Biography of Patriarch Tan Luan 曇鸞祖師
Partriarch Tan Luan 曇鸞祖師 (476) was born in Shanxi Province North China, Dai county, near mount Wutai. A great admirer of the supernatural and miracles, entered the Buddhist order at the age of just about 15. A man of profound wisdom, well known throughout the Three Kingdoms periods, who had a crystallized clear knowledge of the various scriptures, a titanic figure unlike anyone else at that time; he specialized in the study of Nagarjuna Boddhisattva's treatises such as Mulamadhyamaka-karika, Satika sastra, Dvadasamukha-sastra and Mahaprajnaparamitasastra (translated by Master Kumarajiva), attained profundity of these treatises, and was later known as the Scholar of the Four Treatises. In the middle years of his life, Partriarch Tan Luan had an inspiration to annotate Mahavaipulya-mahasamghata-sutra 大集經, but as he thought further : "Human life is fragile, impermanent, it is better to master the skill of longevity, strengthen physical health and fitness so as to preach the Buddhist Dharma in a big way for a long time". Thereafter, he visited Emperor Wu 梁武帝, and called on Taoist Master Tao Hung Ching 456-536 to learn wizardry and the secret of immortality. Master Tan Luan was well received by Master Tao and his disciples, became a pupil for three years, and was presented a set of books of 10 volumes on immortality before Master Tan Luan bid farewell as he set out once again to preach the Buddhist Dharma.
Along the way, Master Tan Luan stopped by Luoyang, he met Bodhiruci, a monk from Northern India, saw a certain profound quality about him, and took the opportunity to asked him : "Does Buddhist teachings of immortality surpass the teachings of immortality of this land?" Master Bodhiruci expressed his warnings to Master Tan Luan and said : "Are there teachings of immortality in this land? Even if practitioners achieved long life, few escaped death and the endless cycle of of reincarnation in the 3 realms. As for immortality, Buddhism has it ever since". Master Bodhiruci said that the Dharma of immortality is taught in the 3 principle Pureland sutras : "abide by this Buddhist teachings of immortality and practitioners will end endless rebirth in the 3 realms of reincarnation, attain complete deliverance. Cease to exist are existence and non-existence, misfortunes and blessings. There are rocks that have lived the aeons and the plentiful sands in the river, the numbers of sand has a highest extreme, while lifespan is boundless. Buddha is a thoroughly enlightened immortal, not similar to that of a god, thus, this is truest immortality". Upon hearing this explication, Master Tan Luan was immediately struck by a flash of understanding and realized the deep meaning of the Pureland teachings. He burned his worldly books of immortality by the Taoist master and abandoned the instructions of the 4 treatises that he had abided by. Thereafter, sparing no efforts, he proceeded to focus solely on Pureland teachings. Then, at the age of 53, he inherited Nagarjuna Boddhisattva's (Chapter on Easy Path 易行品) and Vasubandhu's (Treatise on Birth in the Pureland 往生論) idealogy, wrote commentaries such as Commentary on Pureland Treatise and Commentary on Treatise on Birth in the Pureland. He had not only put into practice Pureland instructions and benefited himself but also spread and taught far and wide to each and everyone on how they could also gain the same benefit.
Master Tan Luan won wide acclaim, he was respected by emperor Liang of Southern dynasties who bowed to the north paying tribute to Master Tan Luan as a Boddhisattva, and there was the emperor of Wei dynasty who respected him as a god. Patriarch Tan Luan as he is known today passed away into the Pureland in 542, at the age of 67. On the day before his passing, Nagarjuna Boddhisattva manifested to reveal the day and time of his birth in the Land of Bliss and spoke these words : "I am Nagarjuna, resident of the Pureland, we are comrades, and have thus come to convey to you".
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva disappeared right after these words. Patriarch Tan Luan understood the intent of these verses, knew that he was told the coming of his passing. He summoned his disciples to gather at midnight, after a good washing and new clothes donned, sat facing westward before his audience and taught his last lecture : "we ought to be fearful of the sufferings of hell; we should not deny ourselves the every delight in aspiring to be born in the Western Pureland of Bliss". Together with his disciples, in the same chord, recited "Namo Amituofo", passed away and into Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss. At that moment of passing, rays of light of pennant flowers adorned the garden with extraordinary scent filling the air accompanied by soothing heavenly music from all around.
