This is the Sakya Temple. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was not only the center of Houzang, but also the center of the whole Xizang. Because the Sakya Temple gave birth to a Dharma King, who not only affected the history of the Sakya Temple, changed the history of Xizang, and completed the real unification of Xizang and the motherland in history. This Dharma King was Luo Zhuijian Zan, and the Great Yuan Emperor was Ba Siba. In the Tibetan language, Baspa is the meaning of the sage. According to records, Baspa could recite the lotus flower practice by mouth at the age of three. He was seven years old, recited hundreds of thousands of words, and was able to understand its main meaning. At the age of 13, he participated in the Liangzhou talks that initially identified Xizang as China’s territory. At the age of 17, he inherited the leadership of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. At the age of 19, he was honored as a guru by Kublai Khan, at the age of 26, he was awarded as a national teacher, at the age of, he was honored as an imperial teacher, and died at the age of 46. Ba Siba has a legendary and great life. At the Sakya Temple, the story of Ba Siba is fully recorded and cherished. For thousands of years, his outstanding contributions to Chinese history shine brightly together with this millennium old temple.
For the Jiayang Lama of Sakya Monastery, this is a special morning. He is about to enter the treasure trove of Sakya Monastery and see the beloved treasure of the temple. The Jiayang Lama has been dedicated to studying the history of the Eight Sis Ba for many years. The Sakya Monastery treasure trove houses the most precious historical treasures of Sakya Monastery, and almost every one of these treasures is directly related to the Eight Sis Ba. But it’s not easy to enter this treasure trove, not only do you need the approval of the temple’s Kanpo, but you also need three lamas to open five locks at the same time. In the Treasure Museum, there are twenty-five thangkas that are the most precious. For no special reason, these thangkas are never shown to anyone. The last time they were officially opened was almost twenty years ago.
In Xizang, Thangka is one of the main means of recording history. Every important Thangka will have small written records describing historical figures and events. The 25 thangkas that the Jiayang Lama is currently opening are the famous Eight Sis Ba Thangka Pictorial Biographies. These thangkas have a history of no less than 500 years. Originally, there were 30 Eight Sis Ba Thangka Pictorial Biographies, but after several historical changes, five of them were lost, leaving 25. It fully records the life of the Sakya Dharma King Eight Sis Ba.
The Birth Picture of Ba Siba and the Biography of Ba Siba Tangka
On March 6, 1235 AD, Baspa was born into a noble family of Kun family in Sakya County, Shigatse City, Xizang, formerly known as Luo Zhuijianzan. The Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism was founded by the Kun family. When Baspa was born, the leader of the Sakya Sect was his uncle Gongga Jianzan, who was revered as Sakya Panzhida. Due to the early death of his father, Ba Siba and his younger brother Chanadoji have been raised by his uncle Sakya Banzhida. Ba Siba was intelligent and eager to learn from a young age. He was proficient in various subjects during his youth, and his reputation spread far and wide. People respected him as Ba Siba, but his real name, Luo Zhuijian Zan, was rarely mentioned.
At this time, the Central Plains outside the Qinghai Tibet Plateau is experiencing a turbulent era, and the Mongolian regime is emerging. In 1229 AD, two years after the death of Genghis Khan, the second generation of Mongol Khan, Wokuotai, was granted the title of Hexi Corridor, which borders the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, to his son Kuoduan. Kuoduan was responsible for managing the Tibetan region, and subsequently established his official residence in Liangzhou.
