Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s4.t3.65

v1.c7.s4.t3.65

According to volume VII of *Biographies of Eminent Monks*, volume II of *Local Records of Sakya* and volume XV of *Records by Monk You*, Huirui was born in Jizhou (present-day Hebei Province) and became a monk at a young age. He observed strictly the precepts and dedicated in touring for sutra study. Once when touring in the western Sichuan Province, he was detained by local people and forced to be a shepherd. Later, when a businessman and Buddhism believer passed through there, he found Huirui uncommon in appearance and sounded him out by query on Buddhist classics. Surprised at his proficiency, the businessman ransomed him to continue his cultivation. Thereafter, Huirui had been devoted himself in Buddhism, studied as he did before, and toured around. He once arrived in the southern India through western Sichuan Province. He was a disciple of the famous monk, Dao An, in his early time, and later stayed in Mount Lu for rest, and went to Chang’an with Dao Sheng, Hui Yan and Hui Guan to seek knowledge from Kumarajiva. Later, when he went to the Wuyi Temple in Jianye (present-day Nanjing in Jiangsu Province) to give his Buddhism preaches where he achieved reputation out of his mastering principles of Buddhism as well as incisive explanation. Liu Yikang, prince of Pengcheng in Southern Dynasties, requested Huirui again and again to be his master and wanted him to go to his palace. Huirui refused him for the same due to the rules of coming for studying instead of going for teaching, and Liu Yikang was so ashamed that he went to the temple for his monkhood. Being familiar with local customs, pronunciation and meaning, gloss for classics as well as local accents, Huirui was often consulted with by Xie Lingyun who was interest in principles of Buddhism and later wrote *The Fourteen Homophone Explanation* through listing respectively in Sanskrit and Chinese, on pronunciation and meaning of words and expressions in scriptures. Huirui died at 85, in the 16th year of Yuanjia Period (439 CE) during the reign of Emperor Wen of Song.