Which sutra of the Three principle sutras of the Pureland tradition did Master Bodhiruci actually present to Master Tan Luan? There were many different deductions from the many records gathered. One record by Precepts Master Daoxuan (Tang dynasty) has it that Master Bodhiruci presented the Contemplation of Infinite life sutra to Master Tan Luan; while it was the Amitabha sutra from Master Mingqi's (Ming dynasty) records; on another side, Master Falin (Japan) said that it was the Infinite life sutra; but according to the listing in the Three treatises that were passed down in Dongda monastry, it was the Pureland Treatise. There are simply too many records to arrive at a conclusive indication. Nevertheless, based on investigation on the various detail translated works by the various monastics, and sutras brought together by fate, including Master Tan Luan's composition "Commentary on Pureland Treatise", what Master Bodhiruci presented to Master Tan Luan was perhaps none of the 3 principle sutras of the Pureland tradition but Vasubandhu Boddhisattva's "Treatise on Birth in the Land of Bliss" to be more accurate.
Master Tan Luan's commentaries include :
1. Treatise on Birth in the Land of Bliss (2 books)
2. Praise Amitabha Buddha Stanza (1 book)
3. Brief Summary of the meaning of Pureland (1 book)
Note that much suspicion still remains as to whether the third composition "Brief Summary of the meaning of Pureland" was actually written by Master Tan Luan. As a result, it has not been referred to by monastics after that period.
The Pureland Lineage :
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 150CE-250CE >>> Vasubandhu Boddhisattva 4th-5thCE >>> Master Tan Luan 476-542 >>> Master Dao Chuo 562-645 >>> Master Shan Dao 613-681.
** You may click wordings in blue for more information **
Partriarch Tan Luan 曇鸞祖師 (476) was born in Shanxi Province North China, Dai county, near mount Wutai. A great admirer of the supernatural and miracles, entered the Buddhist order at the age of just about 15. A man of profound wisdom, well known throughout the Three Kingdoms periods, who had a crystallized clear knowledge of the various scriptures, a titanic figure unlike anyone else at that time; he specialized in the study of Nagarjuna Boddhisattva's treatises such as Mulamadhyamaka-karika, Satika sastra, Dvadasamukha-sastra and Mahaprajnaparamitasastra (translated by Master Kumarajiva), attained profundity of these treatises, and was later known as the Scholar of the Four Treatises. In the middle years of his life, Partriarch Tan Luan had an inspiration to annotate Mahavaipulya-mahasamghata-sutra 大集經, but as he thought further : "Human life is fragile, impermanent, it is better to master the skill of longevity, strengthen physical health and fitness so as to preach the Buddhist Dharma in a big way for a long time". Thereafter, he visited Emperor Wu 梁武帝, and called on Taoist Master Tao Hung Ching 456-536 to learn wizardry and the secret of immortality. Master Tan Luan was well received by Master Tao and his disciples, became a pupil for three years, and was presented a set of books of 10 volumes on immortality before Master Tan Luan bid farewell as he set out once again to preach the Buddhist Dharma.