In 1234 AD, the Mongols conquered the Jin dynasty, and the Mongol army was invincible, gaining great prestige. In order to demonstrate their martial prowess, in 1239 AD, the Kudan faction sent a great general named Dana Bo deep into the Tibetan region and successively destroyed two Tibetan Buddhist temples that opposed surrender. At this time, all sects and lords in Xizang were separated from each other and could not compete with the powerful Mongolian army. However, the Qinghai Tibet Plateau was high, vast, snowy and sparsely populated. Kuodan also realized that the Mongolian army, mainly composed of cavalry, faced numerous difficulties in directly advancing into the rugged Qinghai Tibet Plateau. The surrender and governance of Tubo had to rely on local Buddhist and secular leaders, so he withdrew his army. General Dana Bo gave a detailed report on the situation of various sects in Tubo to Kuo Duan. After weighing the pros and cons, in August 1244 AD, Kuo Duan finally officially invited the leader of the Sakya sect, the uncle of Ba Siba, Sakya Panzhida. This is the annual prayer ceremony held by Sakya Monastery to commemorate Sakya Panzhida. All monks must pray to this fourth ancestor of the Sakya sect. Not only now, but also during the lifetime of Sakya Banzhida, he already enjoyed a noble status. Ban Zhida, originally written in Sanskrit, means knowledgeable and wise. For Tibetan Buddhism, only monks who truly understand the knowledge of the big and small Five Mings can enjoy the title of Ban Zhida and receive the supreme respect of monks from all factions. The Sakya Panzhida is the first monk in Xizang history to receive this honorable title. In people’s minds, he is the embodiment of Manjusri Bodhisattva. After receiving the invitation of Kuo Duan, at the important historical moment that decided the fate of Xizang, this kind wise man decided to leave the Sakya Temple and go to Liangzhou. In the grand farewell ceremony, there were not only prayers but also many voices of questioning.
Yadong Dawazirin, Department of History, Xizang University: At that time, a group of eminent monks, including those from the Kadang Sect, including those from the Dalong Sect and the Kaju Sect, came to see him. Some of them directly asked him, what are you going to do and what benefits can you bring to Tibetans? He said that when I came to Mongolia, there must be some people, some people, but I really think about the interests of the snow covered people. I don’t have any personal desires. I hope the people in Xizang can be quiet and serene. At that time, his intention was to benefit all sentient beings.
In 1244 AD, Sakya Banzhida, who was over sixty years old, led his two young nephews, Baspa and Chanadoji, to set off. Monks and people from various parts of the snowy plateau voluntarily formed a huge team to follow and protect him and rush to Liangzhou. Along the way, Sakya Panzhida had extensive exchanges of views with various Buddhist and secular circles in Xizang, gradually unifying people’s minds. When they passed through Lhasa, Ba Siba, under the guidance of Panzhida and Juemulan Kebu Xirao Sangha, accepted the Sami precepts and officially became a monk. After two years of arduous trek, Sakya Banzhida and his delegation finally arrived in Liangzhou.
Baita Temple, Wuwei City, Gansu Province
The White Pagoda Temple in Liangzhou was specially built by Kuoduan for Sakya Banzhida. Sakya Banzhida, Basiba, and Chanadojida lived here after arriving in Liangzhou. The White Pagoda Temple became an authentication of the Liangzhou Alliance.
Interpreter at the Liangzhou Talks Memorial Hall – Su Qin: This monument, you see names like Ban Zhida and Kuaidan Wang in places like this. Based on this, experts have inferred that the White Pagoda Temple in Liangzhou is the location of the important historical event of the Liangzhou Talks. In 1247 AD, the fourth generation religious leader of Xizang’s Sakya Sect, Sakya Panzhida Gongga Jianzan, was invited by the Mongolian prince, King Kuo Duan of Xiliang, and traveled thousands of miles from the Sakya Temple in Xizang to Liangzhou, just at the White Pagoda Temple. Kuo Duan represents the central government, and Saban represents Xizang. They held a historic meeting on various matters concerning Xizang’s belonging to the central government, known as the Liangzhou Meeting in history.
Renovation of the White Pagoda Stele Liangzhou Talks Memorial Hall
In January 1247 AD, after negotiations between Sakya Banzhida and Kuoduan, they reached an agreement to submit Tubo to the Mongolian regime, agreeing to surrender and pay tribute, register household registration, collect taxes, and maintain the authority of the original local leader. After the meeting, Sakya Banzhida sent many letters to the leaders of various factions in the Tibetan region and their relatives, friends, and disciples, introducing the content of the meeting.
Yadong Dawazren, Department of History, Xizang University: Saban wrote a book for this Tibetan called “The Letter of Saban to the Tibetan People” in our historical data. The Tibetan people are Tibetans. It said in the book that I saw the prince of Kugduan, and then the prince said that many people were forced by me to come to see me, or were forced to come to see me. But it seems that when you came, you still intended to exchange the mentality of eminent monks, which is different from the mentality of other people. Your idea shows that you really came for the benefit of all living beings. Then Saban would say that the Mongolian Prince Kugduan respected me very much, paid special attention to the two children I brought with me, and also cared about their future in all aspects. It can be seen that he also has a reverence for our Tibetan Buddhist culture. This is a great word, which is a reassurance to the people of Xizang.
