However, the baby boy's voice continued to copy her. The mother became so curious that she stopped and lit all the candles in the room. She was astonished to see Kuan Ting's little hands folded together and his eyes tightly closed, but even more astounding was that he was reciting the sutra his mother had just chanted. How could it be possible that a two-month-old baby, who could not even say his mother's name, could recite a Buddhist sutra?

The following day, Mrs. Wu invited Master Hui Cheng, abbot of She Ching Temple (攝靜寺), to visit their home. She told him of the strange event that had occured the previous day. After taking a closer look at the baby, Hui Cheng solemnly explained to Mrs. Wu that the boy would certainly become a holy man in the future.

Mrs. Wu felt relieved to hear this, and as a consequence she decided to do her very best to educate the boy. When Kuan Ting was three years old, she started teaching him to read. As he grew older, he could still remember many of the books he had read. More time passed and Mrs. Wu began concentrating her full efforts towards finding a suitable tutor for her son. She was not successful at first and for a period of time the boy had no tutors, but he was content to sift again through the books he had read before.

One day when Kuan Ting was seven years old, Master Hui Cheng suddenly showed up at the front door of their home. When he asked Mrs. Wu if she was having problems finding a good tutor, she replied that it was so. The abbot then asked her if she was willing to let go of her son for his own good.

Mrs. Wu understood the full implications of what this meant. She knelt down in front of Hui Cheng and asked him to take her son to the temple because she had always known that her son's destiny would be linked to Buddhism. Hui Cheng immediately asked Mrs. Wu to stand up and he said to her, "Mrs. Wu, I want to thank you for having the courage to give your son to me. I'll surely teach him to become a great Buddhist master."

Mrs. Wu then brought Kuan Ting into the room. When the boy entered, he immediately sensed what was going on. He prostrated himself in front of Hui Cheng and called him "Master." The old monk nodded his head and said to Mrs. Wu, "Madame, do you have anything further to say to him?"

Mrs. Wu's eyes were already red and filling with tears as she leaned closer to Kuan Ting. "Son, follow the Master to the temple. He will teach you many things, so you have to study hard, okay?"

Kuan Ting nodded his head, and with that Hui Cheng took the boy's hand. Then the monk turned to Mrs. Wu once more. "No one can attain enlightenment without cutting off one's emotional attachments." Without turning back they both left the house.

In addition to Confucianism and Taoism, Hui Cheng also taught Kuan Ting about Buddhism every day. Gradually, over a number of years, Kuan Ting became famous as a young scholar in all of these disciplines, and many older litterateurs would come to the temple to engage in scholarly discussions with him.

It was customary practice in ancient China for a scholar to become a government official. When Kuan Ting was 20 years old, many noble townspeople nominated him as a candidate for an official position. However, jealous members of the local gentry began to slander Kuan Ting, spreading vicious rumors that he knew nothing about literature. They also insinuated that he had connections with the previous Liang State, which had been overthrown by the current emperor. Although no evidence was found to support these accusations, the central government became skeptical and disqualified Kuan Ting from any government post.

Kuan Ting was furious about these groundless rumors and dismayed at the unfair treatment he received from the government. He felt repelled by the darkness of officialdom, and chose instead to focus his efforts towards a more positive path in life--Buddhism. When he told Hui Cheng of his plans, the abbot advised him to speak with his mother first as it would be a decision that would change the direction of his entire life.

Kuan Ting returned home and spoke with his mother about his plan. His mother nodded her head in agreement. "You're probably right in choosing the monastery," said his mother. "We now know how unsuitable it would have been for you to become a government official, as you are so unsophisticated. You've spent the majority of your youth in the temple and know nothing concerning the dark side of people's minds. If you are happier practicing spiritual cultivation at the temple, then go ahead and do your best."

A few days later, Kuan Ting was officially ordained as a monk in the temple.

After becoming a monk, Kuan Ting started learning the Great Prajna Sutra (大般若經) and the famous Three Commentaries, consisting of the Madhyamaka-sastra (中論) and the Dvadasanikaya-sastra (十二門論) by Nagarjuna (龍樹) and the Sata-sastra (百論) by Aryadeva (提婆), one of Nagarjuna's disciples. Kuan Ting thus became exceptionally well versed in his understanding of the Buddhist concepts of emptiness and the Middle Observation.

