long history of concealed transmission in China, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism's monks have traditionally had the heart-of-boundless-abandonment. They have dispensed with monasteries by living among the commoners, given up on the precious appearances of monkhood, and bore all difficulties for the sake of dharma. Using the unique organizational form of esoteric groups, esoteric villages, and esoteric households, they have used their homes as their temples, and their minds as the place of worship. Hence, they have been able to transmit esoteric teachings orally from generation to generation, without pause or interruption. Every Patriarch of Chinese Esoteric Buddhist Jin-Gang-Dhyana through the generations, as well as the recent and current heir, and the Jin-Gang-Dhyana practitioners who are practising esoterically across the world, all have different sacred transcendental powers (miraculous powers or "special powers"). However, as demonstrated in a history of discarding with monasteries, living within the secular world, never emphasizing outward appearances, and enduring all hardships for dharma's sake, we can see that the dignified and solemn Chinese Esoteric Buddhist Jin-Gang-Dhyana has never promoted miraculous powers. It has never brandished miraculous powers. Sacred transcendental powers are merely used for the convenience of liberating sentient beings. |
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