The “Letter to the Tibetan People” was included in the “Saga Lineage History” Xizang Museum
This letter from Liangzhou was collected in the Xizang Museum today. In the letter, Sakya Panzhida introduced the final results of the talks. If the people in Xizang said they would submit, Mongolia would not send a single soldier to Xizang, and Mongolia would strongly support Buddhism. The monks and laymen of all Buddhist sects in Xizang would be relieved from the fear that temples would be destroyed and people would be killed. After receiving this letter, monks and laymen of all sects in Xizang responded in succession and supported the agreement.
Sakya Banzhida Bronze Statue Liangzhou Talks Memorial Hall
Since then, Xizang began to belong to the Mongolian regime, and with the support of Kuo Duan, the Sakya Sect has also become the leading sect in Tibetan Buddhism.
Researcher at the Tibetan Studies Center – Chen Qingying: The Liangzhou Alliance laid a foundation for the later ethnic relations in the northwest, which was the connection between Mongolia and Tibet through Tibetan Buddhism, and then the central government connected Mongolia and Tibet under the management of the central government through Tibetan Buddhism. This played a significant role in China’s unification and expansion of its territory.
In the painting biography of Ba Siba Tangka, the important historical moment of the Liangzhou Alliance is recorded. Thirteen year old Ba Siba participated in the entire meeting, and his intelligence and extensive knowledge left a deep impression on Kuo Duan. After the Liangzhou Alliance, Sakya Banzhida was revered as a master by Kuo Duan and stayed at the White Pagoda Temple in Liangzhou to teach Buddhism. Ba Siba was designated as his successor by Sakya Banzhida. With his innate intelligence, Ba Siba began learning Mongolian and Chinese, laying the groundwork for his later creation of new Mongolian characters. My younger brother Chanadoji was ordered to take the daughter of Kuodan, wear Mongolian clothing, and learn the Mongolian language.
In 1251 AD, Kuo Duan, who had been ill for a long time, passed away in Liangzhou. In the same year, Sakya Banzhida also passed away at Baita Temple. After Sakya Banzhida’s death, Basiba accepted his mantle and became the new leader of the Sakya sect, the fifth ancestor of the Sakya Five Ancestors. When Ba Siba took over as the leader of the Sakya sect, there was a huge change in the Mongolian political situation. In 1251 AD, Mengge, the grandson of Genghis Khan, seized the throne of the Great Khan. According to the Mongolian feudal customs, Mengge redistributed the various factions of Tubo among his brothers. Among them, Mengge himself received the Zhigong faction, Kublai Khan received the Cai Baga Ju faction, Hulagu Wu received the Fearful Pazhu Ga Ju faction, Ali Buge received the Dalong Ga Ju faction, and all factions received invitations, but the Sakya faction did not receive any invitations. At a time when the leadership position of the Sakya faction led by Ba Siba was in jeopardy in the Tibetan region, an important figure appeared. He was Kublai Khan, who was the same mother and younger brother of Mengge. After Mengge ascended to the throne, Kublai Khan was ordered to take charge of the military and state affairs in the southern Han region and monopolize the military and political power.
In 1252 AD, Kublai Khan led his army to attack Dali in order to complete the strategic encirclement of the Southern Song Dynasty by the Mongols. The following year, Kublai Khan arrived in the area of Liupanshan and prepared to travel south through the Tibetan region. He was aware of the enormous influence of Tibetan Buddhism in the Mongolian Tibetan region, so he fully recognized it from the beginning and actively imitated the policies implemented by Kuo Duan in the Tibetan region. After eight years, Ba Siba, who was in Liangzhou, was invited like his uncle, and this young leader of the Sakya sect will once again shoulder his historical mission.
Zhang Yun, Director of the Tibetan Studies Center: This is a historic meeting. Ba Siba immediately had a sense of admiration and closeness towards Kublai Khan, and Kublai Khan also had a sense of trust in Ba Siba.
