Cheng Zhaian 程宅安

Chéng Zháiān 程宅安 (??)

A lay acārya (initiated teacher) of Eastern Esoteric Buddhism 東密, and author of the important Republican-era esoteric text 密宗要義.

Biography

Chéng was originally from Sìchuān 四川. He studied esoteric Buddhism under Chísōng 持松, under whom he reiceved abhiṣeka 灌頂 in the 1920s. Later he went to Japan, where he became a fully authorized teacher, or acārya in the Buzan Branch 豐山派 of Shingon 真言 under Gonda Raifu 權田雷斧.

In the mid 1920s, after his return to China, an argument broke out between Wáng Hóngyuàn 王弘願, another Chinese lay disciple of Gonda Raifu who taught and gave ordination to monks, on the one hand, and Tàixū 太虛 and Mànshūjiēdì 曼殊揭諦 on the other. Chéng chose not to take sides. He did, however, write one of the more important esoteric texts of the Republican era, Essential Meaning of the Esoteric School 密宗要義, which came out in 1929.

Chéng's eldest daughter, Chéng Qízhī 程其芝 remained unmarried, lived in Shànghǎi 上海 and often came to practice at Jìng'ān Temple 靜安寺. There she was looked after by Chísōng.

Important Works

• 密宗要義. 170 pages. First published in 1929.
  • A PDF of this work can be viewed (but not downloaded) here.
• 《一行阿阇黎字母表浅注》序

Notable Students

Notes

References:

• 唐密_程宅安