Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.31

Language: English

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and air." Volume XXI of Wang Tao's *Wai tai mi yao fang* (*Medical Secrets from the Royal Library*) which was written during the Tang Dynasty, copies the contents of *Tianzhu jing lun yan* (*Indian Sutras and Shastras on Ophthalmology*). This was interpreted by Hu monks in the Western Regions to the Daoist priest Xie. Many theoretical sections of Indian Buddhist medicine could be witnessed in traditional Chinese literature unearthed from Dunhuang. P2115V of Dunhuang ms., *Zhang Zhongjing wu zang lun* (*Treatise on the Five Viscera of Zhang Zhongjing*) (Book A) quoted the exposition of sutras that "health is based on four elements and five *skandhas*, and abnormality of one element will lead to 100 diseases." P3655, *Ming dang wu zang lun* (*Treatise on the Five Viscera of Mingtang*) had the sentence that "the human body is composed of four elements and lives on five cereals." P2675, *Xin ji bei ji jiu jing* (*New Collective Moxibustion Techniques for Emergency*) adopted the theory that "health is based on four elements, and abnormality of one vein will lead to 100 diseases." The common phrase "abnormality of one element" in Indian Buddhist medical theory was changed into the typical traditional Chinese phrase "abnormality of one vein." Moreover, Daoist classics and divination literature also adopted the concept of "abnormalities of four elements" and "404 diseases" of the Indian sutras.

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The transition from "abnormality of one element" to "abnormality of one vein", or "abnormality of one *qi* (air)" in traditional Chinese classics and Dunhuang literature reflects that some traditional Chinese physicians (cum Buddhists) recognised and accepted certain practices of the Indian Buddhist medical theories. Their acceptance was, however, not based on total imitation; rather they applied it as a model for transforming and improving its application by adding core elements of local culture consciously within the outer shell of imported foreign culture. Through the transition from "one element" to "one vein" or "one *qi*", traditional Chinese physicians linked the traditional pathogenesis theory with the Buddhist pathogenesis theory. Furthermore, it must be noted that the terms such as "one change translated Chinese versions and their translation, introduction and communication are consistent with the eastern spread of Indian religion. The famous catalogue of Chinese medical books entitled *Riben guo jian zai shu mu lu* (*Catalogue of Books Extant in Japan*), compiled by Fujiwara no Sukeyo (828-898) lists several kinds of medical books with names of Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna and Jīvaka, thus indicating influence of some elements of Indian medicine.

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For example, there is one volume with the title *Longshu pusa he xiang fa* (*Methods of the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna for Compounding Perfumes*), one volume of Jīvaka on *Qipo fu lingsan fang* (*Decomposed Recipes of Poria*), 12 volumes of Jīvaka entitled *Qipo mai jue* (*Qipo on Impulse*) (annotated by Shi Luoshi) and one volume of *Longshu pusa yan jing* (*Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna’s Classic on Eyes*), one volume of *Longshu pusa yinfa* (*Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna’s Indian Method*) and one volume of *Longshu pusa ma ming pusa mi fa* (*Secret Methods of Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa and Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna*). Besides these books which were translated directly into Chinese, some Indian medical books were translated into medical texts in dialects of Xinjiang areas. *Bao wei er xie ben* (*Bower Manuscript*), *Yi li qing hua* (*Siddhasra*) and *Qipo shu* (*Jīvaka-pustaka*) are characteristic examples of such translation. Moreover, all Tibetan medical books containing some “medical knowledge and application” from the Great Sutra are translated from Indian texts, while Tibetan medical classics and literature including *Si bu yi dian* (*Standard Medical Texts in Four Parts*) and *Yue wang yao zhen* (*Medicine Treasures of Moon King*) also contain rich Indian medical knowledge. Translated classics/sutras too are comprehensive in content and provide extensive medical knowledge. In Buddhist Tripitakas, there are sutras expounding medicines or subjects related to it.

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These primarily include *Fo shuo Fo yi jing* (*Buddhavidya Sūtra*), *Fo shuo yi yu jing* (*Bhaiśjya Upamāna Sūtra*), *Fo shuo liao zhi jing* (*Buddhist Sūtra Explaining the Treatment of Haemorrhoids*), *Qian shou qian yan guan shi yin pu sa zhi bing he yao jing* (*Sutra on the Use of Medicinal Herbs for Healing by the Thousand-eyed and Thousand-handed Avalokiteśvara*), *Fo shuo wen shi xi yu zhong seng jing* (*Sūtra on Jīva’s Inviting Many Priests to Wash Themselves in a Bath-House*), *Yan shou ming jing* (*Sūtra on Life Extension*), *Yan Jiu ji jing* (*Sūtra on Curing Diseases*), *Shen mi yao fa jing* (*Sūtra on the Hidden and Important Law of Meditation*), *Fo shuo tai bao jing* (*Garbha Sūtra*), *Chu yi qie ji bing da luo ni jing* (*Sarvarogapraśamani Dhāranī Sūtra*), *Fo shuo chu kong zai huan jing* (*Sūtra on Eliminating Disasters and Diseases Preached by Buddha*), *Jia ye xian ren shuo yi ji nu ren jing* (*Sūtra on Obstetrics Spoken by the Sage Kāśyapa*), *Wu fen lu: yao fa* (*Vinaya of the Five Categories: Medical Methods*), *Mo he send zhi lu: Ming za tong ba qu fa* (*Mahasangha-vinaya: Vagga Methods*), *Si fen lu: yao jian du* (*Vinaya of the Four Categories: Medical Khandha*), *Shi tong lu: ji yao fa* (*Ten Vinaya Recitations: Medical Methods*), *Jin guang ming jing: Chu bing pin* (*Sūtra of Golden Light: On Eliminating Diseases*), *Jin guang ming zui sheng wang jing: chu bing pin* (*Suvarnaprabha-sottamaraja: On Eliminating Diseases*) and so on.

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In the process of seeking Buddhist learning from India or in participating in sutra translation, Chinese Buddhist monks recorded some Indian medical contents in their works. The eminent monk Yi Jing seeking Dharma in the Tang Dynasty discussed medical contents in three chapters of volume III in *Nan hai ji hui nei fa zhuan* (*An Account of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Sea*) ie “Disease Sources”, “Methods to Take Medicines” and “Medicines Eliminating Diseases”. Yi Jing acquired the knowledge of medicine in India’s Nalanda Monastery and the contents such as “Sutra on Medicine preached by Bhagavant” were authentic Indian medical knowledge which provided accurate and new information to Chinese scholars.