This is the seventh axis of the Pictorial Biography of Ba Siba Tangka, which records the process and scene of the meeting between Ba Siba and Kublai Khan at Liupan Mountain. Although Bashiba was young, his calm and profound attitude and extensive knowledge left an excellent impression on Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan realized that Bashiba was an important figure for Mongolia to effectively govern the Tibetan region in the future. So, he let Bashiba stay, and not only that, Kublai Khan decided to establish a deeper relationship with Bashiba. He asked Bashiba to personally teach him and 25 others, including Princess Chabi, the teachings of the Diamond Sutra.
The Treasure Museum of Sakya Temple, a magical tool used by King Ba Siba of the Dharma
In another secret room of the Sakya Temple Treasure Hall, there are many artifacts from over 700 years ago, all of which were used by the monks of the Sakya sect led by the Eight Sis Ba during the coronation of the Hevajra for Kublai Khan and Queen Chabi. The entire topping ceremony was grand and lasted for several days. Princess Chabi also offered a large pearl as her dowry to Ba Siba. Most importantly, Kublai Khan and Ba Siba officially established a relationship between disciples and masters. However, just after Kublai Khan established this special relationship with Ba Siba, a series of tests came along. Soon, a prominent monk from the Karma Kagyu sect, Karmapashi, appeared in front of Kublai Khan. It is said that this monk had great supernatural powers and once attracted Kublai Khan’s attention. Therefore, Kublai Khan intended to keep him by his side. Regarding the arrival of a prominent monk from the Kagyu sect, ministers have been discussing it extensively, and many believe that this monk has surpassed Ba Siba. According to historical records, due to the steadfast belief of Princess Chabi in Ba Si Ba, and her repeated pleadings, Ba Si Ba demonstrated extraordinary supernatural powers in front of Kublai Khan and many ministers. As a result, everyone was completely convinced. Kublai Khan declared that only the teachings of his master were truly the highest, and no one should have any more doubts. The high monk also refused to stay by Kublai Khan’s side and soon left.
Xizang Museum, an iron certificate issued by the emperor to protect the Buddhist temple property
In 1254 AD, Kublai Khan, who had triumphed in Dali, was full of ambition. He met again with Baspa and issued him an edict for honoring monks. Baspa was asked to lead all monks. Monks should not violate the master’s edict. They should practice cautiously and respect all sects in Xizang. No officer, soldier, Daru Huachi, Jinshu messenger, etc., should bully monks, apportion soldiers, pay taxes and labor, etc., and no one should seize or seize land, rivers, water mills, etc. in the monastery. This edict is of great significance to the Sakya sect and is a landmark document that establishes the leadership position of the Sakya sect in Tibet. Therefore, it has been cherished by the Sakya monks throughout history and has been enshrined in Sakya temples. Many Sakya monks are able to recite the entire text fluently. However, as Buddhism gained increasing trust from the Mongolian regime, its influence grew and gradually caused dissatisfaction among the Taoist forces previously supported by Genghis Khan and centered around Quanzhen Taoism.
In 1258 AD, the “Laozi Huahu Sutra” in the “Xuandu Treasure” compiled by Quanzhen Dao stated that when Laozi left Hangu Pass and entered India, he changed to Buddha and taught Hu as Buddhism. This book attracted unanimous protests from various Buddhist monks, and both sides refused to compromise. So Mengge Khan asked Kublai Khan to organize a grand debate on Buddhism and Taoism, and the young Baspa was elected as a representative of the Buddhist community to participate in this debate. This is the Buddhist Academy of Sakya Monastery, where monks debate scriptures every afternoon. Debating scriptures is a fundamental course that every Tibetan Buddhist monk has learned since childhood, and it is an important method for understanding and understanding Buddhist principles. The monk who answers questions sits on the ground, while the standing person raises questions. Each clap of the hand indicates the importance of the argument or question.
History has no way of verifying whether the same method of debating scriptures was also used by Ba Siba when he participated in the great debate between Buddhism and Taoism. However, according to historical records, this debate also adopted a question and answer format. In this debate, Ba Siba fully demonstrated his erudition and eloquence, attracting worldwide attention. The great debate between Buddhism and Taoism ultimately came to an end with the victory of the Buddhist side. This debate is recorded in the Yuan Dynasty’s Shi Nianchang’s “Zhi Yuan Bian Fake Record”, Tibetan historical materials such as the “Han Tibetan History Collection”, and the “Sakya Genealogy”. After the debate, Ba Siba also wrote an article titled “Record of the Master of the Diao Fu Wai Dao” in commemoration, which is still preserved in the “Complete Collection of Sakya’s Five Ancestors” to this day. The Great Debate between Buddhism and Taoism made Ba Siba famous and a true Buddhist leader, and also made Buddhism a dominant social belief.