In 583, his master contracted a strange illness and died shortly afterwards. Before he passed away, he told Kuan Ting to travel to Mount Tien Tai (天台山) and follow the famous Master Chih Yi (see his story in the Spring 2001 issue of our Tzu Chi Quarterly).

Master Chih Yi resided in a temple located on the top of Mount Tien Tai. Wanting to show his deep respect for the famous monk before meeting him, Kuan Ting knelt down at the foot of the mountain and kowtowed on the first stone step while chanting the Amitabha Buddha's name. He then stood up, and kowtowed again as he stepped upwards onto the next step. He repeated this over and over again as he slowly and painstakingly ascended the thousands of steps. Halfway up the mountain, he was so overcome with exhaustion that he slipped on the steps, hit his head on a rock, and fell unconscious.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Kuan Ting gradually awakened to a sense of intense pain and hunger coursing throughout his exhausted body. When his vision cleared, he saw a middle-aged monk looking down at him. The monk said with great kindness, "You're finally awake! You were not seriously hurt. You must be hungry, so I've told my disciples to prepare something for you."

Kuan Ting managed to prostrate himself on the bed. "Venerable monk, thank you so much for your help. I'm Kuan Ting, a disciple of Master Hui Cheng, and I'm here to follow Master Chih Yi."

"Oh, you are Hui Cheng's disciple? Well, I am Chih Yi. How is your master?"

Surprised that the famous monk was standing before him, Kuan Ting explained, "Unfortunately, my master has passed away, but he told me to come here and follow you."

"That is sad news about Master Hui Cheng. I feel sorry about his demise since he was still young. Life is really fleeting, but that's why we should all diligently study the Buddha's teachings and find out the truth of the universe and the ways in which we can attain enlightenment."

"Anyway," Chih Yi continued, "I am touched by the sincerity and perseverance you displayed as you kowtowed your way up to our temple, and so I have decided to accept you as my disciple. I hope you will continue to work hard so that you will not let Master Hui Cheng down."

After he had fully recovered, Kuan Ting studied in the evening and did manual work with the other monks during the daytime. One day, Kuan Ting asked Chih Yi whether the notions of meditation and observation (the cultivation of wisdom), emphasized by the Tientai sect, were any different in theory from those practiced in other Buddhist sects. Chih Yi was delighted at Kuan Ting's question as it indicated his formidable intelligence and hit directly on the essence of the Tientai sect. Chih Yi believed that he might have found a potential successor for himself. He explained that the origin of Tientai meditation and observation is relatively the same as in other Buddhist sects. However, unlike the other Buddhist sects, which believe that wisdom rises from the practice of meditation, the Tientai notions of meditation and wisdom go one step further. Practicing meditation is important, but it is more vitally important to cultivate one's wisdom by comprehending the truth of the universe. Namely, one needs to fully understand, without being affected by one's exterior environment, that the existence of everything is only conditional and impermanent, including our lives and any material gains we may make. Additionally, one meditates to uphold the Middle Way, wherein one clings to neither the "Have" or "Have Not" aspects of life. Tientai observation is also linked to True Essence (emptiness), False Essence (temporary existence of everything) and the Middle Way (balanced thought that is unattached to either of the other two). To put it simply, "meditation" means to put a hold on all exterior conditions and distractions and to focus instead on a specific thing. "Observation" means to comprehend everything in existence with the Buddha's wisdom and compassion. Additionally, a follower of Tientai must extensively study the Lotus Sutra, and then put into practice its dogma of "walking on the Path of the Boddhisattvas" by taking concrete action to help the needy.

When Kuan Ting heard Chih Yi's explanation, he suddenly felt that all of his doubts had ceased to exist and he bowed to the old master to demonstrate his deep appreciation of his enlightening lecture.

In 589, invaders from northern China crossed the Yangtze River and conquered the Chen kingdom, where Chih Yi and his disciples were living. They had to abandon their temple and flee for their lives.

They eventually settled on Mount Yu Chuan (玉泉山) in Hubei Province (湖北省). There they found the old Fu Chuan Shan Temple (覆船山寺), which was rather dilapidated and run-down. The monks still residing there were too sick or old to be able to actively promote Buddhism to the public. Chih Yi hoped that he could rebuild the temple and use it as a new base from which to promote the Tientai philosophy. To realize his dream, Chih Yi was wise enough to solicit support from the newly established Sui government. He told Kuan Ting to write a letter to Prince Yang Kuang (楊廣) and ask him to help rebuild the temple. In his letter, Kuan Ting connected the reconstruction of the temple with the prosperity of the nation itself. He also praised the prince's capability as a leader and commended him on his strong support of Buddhism.

