Page 66 - Sothebys Sutra Auction Hong Kong

BIOGRAPHIES OF BUDDHIST
RELIGIOUS TEACHERS AS

SOURCES OF HISTORY

A large amount of otherwise unrecorded events can be found in
the various biographies of Chinese and Tibetan monks and abbots,
from the building of the many imperially sponsored temples and
monasteries to the lavish gifts given personally by the emperors

Shakya Yeshe from Tsel Gungtang, Tibet
1354-1435

Hongwu
1368-1398

Jianwen
1398-1402

Yongle
1403-1424 1414 received by the Yongle Emperor as a representative of his teacher Tsongkhapa (1357-
1419) in Nanjing, where he is responsible for tantric rituals for prayers as well as for the Nation;
bestowed long-life initiations on the Yongle Emperor; departs for Tibet with gold seal and the title
Grand National Preceptor; uses funds bestowed by the Emperor to found Serasi in Tibet

Hongxi
1425

Xuande
1426-1435 1429 summoned to the new capital Beijing by the Xuande Emperor, who installs him at Daciensi;
demonstrates his healing powers by curing the Emperor; performs post-funerary rites for the
Emperor’s father Hongxi and grandfather Yongle in the remaining years until his death
1434 receives from the Xuande Emperor the title Daci fawang (Great Compassion Dharma King),
an o¬cial rank and an imperial kesi thangka, which illustrates other precious gifts including a black
hat with ‰ve Buddhas and a seal of his title (illustrated in Ming: Fifty Years That Changed China,
The British Museum, London, 2014, ‰g. 209)

His Chinese biography mentions many gifts from the emperors, for more information, see for
instance Chen Nan, Mingdai daci fawang yanjiu [Research on the Great Compassion Dharma King
of the Ming dynasty], Beijing, 2005.