Zhang Yun, Director of the Tibetan Studies Center: The Ba Si Ba is also very exciting in this place, which is equivalent to saving face for Kublai Khan. At the same time, it also allows Kublai Khan to understand the achievements of the Ba Si Ba in Buddhism. Ba Siba was increasingly revered and valued by Kublai Khan. In 1260 AD, after Kublai Khan ascended to the throne, the 26 year old Ba Siba was immediately appointed as a national teacher, bestowed with a jade seal, appointed as the head of the Central Plains Dharma, and led the world of Buddhism. As a national teacher, Ba Siba continued to steadfastly support Kublai Khan’s cause of unifying China, but he has always opposed the Mongolian army’s indiscriminate killing of innocent people.
Picture Biography of Ba Si Ba Tang Ka
In this painting of the Ba Si Ba Tangka, it describes some of the things that Ba Si Ba did after serving as a national teacher. According to Tibetan historical records, after Kublai Khan captured Jiangnan, he faced stubborn resistance and adopted a policy of slaughtering the city. Due to the large number of people, the Mongolian soldiers directly drove these people into the sea. As a national teacher, Ba Siba said to Kublai Khan, “You are a Buddhist disciple and the holy king of the world’s people. You must cherish all lives.”.
Yadong Dawazirin, Department of History of Xizang University: Kublai Khan later found that Buddhism was enlightened by Master Baspa after weighing it. There is a tradition of emperors in Buddhism, but Buddhism calls it the holy king, the reincarnation holy king. It is to promote the idea of governing the world with the idea of compassion, or to integrate compassion into the idea of governing the world. In fact, this will form a good effect. What did he do? Why did he put down his butcher’s knife and become a holy king who worships Buddhism, so that in the future, he can graft together a vast kingdom of the Great Yuan.
In 1264 AD, Kublai Khan finally defeated Ali Buge and seized the highest ruling power of the Mongolian government. In the same year, Kublai Khan established the Imperial Academy, which was led by the national teacher Ba Siba. The General Institution is not only the highest leading institution of Buddhism in the country, but also the highest administrative institution in the management of the Tibetan region. After Basiba concurrently led the General Institution, Kublai Khan sent him back to Sakya, ordered him to reorganize the administrative system in Xizang, and issued him a pearl edict, which further clarified the lofty position of Basiba in the Tibetan region.
Comply with the iron certificate issued by the emperor’s imperial edict Xizang Museum
In 1265 AD, the national teacher Basiba returned to Sakya. He extensively contacted local Buddhist secular leaders, carried out household inventory in Xizang, divided households, collected taxes, set up post stations, garrisoned troops, elected officials, and sent officials to set up government. Baspa reorganized Xizang into ten thousand households according to the Mongolian administrative system, and initially established the system of one hundred and thirty thousand households in Wusi Tibet. On this basis, Baspa established the Xizang local regime with the Sakya faction as the core, which is commonly known as the Sakya regime. Benchin, the chief executive of the Sakya regime, also served as the consolation envoy of the Uszang Propaganda Department. The jurisdiction of the Uszang Propaganda Department is roughly equivalent to that of Lhasa, Shigatse and Ali in Xizang today. In addition, to the east of the Wusi Zang Propaganda and Comfort Bureau, the Yuan Dynasty also successively established two other propaganda and comfort bureaus, namely Duosima and Duogansi. These three propaganda offices, also known as Sanqueka in Tibetan historical materials, were the three major administrative institutions in the Tibetan region during the Yuan Dynasty, under the jurisdiction of the Zhili Xuanzheng Yuan.
After the death of Ba Siba, the General Executive Yuan, which was also led by Ba Siba, was renamed as the Xuanzheng Yuan. As the highest administrative institution for managing the Tubo region, the Xuanzheng Yuan was ranked as the First Rank, and was established alongside the three major institutions of the Yuan Dynasty, namely the Central Secretariat, the Imperial Censorate, and the Privy Council. There are many envoys from the Chief Propaganda Council, among which the first envoy is directly appointed by the central government, and the second envoy is appointed by a monk recommended by the imperial teacher. Local officials in the Tubo region also use both monks and laymen, with military and civilian communication.