The prince was delighted when he read the letter, and he immediately forwarded it to his father, Emperor Wen (隋文帝). The emperor knew of Chih Yi's reputation as a great monk and of his influence in southern China, and so he gave his consent. He ordered a local magistrate who lived close by the temple to help the monks coordinate the project. The Emperor knew that in this way he could win the hearts of the local citizens.

The magistrate posted the orders for the reconstruction, and the new temple was completed three months later. Donations flowed in from local gentry and from people in all walks of life. The new temple was renamed "Yu Chuan Temple."

Large crowds came to hear Chih Yi's lectures on the Buddha's teachings, and the temple received many donations. Maybe it was greed or envy that led someone to concoct a malicious rumor speculating that top generals from the former Chen dynasty were hiding in Yu Chuan Temple. Furthermore, the rumor insinuated that Chih Yi and his disciples had gathered together a large amount of money and were training people in the temple, hoping for a chance to overthrow the Sui government.

The emperor was furious when he heard the rumor, but he did not dare arrest Chih Yi as he feared it would cause an uproar in the local community. Unfortunately, the emperor did not deem it necessary to order a fact-finding team to go ascertain the truth; instead, he ordered the magistrate to drive out any monks who came to listen to Chih Yi's lectures. He also barred Chih Yi from giving any more public talks.

Chih Yi sighed and simply told his disciples to follow the order. From then on the temple was very quiet, but Chih Yi encouraged everyone to use this chance to focus more clearly on their studies and meditation.

One day, Prince Yang Kuang summoned Chih Yi to the capital. The prince wanted the great master to bestow on him the bodhisattva precepts, a status given to those who had attained a high level of spiritual cultivation. However, as Chih Yi still felt uneasy with regards to the emperor's previous order, he told the emissary that he did not feel well and would not be able to attend. Upon receiving this reply, the prince wrote another letter asserting that he had already set the date for the ceremony and insisting that Chih Yi come.

Chih Yi realized that he could not refuse the invitation a second time as he would be in grave danger of either upsetting the prince or arousing his suspicions. This could bring disaster to him and all of his disciples. He focused his attention instead on the positive implications of how his attendance might be good for all the monks at Yu Chuan Temple. He instructed Kuan Ting to pack his bags, and shortly afterwards he set off for the capital, Yangchou (揚州).

It was a grand ceremony, and many officials and local people flocked to the temple to witness the magnificent event. When it was over, Chih Yi asked Yang Kuang for permission to return to Yu Chuan Temple because he did not feel well. Since the monk was now his spiritual master, the prince could not keep him from leaving, and so he granted Chih Yi his request and gave him many precious presents.

On his way back to the temple Chih Yi caught a severe cold, and a year later, in 597, he passed away. Kuan Ting was the natural successor and leader of the Tientai school. During daylight hours he was busy with affairs of the temple, and at night he compiled all the articles Chih Yi had written into books. Kuan Ting also wrote his memoirs of Chih Yi, which is considered a very important document as it leads to a greater understanding of both the Tientai philosophy and Chih Yi's thoughts.

In 598, Kuan Ting traveled to Yangchou to visit the prince. They brought with them some of Chih Yi's relics and a letter which he had written to Prince Yang Kuang before his death. When the prince saw these things, he burst into tears, crying, "Master, I am responsible for your death! I should never have forced you to preside over the bodhisattva precepts for me." His display of sorrow brought tears to the eyes of Kuan Ting and several other people who were present. The prince read the letter that Chih Yi had written to him. In the letter, Chih Yi admonished the prince to abide by the Buddha's teachings and to cultivate his spirituality. He also requested that the prince help construct a larger temple to accommodate more monks. Overcome with shame and remorse, the prince wholeheartedly agreed to his master's request to build a larger temple on Mount Tien Tai.

