Once upon a time, during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Later Han Dynasty (AD 57-75), the emperor had a dream of a golden figure, three meters tall, who came to him.
Upon waking, the emperor summoned his wise ministers and asked them to interpret the dream. One of the ministers said, “A noble sage from another land will come.”
Hearing this, the emperor eagerly awaited this sage. Eventually, monks from India, named Matanga and Dharmaratna, arrived. They brought with them relics of the Buddha, scriptures, and many other sacred objects, all of which they offered to the emperor. The emperor, overjoyed, recognized that these were the people he had been waiting for and devoted himself to Buddhism.
However, not all the ministers and court officials welcomed this development. Many of them, including the Daoists of the Five Mountains, were displeased. They said, “The teachings we follow have been revered from the emperor down to the common people. From ancient times to the present, everyone in this country has honored them. Now, the emperor is venerating strange scriptures brought by foreigners, who look different, dress differently, and speak in an incomprehensible language. This is deeply unsettling.”
There was widespread criticism of the new religion.
Despite this, the emperor held Matanga in high regard and deeply devoted himself to Buddhism, even establishing a temple called the White Horse Temple.
The White Horse Temple (Luoyang)
The emperor placed the Buddha’s relics and scriptures in this temple and appointed Matanga as its head, continuing to venerate him. The Daoists, displeased and frustrated, approached the emperor and said:
“It is strange that these suspicious bald-headed foreigners are being honored for their writings and the remains of their sage, the Buddha. What is so special about them? Our way allows us to predict the future, read people’s fortunes, and discern the good and bad that will happen in their lives. This is why, from ancient times to the present, the emperor and the people have all revered our path. Now it seems that our way is being abandoned. We should compete with these bald men in a contest of magic. Whoever wins should be honored, and whoever loses should be cast aside.”
Hearing this, the emperor was troubled and thought, “The Daoists can predict heavenly and earthly matters. But these monks from a foreign land know nothing of this and are unfamiliar with such arts. If we compete and the Indian monks lose, it would be a great tragedy.”
The emperor hesitated to issue an order for a contest and first summoned Matanga, asking, “In this country, the Daoists of the Five Mountains have been venerated for a long time. Now, out of jealousy, they wish to compete in magic. What should we do?”
Matanga joyfully replied, “The teachings I have brought have long been venerated through contests of magic. Therefore, please hold the contest immediately, and witness the outcome.”
The emperor was pleased with this response and issued an order for Matanga and the Daoists to compete in magic in the garden in front of the palace.
On the appointed day, a large crowd gathered from across the nation to watch.
In the east, a splendid tent was erected, and about two thousand high-ranking Daoists gathered inside. Some were elderly and bald, while others were young and vigorous, each one a master of their path, worthy of ancient honor.
The ministers and court officials also stood on the side of the Daoists, as they believed in the Daoists’ ability to read ancient texts and predict past, present, and future events.
On Matanga’s side, only one minister was present. The emperor, however, placed his hopes on Matanga.
The Daoists placed various scriptures in jade boxes and arranged them on decorated platforms. On the west side, a tent was erected for Matanga and the minister. They placed the Buddha’s relics in a lapis lazuli urn and the scriptures they had brought in a decorated box, containing only two or three hundred scrolls.
As both sides prepared to begin their magic, one of the Daoists suggested that Matanga’s disciples set fire to the Daoist scriptures. Following this advice, one of Matanga’s disciples came forward and set fire to the Daoist scriptures. At the same time, a Daoist came forward and set fire to Matanga’s scriptures. Flames rose from both sides, and black smoke filled the sky.
At that moment, the Buddha’s relics began to emit light and ascended into the sky, followed by the scriptures, which floated and remained suspended in the air. Matanga held an incense burner and never took his eyes off them. Meanwhile, the Daoists’ scriptures were all consumed by fire and reduced to ashes.
Some Daoists bit their tongues and died, while others wept tears of blood, bled from their noses, or suffocated. Some stood up and fled, while others crossed over to Matanga’s side and became his disciples. Some were left in agony, eventually passing away.
These miraculous events unfolded before the emperor’s eyes, and he wept as he stood up and bowed to Matanga. From that time onward, the Buddhist scriptures and the true teachings spread and flourished in the Han land, as the story has been passed down to this day.
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Explanation]
Yukiko Nishimura / Siro Inuzuka
During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Later Han Dynasty (AD 57-75), Buddhism was introduced to China from India. This is a story recounting that event.
It’s not hard to imagine that there was significant resistance from the established religions at the time. However, it is said that Daoism took on the form of an organized religious sect later, towards the end of the Later Han Dynasty (AD 184-220), which would be slightly after the events of this story.
Nonetheless, as mentioned by the term “Daoists of the Five Mountains,” the belief in the Five Great Mountains (Taishan, Hengshan, Huashan, Hengshan, and Songshan) already existed. Even if Daoism hadn’t yet formed into an organized sect, it’s certain that the teachings that would later be known as Daoism were already being practiced and believed in.
Taishan (Shandong Province, World Heritage)
The Buddhist monks were described as being unusual for their bald heads, but considering the arduous journey they made on foot from India to China, it’s likely they managed to maintain a neat appearance. After all, keeping a cleanly shaved head requires regular grooming.
[Cooperation]
Yukiko Nishimura / Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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