Yadong Dawazren, Department of History of Xizang University: The establishment of the Sakya regime is a sign of the establishment of the official system of the Sakya Benqin, plus the chief officer of the Sakya. Since it is an administrative institution, it should have a core office. Where is this reflected? This is reflected in the construction of the Sakya South Temple in the Basba. After Ba Siba became the national and imperial teacher of the Yuan Dynasty, this South Temple was established as the so-called Grand Minister who had served for several generations and led the financial and labor resources of 130000 households of the Sakya sect. This officially established the center of this political power in this place.
The Jiayang Lama is writing a special script, which was created by the Eight Sis Ba and is called the Eight Sis Ba script. In order to further study the scriptures and literature of the Eight Sis Ba script, the Jiayang Lama began learning the Eight Sis Ba script as early as five years ago. After the rise of Genghis Khan, he once borrowed the Uyghur alphabet to spell Mongolian. After Kublai Khan ascended the throne, he urgently wanted to create a writing system that not only required accurate spelling of Mongolian, but also met the spelling requirements of other ethnic languages within the Yuan Dynasty, in order to standardize and unify the writing of various languages within the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongolian new characters created by Ba Siba are a set of square pinyin scripts based on Tibetan letters, combined with the pronunciation and spelling characteristics of Tibetan, Mongolian, Chinese Uyghur, and Uyghur languages, totaling over a thousand characters.
The Golden Stele of the Yuan Dynasty Imperial Edict Inner Mongolia Museum
In 1269 AD, Ba Siba returned to Dadu and presented this special gift to Kublai Khan, the Mongolian new character. Kublai Khan ordered that this character be designated as a national legal language and promoted throughout the country. Professors of Mongolian Character Studies and Mongolian Character Studies have been established in various regions, and it has been stipulated that from then on, for those who have been issued official seals and surrendered, the use of Mongolian new characters will still be accompanied by their respective national characters. In the future, it was also prohibited to refer to the Ba Si Ba character as the new Mongolian character, while Jing referred to it as the Mongolian character and the Great Yuan Dynasty character.
Vice President of Inner Mongolia Museum – Yu Baodong: Its brand uses the Ba Si Ba script, which is basically the official language. In other words, it is generally used in military and political fields, and is not commonly used among the public. What is the main purpose of this brand? It is equivalent to a confidential command brand of the military team, and its content is basically like this.
The Ba Si Ba character is a pioneering move in the history of Chinese writing. It can directly transcribe Tibetan and accurately spell Chinese, pioneering the history of using spelling to write Chinese characters. At the same time, it can also translate various ethnic languages. It is a valuable attempt to unify the main languages and scripts of the Chinese nation. Up to now, we can see the Ba Si Ba character in the imperial edicts, official documents, seals, symbols, coins, and even vessels of the Yuan Dynasty. This shows the degree of promotion of this type of writing during the Yuan Dynasty.
Seal of Emperor Dayuan Xizang Museum
In 1270 AD, Ba Siba once again imparted divine empowerment to Kublai Khan. In gratitude for Ba Siba’s contribution to the creation of characters and the grace of empowerment, Kublai Khan conferred upon him the title of Imperial Teacher and bestowed upon him the Six Ridged Jade Seal. From then on, Emperor Shi, as a permanent position, existed in the Yuan Dynasty for a total of fourteen terms. Those who were honored as Emperor Shi were mostly members of the Sakya Kun family or disciples of the Ba Si Ba.
Yadong Dawazirin, Department of History, Xizang University: The greatest wisdom of Kublai Khan, as the emperor, or Baspa, as the imperial teacher, is that they are broad, unified and inclusive. On the cultural level, integrating the ancient shaman culture of Mongolia and the Tibetan Buddhist culture of Tibet, and finally integrating the Chinese Buddhist culture of the Han region into the unified mechanism of the entire country, Dayuan, can achieve inclusiveness. When put together, the role of his imperial teacher in leading national Buddhist affairs may naturally become apparent.