Kuan Ting returned to the mountain the following day. Wang Hung, a general of the Yangchou district, was ordered by the prince to help coordinate the construction of the temple. Wang Hung ordered local officials to help build the temple according to the plans that Chih Yi had drawn before his death, and approximately six months later, in 599, the temple was completed and named "Tien Tai Temple." However, Wang Hung still felt that the temple was not big enough to commemorate Chih Yi's contributions to both the government and people, and so he asked the prince for permission to expand it even more. The prince agreed to his request and the expansion was finally completed in 601. At a later date, it was renamed "Kuo Ching Temple" (國清寺), and it went on to become one of the most celebrated temples in China.

In 604, Emperor Wen passed away and Yang Kuang ascended the throne as Emperor Yang (隋煬帝) of the Sui Dynasty. At this time, a Taoist priest named Chang-chou Tai-yi (章仇太翼) held a great deal of influence over the emperor. He recommended that the imperial court be moved to Loyang (洛陽), because according to Chinese astrology the relocation would be more auspicious for the new emperor's health and governance.

The emperor agreed and ordered his subordinates to immediately begin work on the enormous task. Tens of thousands of people were recruited to build a new palace, the land was leveled, numerous rare species of plants and animals were brought in to decorate the place, and the extravagant plans spiraled more and more out of control. Some laborers even lost their lives from fatigue.

When Kuan Ting heard about this, he was very displeased. He reproached the emperor for listening to such nonsense from a Taoist priest and wasting such vast amounts of money and manpower to build a new palace. When the new emperor was still a prince, he had received the bodhisattva precepts from Master Chih Yi; but he had then violated them by forcing people to work to death on his new project. Kuan Ting's darkest fears were that the new emperor would drag the whole country into a state of disaster.

In 611, Emperor Yang decided to attack Kaoli (高麗), a Korean kingdom that occupied a large area of land in northeastern China. Kaoli had also been harassing the Sui territory for some time. When the emperor and his generals were gathered together in Chuochun (涿郡), close to where Beijing is located today, they began debating whether they should immediately launch an attack on Kaoli. A Taoist priest named Pan Tan told the emperor that the constellations he had seen the previous night indicated that he would certainly win the war.

Some of the generals echoed Pan's reasoning while others strongly opposed it. Many felt that the military should wait until an ample supply of food had been gathered before holding any major assault, or else the soldiers would not have enough food to eat and would certainly be defeated.

The emperor did not know what to do. Then a minister suggested a consultation with Kuan Ting about the matter, and the emperor happily agreed. Kuan Ting was contacted at once and requested to come to Chuochun.

The emperor was very happy to see Kuan Ting again. The monk advised the emperor that virtuous kings governed the world with their virtue. He suggested that the emperor should first offer the Kaoli king a chance to submit himself. If the king refused, then Kuan Ting advised the emperor to dispatch his army to the border to display the full might of his nation. If the Kaoli king still refused, then as a very last option the emperor could order his soldiers to attack the Korean state, because by this time, the food, water and weapons would all have safely arrived. Kuan Ting continued. "However, I suggest that Your Majesty remain in Chuochun as you are the emperor of the country. You shouldn't risk your life by leading the military to war. It is better that you stay behind and mastermind the battle."

At this moment, the Taoist priest Pan Tan suddenly shouted angrily at Kuan Ting, "You are talking nonsense! Your Majesty, please have Kuan Ting beheaded at once!"

However, some of the other generals supported Kuan Ting's reasoning and reported that the master had been very loyal to both the emperor and the empire for a long time. The emperor also felt unhappy about Pan's aggressive attitude towards Kuan Ting, and he carefully contemplated what to do next. At that moment, Kuan Ting said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, have compassion for all living beings on earth, and remember to eliminate evil and promote good." On saying this, Kuan Ting prepared to leave. However, the emperor asked him to stay longer in the palace as he hadn't talked to him in a long time. Kuan Ting explained that a monk should not stay in a luxurious palace, and instead asked the emperor to grant him a small, clean room. The emperor agreed. Almost every day, the emperor and Kuan Ting would meet to chat about Buddhist doctrine. The emperor also studied meditation with Kuan Ting and after a while was delighted to notice a significant improvement in his health.

One day while Kuan Ting and the emperor were conversing, Pan Tan burst into the room and demanded an immediate audience with the emperor. He haughtily asked the emperor whether he had forgotten about looking for the elixir of immortality.

The emperor wasn't happy with Pan's attitude but he still replied, "No, how could I forget about that? I have given you a huge palace and lots of manpower and money to help you find all the ingredients you need. But still you have not found them, right?"

