The story of how the Bodhisattva Precepts were taught from India to China
2025-03-16
Brahmajāla Bodhisattva Precepts are known as the "Thousand Buddhas' Great Precepts" and it is never too much for us to cherish them. If we trace back to how the Bodhisattva precepts were first ordained to China, and learn how difficult it was for the first group of people who received the Brahmajāla Bodhisattva Precepts, we will understand more deeply the dignity and rarity of the Bodhisattva precepts.
There are various versions of the records about how the Bodhisattva precepts were ordained from India to China.
"The boat capsized in a storm and the quest for Buddhist scriptures was unsuccessful"
According to the "Extended Biography of Eminent Monks", three people including the eminent monk Paramartha (or Guṇarata, translated as Zhēndì Tripitaka in Chinese) from Western India came to China in August of the twelfth year of Datong in the Liang Dynasty of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (546 AD) and were received with courtesy by Emperor Wu of Liang. Later, when the country was in crisis, they went to Northern Qi and then to Eastern Wei. During this period, Master Zhēndì translated sutras and treatises such as the " Golden Light Sutra", " Mahāyānasaṃgraha", and " Viṃśatikā-vijñaptimātratāsiddhi".
Because he met people who wanted to receive the Bodhisattva precepts in the Central Plains, but the only relevant scriptures they brought with them were the "Bodhisattva Precepts Sutra Chapter 22", he planned to return to India to seek more Mahayana sutras and treatises and then come back to China to make up for the lack. But unfortunately, the trip did not go through as the boat capsized due to a storm.
Master Kumārajīva taught Bodhisattva Precepts to hundreds of disciples
According to the preface of Master Sengzhao in the"Brahmajāla Sūtra", because of the precepts of the Bodhisattva precepts, the Indian Tripitaka Master Kumārajīva focused on reading and reciting the "The Heart Dharma" in the "Brahmajāla Sūtra", because this chapter explains the differences in the appearance of keeping the Bodhisattva precepts. Since Master Kumārajīva did this, all those who kept the Bodhisattva precepts followed suit and recited this chapter.
After Master Kumārajīva came to the China, he translated more than 50 sutras and treatises in Sanskrit at the Carefree Garden in Chang'an where he lived, together with scholars and monks. At that time, there were more than 800 people including monks Huirong and Daoxiang who asked the master to teach them the Bodhisattva Precepts. The master agreed and translated the precepts sutra. Among the sutras and treatises translated by the master, only the "Brahmajāla Sūtra" did not have any Sanskrit scriptures as a basis. Instead, it was recited by the master himself and then translated together by everyone. The entire sutra consists of 120 volumes and 61 chapters, among which "Chapter 10: The Bodhisattva's Heart" specifically explains the Bodhisattva's stage of conduct.
At that time, Huirong, Daoxiang and more than 300 others successfully received the Bodhisattva precepts, and they all recited this chapter as the key to their practice.
The master and his disciples were of the same mind, and they respectfully recorded the differences in the appearance when keeping the precepts described in the verses in the lower volume of this sutra and compiled them into a separate volume, which they named "The Ten Major and Forty-eight Minor Precepts of Bodhisattvas Volume Spoken by Vairocana Buddha in Brahmajāla Sūtra". The purpose is to allow those who worship and pursue Bodhi to understand the nature from appearance and to understand the principles from facts, and to allow later generations of scholars to hear this sutra.
This public case is considered to be the beginning of people in the Central Plains being able to receive the Bodhisattva Precepts according to the "Brahmajāla Sūtra Chapter 10: The Bodhisattva's Heart".
Taught by the Buddha and Bodhisattvas
According to the "Memoirs of Eminent Monks", An eminent Indian monk, Dharmakṣema, came to China to promote Mahayana Buddhism.
At that time, it was the Northern Liang period of the Sixteen Kingdoms in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. There was a monk named Dao Jin from Zhangye who was very eager to receive the Bodhisattva precepts from Master Dharmakṣema. However, Master Dharmakṣema said to him: "You should repent your sins first. Only a clean bottle can hold pure nectar."
Dao Jin then repented sincerely and respectfully for seven days and seven nights. On the eighth day, he went to Master Dharmakṣema to receive the Bodhisattva Precepts, but Master Dharmakṣema suddenly became furious.
Dao Jin thought, "Is it because my karma has not been eliminated?" So, he made up his mind and made repentance diligently for three whole years. Later, in meditation, he saw our teacher Shakyamuni Buddha and other Bodhisattvas appear in person to give him the Bodhisattva Precepts.
And the amazing thing is that on the same night, more than ten people who had also been praying to receive the Bodhisattva precepts also dreamed of the same situation as Dao Jin!
At dawn, Dao Jin went to Master Dharmakṣema residence and wanted to explain the matter to the master. When he arrived in front of Master Dharmakṣema, just a few dozen steps away, Master Dharmakṣema stood up from the Dharma seat in surprise and shouted: " Good! Good! The benevolent person has already received the precepts! I bear witness for you." Then he explained the precepts in detail to him in front of the Buddha.
At that time, the monk Daolang also had the same dream as Daojin and became Daojin's Dharma disciple.
Afterwards, more than a thousand people received the Bodhisattva precepts from Master Daojin, and the precepts have been passed down to this day.
There is another record saying: 《Bodhisattvabhūmi》 should have been brought to China by Ibol Bodhisattva, and later transmitted by Dharmakṣema.
What do you think after reading the above "ancient" stories about the blossoming of Bodhisattva precepts in our Cīna-sthāna country?
The Buddha told us that Buddhist disciples should regard the Dharma as seriously as a mountain.
Bodhisattva Precepts are so important to Mahayana Buddhist disciples. The more we can develop a sincere heart, the more powerful we will be on the road of keeping the precepts.
Moreover, when I learned that my senior, " Precepts senior brother", was so accomplished, how could I, as a junior, dare to blaspheme such supreme honor?
A wise person has strong patience and wisdom, and can uphold the Dharma.
During the period before attaining Buddhahood, one can obtain five benefits:
First: The Buddhas of the ten directions always protect you with compassion;
Second: at the time of death, one's mind is joyful and mindful;
Third: Precepts are good friends in every life and in every place, those who observe precepts are treated as friends by great bodhisattvas.
Fourth: Precepts are the gathering place of all transcendental merits. Therefore, those who have complete precepts can transcend birth and death and attain liberation.
Fifth: Those who observe precepts perfectly can easily attain the Tao and be filled of blessings and wisdom in this life and the next.
——Verse from the "Brahmajāla Sūtra"
May all disciples of the Bodhisattva Precepts be able to observe the precepts as they would take care of their eyes, and under the protection of the Bodhisattva Precepts, move forward courageously on the path to Buddhahood like the Garuda, without encountering any obstacles.