As the spiritual mentor of the emperor, Emperor Shi’s primary responsibility is to impart Buddhism to the emperor, pray for the blessings and longevity of the royal family, and bless the prosperity of the Yuan Dynasty. Throughout the Yuan Dynasty, emperors have received the teachings of Emperor Shi Buddha, gradually forming a custom. Emperor Ba Siba, with a compassionate heart and benefiting sentient beings, advocated for education as the main approach, which had a multifaceted impact on Kublai Khan’s governance. Teaching Buddhism to the Yuan court was also an important responsibility of the imperial teacher. Ba Siba had taught Buddhist scriptures to members of the Yuan royal family multiple times. Later, he taught the content of the scriptures to Crown Prince Kublai Khan Zhenjin, which was also compiled into the “Zhang Suo Zhi Lun” and translated into Chinese. The Yuan government officially included it in the “Tripitaka” and promulgated it throughout the country. Ba Siba advocated for equality and peaceful coexistence among various sects. Kublai Khan once planned to monopolize the Sakya sect, but Ba Siba advised him to ultimately abandon this move.
Zhang Yun, Director of the Tibetan Studies Center: Later recorded in the Yuan Dynasty’s “Collection of Han Tibetan History”, which was called this book in Tibetan. The book also tells a story about the Yuan Dynasty. Han, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Menba were all brothers born to one mother, and later lived in different places, forming a lineage that all had names and surnames. Why did this happen. It is the unification of the Yuan Dynasty, with each ethnic group as one family. In today’s words, it is like this.
At Sakya Monastery, there are believers who come from all over the Tibetan region for pilgrimage every day. Those believers who come from afar must do one thing when they come to Sakya Monastery, which is to pray to the monks here to blow the white conch of Sakya Monastery. This white conch was officially given to the Yuan Dynasty Emperor Kublai Khan as a sacrifice and given to the Yuan Dynasty Emperor’s teacher, Ba Siba. In fact, the emperor teacher is the highest administrative leader in Xizang who integrates politics and religion. The important role of the emperor teacher is to take the place of the emperor and lead the affairs of Buddhism and Tibet.
When Kublai Khan conferred the coronation ceremony, it was convenient for Ba Siba to negotiate and decide on matters related to Tibet. He listened to the teachings of his master and did not consult with him before issuing an edict. The so-called Tubo affairs include the selection of civil and military officials, the establishment of post stations, the garrison defense, household registration investigations, and other related matters. The imperial edicts issued by the imperial teachers all start with a common opening phrase in Yuan Dynasty official documents, which means adhering to the emperor’s will in the emperor’s imperial edict. In the Biography of Shi Lao, the imperial teacher’s order and imperial edict ran parallel in the Western Regions. The imperial teacher’s edict and imperial edict passed through the whole country including the Tibetan Plateau at that time. The imperial teacher system became a practical system for the central government of the Yuan Dynasty to effectively manage Xizang.
Zhang Yun, Director of the Center for Tibetan Studies: On the one hand, he is in Xizang, and he is a senior official of the imperial court. On the other hand, he is a religious leader in Xizang. He wants to speak for Xizang in the imperial court, but he also speaks for the imperial court. These two statements focus on the overall situation, namely, the unification of the whole country and the stability of the place.
Around the beginning of summer in 1271 AD, after completing all the tasks of attending the emperor, Ba Siba requested Kublai Khan to return to Sakya. As Ba Siba prepared to depart, Kublai Khan seemed to have a premonition that this would be his last time with Ba Siba. On the day of their departure, Kublai Khan bid farewell to Ba Siba and sent Crown Prince Zhenjin to escort him into Tibet. At the end of 1276 AD, Basiba returned to Sakya.
This is a dance specially created by the Sakya people to welcome Baspa back to their hometown. It has a history of more than 700 years. It has been passed down to this day, and has become the most affectionate memory of people in Xizang people for Baspa. After returning to Sakya, Baspa held a 14 day Dharma Assembly in Qumi, Shigatse today, which was attended by monks from all over Xizang. This is an unprecedented Buddhist event, attended by 70000 monks, and believers from all over rushed to the event, with a total of over 100000 people. And this time when he returned to Sakya Monastery, Ba Siba did something even more important. He organized a large number of monks and translated a large number of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese Buddhist scriptures he had collected for many years, and then wrote them in gold. This massive project lasted for several years, and finally completed the first and most complete Tibetan scripture in Chinese history, the Ganzhur.
