A pilgrimage to China in search of the law -

A travelogue from the early Heian period. Four volumes. Compiled by Ennin. Ennin, the Tendai Buddhist priest Jikaku Daishi, traveled to China in 838 (Jowa 5) with the Tang envoy Fujiwara Tsunetsugu, and recorded his nine years in China until his return in October 847. He passed through Yangzhou, Haizhou, and Dengzhou, and reached the capital Chang'an in 840. The records are based on what Ennin saw and heard directly, and are extremely detailed, making them of great historical value. His descriptions of his travels in China are faithful, and are a valuable resource for learning about the state of Buddhism in the Tang period, especially esoteric Buddhist ceremonies, the economic state of Buddhist temples, and the state of Buddhist ruins. In particular, he was involved in the anti-Buddhist movement during Emperor Wuzong's Kaichang era, and while he himself disguised himself as a Taoist priest to escape danger, he witnessed the devastation firsthand and described it, making it a useful resource for filling in the gaps in the Chinese records of this incident.

[Arata Okayama]

"Translated and annotated by Adachi Kiroku, 'A Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law' (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安初期の旅行記。四巻。円仁撰(えんにんせん)。天台宗の慈覚(じかく)大師円仁が838年（承和5）遣唐使藤原常嗣(つねつぐ)に従って唐に渡り、847年10月に帰着するまでの在唐九か年の記録。揚州、海州、登州を経て、840年に都長安に達した。その記載は、円仁が直接見聞したものであり、精細を極め、史料的価値は高い。彼の中国における行程の記述は忠実であり、唐代仏教の状態、ことに密教儀式、仏教寺院の経済状態、仏教遺跡のありさまを知る好資料である。とくに武宗の会昌(かいしょう)の廃仏にあい、自らも道士に変装して難を逃れつつ、その惨状を親しく見て記載してあり、この事件に関する中国側の記録の不足をも補う資料ともなっている。

［丘山　新］

『足立喜六訳注『入唐求法巡礼行記』（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

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