Notes on I-Tsing or Yi Jing's Trip to The Southern Ocean

INDEPHEDIA.com - I-Tsing or Yi Jing, a Chinese monk, on his way to India had stopped three times to the area he called the South Sea. In his notes, he gave an appeal to monks who want to study Buddha Dharma.

Yi Jing is one of the three famous pilgrims from China. His predecessors were Fa Xian and Xuan Zang. At that time, there were many interpretations of Buddhism in China. Yi Jing also wanted to study the Buddha Dharma in his native country: India. He had studied since he was young, when a teenager dreamed of visiting India, which was the center of Buddhist Dharma learning.

In 671 AD, Yi Jing departed from Guangzhou. After sailing for 20 days, he landed at Fo-shi (Sriwijaya). He stayed for six months to study Sabdavidya or Sanskrit grammar.

In Yi Jing's notes, all the monks in Fo-shi studied the same subjects as those at Nalanda. For example, Pancavidya which covers grammar, medicine, logic, art, craft skills, and mental management.

At that time, Yi Jing even recommended that monks want to go to Nalanda, which is said to be very difficult, it is better to study first in Sriwijaya.

Special Sanskrit grammar lessons, according to Yi Jing, if learned from childhood can overcome all the difficulties of studying Buddhist Dharma books. At that time in Sriwijaya, in addition to being studied, the string of Jataka stories was also sung and staged. This shows the mastery of Sanskrit as a local language, and could be the story of Jataka can be realized in other forms (staging, etc.).

From Sriwijaya, Yi Jing was escorted by the king to Moluoyou (Malay). He lived there for two months. From there he went to Jiecha (Kedah). From Kedah, in 671 AD, he visited various regions until he lived in Tamralipti, a port on the east coast of India in 673 AD From there he reached Nalanda. He settled and studied at Nalanda for ten years (675-685 AD).

After studying the text there, then returned for the second time to Malay which had become part of Shili Foshi. In fact, at the beginning of the arrival of Yi Jing, in his notes he still mentioned the name Malayu and was not yet named Sriwijaya. In this case, Yi Jing's statement in his notes is suitable when related to historical records. Kedukan Bukit inscription records the date before finally Dapunta Hyang founded Sriwijaya City on June 16, 682 AD.

Yi Jing's second arrival made him stay for four years. In 689 AD, he boarded a ship and intended to leave a letter asking for paper and ink to copy silk on. However, he was carried away by the ship and accidentally returned to China for three months. In fact, the 500 thousand Tripitaka sloka he brought from India is still lagging behind in Srivijaya.

He returned to Sriwijaya and lived for five years (end 689-695 AD). There, he met a monk named Da Jin. To him, Yi Jing entrusted 10 volumes of silks and literature (reviews), Submissions of Practice Practices of Buddhadharma from the Southern Ocean (four volumes), History of Monks who visited India and Neighboring Countries to Seek Teachings in the Tang Dynasty (two volumes).

In 695 AD, Yi Jing returned home and was welcomed by Wu Zetian, the female emperor. He brought 400 Buddhist texts, 500 thousand verses, and a map of the location of the Vajrasana Buddha. It was the result of traveling for 25 years and visiting 30 countries. (TK / ENG / *)