Page 42 - JCAU-4-2

Tiangong Louge in Eastern Pure Land Illustrations You & Zhu

“Tiangong louge” is the translation of Blissful dynasty (581‒618). The fourth is the Sutra on
Abode in the Buddhist belief of Pure Land; it the Merits of the Primal Vows of the Masters
is a form of “Tiangong” (Heavenly Palaces) of Healing of Lapis Lazuli Radiance (Yaoshi
created according to the image of Chinese liuli guang rulai benyuan gongde jing) by
architecture after integration into the Xuanzang (602‒664) in the Tang dynasty
traditional concept of spirits and gods in (618‒907). And the fifth, which is a little later
China in the Buddhist expansion process in than the fourth, is the Sutra on the Merits of
East Asia. Beginning in the Han (206 BCE ‒ the Primal Vows of the Seven Buddhas, the
220 CE) and Jin (265‒420) dynasties, thriving Masters of Healing of Lapis Lazuli Radiance
in the Tang dynasty (618‒907) and stagnating (Yaoshi liuli guang qifo benyuan gongde jing)
in the Yingzao Fashi of the Song dynasty by Yi Jing (635‒713) in the Tang dynasty.
(hereinafter referred to as Yingzao Fashi or
Fashi, which is a technical treatise on
architecture and craftsmanship), the formally
named “Tiangong louge”is the highest level
of curtains and recesses in the Fashi.

1. “LAPIS LAZULI” AND TIANGONG
LOUGE IN EASTERN PURE LAND
ILLUSTRATIONS
1.1 Medicine Buddha and Sutta pitaka
Medicine Buddha (Sanskrit: Bhaisajyaguru),
whose full name is Bhaisajyaguru
Vaiduryaprabha (Medicine Buddha of Lapis
Lazuli Crystal Radiance), is the leader of the
Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land in Buddhism.
The Sutta pitaka, on which the method of the
Master of Healing is based, is the Sutra of the
Master of Healing. During its flow into China,
there had been five editions of Chinese Figure 1. Medicine Buddha and Suryaprabha and
translations of it, with four preserved but one Candraprabha. The Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on the
lost. The first translation is the Sutra Spoken Abhi܈eka which eliminates faults of the past and
by the Buddha on the Abhieka, which confers freedom from birth to death by Po-Srimitra,
eliminates faults of the past and confers Dunhuang manuscript, Dharma treasury P2013.
freedom from birth to death (Fo shuo
guanding bachu guozui shengsi dedu jing) by
Po-Srimitra (?‒342) in the Eastern Jin The contents of the Sutra of the Master
dynasty (317‒420). The second is the Sutra of Healing can be divided in to two parts: the
on the Master of Healing of Lapis Lazuli first part depicts that the honored Shakyamuni
Radiance (Yaoshi liuli guang jing) (already preached under the Joyful Tree of Musical
1
lost) by Hui Jian in the Liu Song period of Breezes in the city of Vaishal and requested
the Southern and Northern dynasties (420‒ by Manjushri, narrated Master of Healing of
581) [Figure 1]. The third is the Sutra Spoken the Eastern Lapis Lazuli Radiance’s twelve
by the Buddha on the Primal Vows of the primal vows. The second part is about merits
Master of Healing (Fo shuo Yaoshi rulai and good results gained by believing in this
benyuan jing) re-translated by Reverend sutra. The so-called “primal vows” are the
Dharmagupta (?‒619) from India in the Sui vows made by bodhisattvas to rescue beings
before attaining Buddhahood through

1 Jian Hui, bhiksu of Luye Temple, Moling (today’s Jiangning district, Nanjing), the dates of birth and death are unknown.
It is said that Jian Hui Translation was typewritten from the translation of Po-Srimitra. There are four assertions.

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