The Tripitaka “Ganzhur”
According to Buddhism, Gan Zhu Er consists of 84000 parts, leaving an invaluable wealth for the history of Chinese civilization. After years of waste, the collection of books at the Sakya North Temple has now been destroyed and destroyed, while the collection of books on the scripture wall of the South Temple still retains over 20000 letters. Sakya Temple thus enjoys the reputation of being the second Dunhuang.
Zhang Yun, Director of the Tibetan Studies Center: In Sakya Monastery, there are a large number of precious items bestowed by the Yuan Dynasty, including imperial edicts, porcelain, and ritual vessels, as well as many others. Moreover, the construction of Sakya Monastery is not unique elsewhere, and its architectural structure is somewhat reminiscent of the combination of Tibetan style and mainland China, which is quite unique. It is a fusion and crystallization of Central Plains culture and Han Tibetan culture.
On November 22, 1280 AD, the founder of the first generation of the Dharma King, the Great Yuan Emperor Shiba Siba, passed away at the age of 46 in the Sakhanan Temple. The news of the passing of the Dharma King Basba Siba spread to Dadu, and Kublai Khan was deeply saddened. He bestowed the title of Basba Siba, who was appointed as a missionary under the emperor and above one person, assisting in the governance of the Great Sage, achieving great virtue and enlightenment, and truly benefiting the country. He was the Great Treasure Dharma King, the Buddha of the Western Heaven, and the Great Yuan Emperor Shiba.
In 1282 AD, Kublai Khan ordered the construction of a grand True Body Pagoda in Dadu for the Baspa. In 1320 AD, Emperor Yingzong of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the construction of imperial teacher halls throughout the country to worship the Eight Sis Ba. It was specially stipulated that the size of the imperial teacher hall should be larger than that of the Xuansheng Temple, which worshipped Confucius. This is a unique phenomenon in Chinese dynasties, and the high status of the Eight Sis Ba in the Yuan Dynasty can be seen from this.
Xizang Sakya Monastery Monk Dan Bassang Bu: After the unification of the whole Tibet, King Phagspa established the Sakya regime and made outstanding contributions to Xizang’s religion, especially to Xizang’s politics. All Tibetan people sincerely respect and believe in Master Phagspa.
Researcher at the Tibetan Studies Center – Chen Qingying: Through this method, the Yuan Dynasty basically peacefully brought the entire Qinghai Tibet Plateau and Tibetan areas under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty.
Baspa is not only a generation of dharma kings and famous religious activists of Tibetan Buddhism, but also a politician who has made outstanding contributions to consolidating the relationship between Xizang and the central government, promoting economic and cultural exchanges between Han and Tibetan, Mongolia and Tibet, and promoting the reunification and historical development of the motherland. Throughout his life, he is truly an outstanding figure in the history of the Chinese nation. The annual Dharma assembly of Sakya Monastery is underway to commemorate the eighth Buddha, and all monks will pray to their fifth ancestor, the eighth Buddha. They have been following the direction guided by the eighth Buddha and his uncle Sakya Panzhida. The Jiayang Lama is also one of them. Perhaps, at the next ceremony commemorating the Eight Sis Ba, the biography of the Eight Sis Ba written by the Jiayang Lama will be presented to this sacred land.
90 Seconds of History: Blue and White Porcelain
Porcelain is another invention with a long history in China. Compared to the magnificent and gentle silk, porcelain is more suitable for sea transportation. It is impossible to estimate how much porcelain was exported during the trade on the Maritime Silk Road. Today, a real Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain is worth a city. In fact, for a long time, porcelain has been a luxury item in many countries. Porcelain manufacturing technology has actually been transmitted to West Asia through the Maritime Silk Road. However, no country or region except China can produce porcelain that is comparable to Chinese porcelain. Therefore, Arabs began to provide some raw materials to China, hoping that the Chinese people can fire the porcelain they need. Many The exported porcelain is specially customized according to the different needs of overseas merchants, such as blue and white porcelain, It can be said that it is a typical example of the integration and development of Chinese culture and foreign culture into a new Chinese culture. Today, it has become one of the irreplaceable cultural symbols of the Chinese nation.

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