Views
Chísōng 持松 (1894-1972)
A famed teacher of Esoteric Buddhism during the Republican period.
- Born 1894 (Guāngxù 光緒 2) in Jīngmén County 荊門縣, Húběi 湖北
- Died November 16, 1972 in Shànghǎi 上海
- Name surname 姓: Zhāng 張
- Style name 自號: Shīzàng śramaṇa 師奘沙門
- Courtesy name 字: Chísōng 持松
- Dharma name 法名: Mìlín 密林
Biography Chísōng began attending a Confucian academy when he was 6. When he was 14, his father died, and two years later a flood forced his mother to give him to a family member to raise. He took tonsure at age 17 (1910) at Tie3niú Temple 鐵牛寺 in Jing1zhou1 荊州, after which he traveled to Yuan3an1 County 遠安縣 (Húbei3) to study Buddhism.
In 1912 Chísōng received the full precepts at Gui1yúan Temple 歸元寺 in Hànyáng 漢陽. Later that year, he traveled to Shan4hai3 to enroll at Huáyán University 華嚴大學. When the school moved to Hángzhou1 杭州 three years later, Chísōng went along. There he worked closely with the school's founder, Yuèxiá 月霞 before graduating in 1916.
Upon graduation he returned to his hometown, but his family was all dead or lost. He studied Tian1tái 天台 at Yùquán Temple 玉泉寺 in Dang1yáng 當陽 under Zu3yìn 祖印.
In 1917 Chísōng attended lectures given by Yuèxiá at Gui1yúan Temple and Bìshan1 碧山 in Yíxing1 宜興, before following Yuèxiá to Xing1fú Temple 興福寺 in Chángrè 常熱, when the latter became abbot there. On July 1, Chísong1 was appointed the official recorder 書記, while another of Yuèxiá's disciples, Ying1cí 應慈 was asked to organize the Dharmadhatu Seminary 法界學院 at the temple. Sadly, Yuèxiá died in Hángzhou1 that fall.
In February 1918, Ying1cí, acting on the request of the late Yuèxiá, transmitted the dharma to Chísong1, Hùizong1 惠宗, and Tányuè 潭月, making them all 43rd generations holders of the Línjì 臨濟 lineage. The Dharmadhatu Seminary went ahead, and from 1920 to 1922, Chísong1 lectured on the Śūraṃgama Sūtra. In 1922, he was asked by Chángxing3 常惺 to come lecture at the Ānhui1 Monastic School 安徽僧學校 at Yíngjiang1 Temple 迎江寺 in Ānqìng 安慶.
While at the Monastic School, Chísong1 became interested in studying Esoteric Buddhism 密教. In the fall of 1922, he and Dàyong3 大勇 traveled to Koya-san 高野山 in Japan to study Shingon 真言 Buddhism. In 1923 he received abiṣeka 灌頂, or esoteric initiation, earning him the rank of 51st-generation Ācārya 阿闍梨. He returned to China the same year.
Upon his return, he and Dàyong3 traveled to Wu3hàn 武漢, where, based at the Wuchang Buddhist Seminary 武昌佛學院, they gave abiṣeka to many Buddhists. Shortley thereafter, Chísong1 gave abiṣeka to about one-hundred Buddhists at Hángzhou1's Pútí Temple 菩提寺.
After this, he traveled between Wu3hàn and Ānqìng before becoming abbot of Bao3tong1 Temple 寶通寺 on Hóngshan1 洪山 in 1924, which for that reason became an important site for the transmission of Japanese Esotericism 東密. That fall he performed a Nation-Saving Dharma Rite for Humane Kings 仁王護國法會 for the local army. At that ceremony, he gave abiṣeka to several thousand people, including several famous lay Buddhists from Wu3hàn, Chén Yuánbái 陳元白, Zhào Nánsan1 趙南三, Dù Hánsan1 杜漢三, and Dèng Mèngguang1 鄧夢光.
In 1925 he was part of the Chinese Delegation to the East Asian Buddhist Conference 東亞佛教大會. he stayed in Japan for an additional two years in order to receive receive further instruction from his teachers at Koya-san. He returned to China in 1927. Upon his return, he lectured at various locations in Shang4hai3.
Bao3tong1 Temple was destroyed during the Northern Expedition, and Chísong spent those years traveling around the Jiang1nán 江南 area, lecturing.
Important Works
- Much of his work is available online at 持松法師研究網
Notable Students
Notes
References:
Yú Língbō 于凌波, ed. Xiàndài fójiào rénwù cídiǎn 現代佛教人物辭典 (A Dictionary of Modern Buddhist Persons), 2 vols. (Taipei: Foguang, 2004), 1:754c-757b.