Along the way, Master Tan Luan stopped by Luoyang, he met Bodhiruci, a monk from Northern India, saw a certain profound quality about him, and took the opportunity to asked him : "Does Buddhist teachings of immortality surpass the teachings of immortality of this land?" Master Bodhiruci expressed his warnings to Master Tan Luan and said : "Are there teachings of immortality in this land? Even if practitioners achieved long life, few escaped death and the endless cycle of of reincarnation in the 3 realms. As for immortality, Buddhism has it ever since". Master Bodhiruci said that the Dharma of immortality is taught in the 3 principle Pureland sutras : "abide by this Buddhist teachings of immortality and practitioners will end endless rebirth in the 3 realms of reincarnation, attain complete deliverance. Cease to exist are existence and non-existence, misfortunes and blessings. There are rocks that have lived the aeons and the plentiful sands in the river, the numbers of sand has a highest extreme, while lifespan is boundless. Buddha is a thoroughly enlightened immortal, not similar to that of a god, thus, this is truest immortality". Upon hearing this explication, Master Tan Luan was immediately struck by a flash of understanding and realized the deep meaning of the Pureland teachings. He burned his worldly books of immortality by the Taoist master and abandoned the instructions of the 4 treatises that he had abided by. Thereafter, sparing no efforts, he proceeded to focus solely on Pureland teachings. Then, at the age of 53, he inherited Nagarjuna Boddhisattva's (Chapter on Easy Path 易行品) and Vasubandhu's (Treatise on Birth in the Pureland 往生論) idealogy, wrote commentaries such as Commentary on Pureland Treatise and Commentary on Treatise on Birth in the Pureland. He had not only put into practice Pureland instructions and benefited himself but also spread and taught far and wide to each and everyone on how they could also gain the same benefit.
Master Tan Luan won wide acclaim, he was respected by emperor Liang of Southern dynasties who bowed to the north paying tribute to Master Tan Luan as a Boddhisattva, and there was the emperor of Wei dynasty who respected him as a god. Patriarch Tan Luan as he is known today passed away into the Pureland in 542, at the age of 67. On the day before his passing, Nagarjuna Boddhisattva manifested to reveal the day and time of his birth in the Land of Bliss and spoke these words : "I am Nagarjuna, resident of the Pureland, we are comrades, and have thus come to convey to you".
- "Fallen leaves cannot return to their branches, it's fruitless to seek unbound grain in the granary for the grains are not bound, it's impossible even to stay a while as time flies, circumstances change repeatedly. What have already passed into history cannot return, what have yet to come cannot be chased after, where is the presence then, what have gone into time do not come back".
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva disappeared right after these words. Patriarch Tan Luan understood the intent of these verses, knew that he was told the coming of his passing. He summoned his disciples to gather at midnight, after a good washing and new clothes donned, sat facing westward before his audience and taught his last lecture : "we ought to be fearful of the sufferings of hell; we should not deny ourselves the every delight in aspiring to be born in the Western Pureland of Bliss". Together with his disciples, in the same chord, recited "Namo Amituofo", passed away and into Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss. At that moment of passing, rays of light of pennant flowers adorned the garden with extraordinary scent filling the air accompanied by soothing heavenly music from all around.
Which sutra of the Three principle sutras of the Pureland tradition did Master Bodhiruci actually present to Master Tan Luan? There were many different deductions from the many records gathered. One record by Precepts Master Daoxuan (Tang dynasty) has it that Master Bodhiruci presented the Contemplation of Infinite life sutra to Master Tan Luan; while it was the Amitabha sutra from Master Mingqi's (Ming dynasty) records; on another side, Master Falin (Japan) said that it was the Infinite life sutra; but according to the listing in the Three treatises that were passed down in Dongda monastry, it was the Pureland Treatise. There are simply too many records to arrive at a conclusive indication. Nevertheless, based on investigation on the various detail translated works by the various monastics, and sutras brought together by fate, including Master Tan Luan's composition "Commentary on Pureland Treatise", what Master Bodhiruci presented to Master Tan Luan was perhaps none of the 3 principle sutras of the Pureland tradition but Vasubandhu Boddhisattva's "Treatise on Birth in the Land of Bliss" to be more accurate.
Master Tan Luan's commentaries include :
1. Treatise on Birth in the Land of Bliss (2 books)
2. Praise Amitabha Buddha Stanza (1 book)
3. Brief Summary of the meaning of Pureland (1 book)
Note that much suspicion still remains as to whether the third composition "Brief Summary of the meaning of Pureland" was actually written by Master Tan Luan. As a result, it has not been referred to by monastics after that period.
The Pureland Lineage :
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 150CE-250CE >>> Vasubandhu Boddhisattva 4th-5thCE >>> Master Tan Luan 476-542 >>> Master Dao Chuo 562-645 >>> Master Shan Dao 613-681.
** You may click wordings in blue for more information **