Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s4.t2.72

v1.c7.s4.t2.72

Samgha [Sengjia] (628~710 CE) was a monk who came to China from the east of Uzbekistan. He adopted monastic life when he was a teenager. A wandering monk, he intended to go south India previously but changed his mind and went to China. He went to Xiliang (present-day Wuwei, Gansu) at first and then towards east to Jianghuai in the first year of Longshuo of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang (661 CE) and lived in Longxing Temple in Shanyang (present-day Huaian). Hereafter, he built temple on the foundation of ancient Xiangji Temple in Linhuai (present-day Xuyi). There were more and more mysterious legends and he won his reputation largely. Li Xian, Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty (705-710 CE) wrote *Universal Light King Temple* for the inscribed board of the temple and approved him to take three disciples. All of them made great achievements. In the second year of Jinglong (708 CE), he was invited to internal bodhimanda and was honoured as the national master. He died in a sitting posture two years later and was buried in Universal Light King Temple. The eminent monk, Wan Hui, honoured him as 'the incarnation of Avalokitesvara' at that time. The great poet, Li Bai, had a good relationship with him and wrote a *Song of Samgha* (volume 166 of *Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty*) praised him as “real monk” and described his morality, appearance and manner. Li Yong wrote *Stele of Universal Light King Temple in Linhuai County, Sizhou Prefecture of the Great Tang* (volume 263 of *Complete Prose Works of the Tang*). From Li Bai’s poem, *Master Samgha* in volume 96 of *Extensive records of the Taiping Era* and volume 18 of *Song Dynasty Collection of Biographies of Eminent Monks*, it can be seen that Samgha propagated Mahayana doctrines and was proficient in *tantric mantras*. This reflected propagation conditions of Mahayana and Tantra in Central Asia and China. Samgha was very influential and there were many supernatural legends after his death. He was honoured as “Wise Master” by Emperor Yizong of the Tang after 100 years of his death. In the late Tang Dynasty, temples were built widely where his images were established and he was known as “the Great Wise Monk Samgha”. In the period of Emperor Taizong of the Northern Dynasty, Zhao Jiong (976-997 CE) ordered to rebuild his pagoda. He was known as “Great Saint in Sizhou”. Jiangsu joint archaeological team found Samgha’s bodily relics of Wukong Temple in Qingyang, Jiangyin in November 2003 in the underground palace. Moreover, volume 27 of *Records of the Transmission of the Lamp*, volume 15 of *Buddhist Records*, volume 2 of Su Shi’s *Collected Works of Su Dongpo* and volume 9 of Luo Mi’s *Grand History* had relevant records of Samgha.