Pan Tan furiously replied, "I haven't found them because Your Majesty is always with this monk! I suggest Your Majesty ban Buddhism from the country like Emperor Wu of Chou did, and then I shall be able to continue my search and find all of the goods that are needed."

Emperor Yang's temper suddenly erupted and in fury he yelled at Pan, "Ban Buddhism? My father overthrew Chou and set out rules that all religions are to be treated equally. Even I am still following these rules. Furthermore, I have become a Buddhist myself, and now you want me to abolish Buddhism? Guards, remove this man from my sight immediately and execute him at the main gates!"

Pan Tan screamed aloud for mercy as the two guards grabbed him by his collar and began pulling him towards the palace doors. It was at this point that Kuan Ting stepped forward and pleaded with the emperor not to kill the Taoist priest. Instead he implored him to show compassion, as Buddhism had always strongly forbidden the killing of any living being. Seeing Kuan Ting ask for mercy on Pan's behalf, the emperor ordered the guards to let Pan go. The priest fell to his knees and kowtowed continuously to the emperor and Kuan Ting. The emperor then asked Pan what he still required. Believing that the emperor still needed him to produce the elixir of immortality, Pan said bravely that he only needed a certain amount of children bone marrow and gall.

At Pan's request, the emperor's rage flared up once more and he repeated his call to have Pan executed. Yet again Kuan Ting stepped forward to beg the emperor not to kill Pan, saying that the emperor only needed to expel the priest from the palace. This act would be far more powerful, Kuan Ting explained, and demonstrate the emperor's great kindness.

However, by this time Emperor Yang was beside himself with rage. He waved his hands in the air and shouted, "Kill the bastard! Kill the bastard!"

Two guards dragged a terrified Pan, screaming with fear, from the chamber. Shortly afterwards, they returned to report, "Your Majesty, Pan Tan has been beheaded, and the crowds all cheered loudly at your wise decision." The emperor laughed happily, but Kuan Ting folded his hands together, lowered his head, and sighed.

In 612, Emperor Yang ordered an assault on Kaoli without considering that there still wasn't enough food for the soldiers. To make matters worse, he also ordered that no advance was to be made unless he personally authorized it. This meant that the generals at the front lines missed many opportunities to defeat the enemy, as they had to wait for orders from the emperor. After six months, the Sui Dynasty lost the war. A mere 2,700 of the original 359,000 soldiers returned home, and large amounts of weapons, food and other supplies were also lost.

During the war, Kuan Ting stayed behind in a small temple. After his defeat, the emperor returned to the palace and locked himself away in shame. When Kuan Ting heard of this, he went to see the emperor who poured out his remorse and asked if Kuan Ting could help him. Kuan Ting advised him to hold a repentance ceremony to publicly show his remorse and regret and to commemorate the soldiers who had lost their lives in the war.

The emperor accepted the suggestion, and Kuan Ting presided over the ceremony. On the first day, the emperor and all the ministers of his court attended. It was a grand scale commemoration, and for seven days monks chanted sutras for the spirits of the deceased. When the ceremony was over, Kuan Ting bid farewell to the emperor, explaining that he had to return home to finish compiling his master's writings and to continue teaching the young monks. The emperor choked back his tears as he said goodbye.

On returning to Mount Tien Tai, Kuan Ting devoted all of his time to meditating and compiling his master's writings. He refused to see any visitors. One of the monks, Chih Yueh (智越), felt this rather strange and one day asked Kuan Ting, "Master, why have you been so quiet since your return?"

Kuan Ting sighed before expressing his concerns. He explained that on his journey home, he had heard news of small uprisings here and there. He feared the worst for the fate of the Sui Dynasty.

One day, Kuan Ting received a letter from Abbot Yuan Chueh (圓覺) of She Ching Temple, the same temple that Kuan Ting had entered as a youth. The abbot invited Kuan Ting to hold a public lecture at She Ching Temple. Kuan Ting felt that he had been away from his hometown for such a long time and that he should return for a visit.

Kuan Ting went back to his hometown, and many residents gathered at the town's entrance to welcome him. While he was being ushered towards the temple, he happened to pass by his old home. He decided to take a look inside. One of the servants remembered his face and was overjoyed to see him again. He told him that his mother was in her bed.

Upon hearing that, Kuan Ting hastened to his mother's room. Surprise and delight appeared across her face when she saw that her beloved son had returned home after so many decades away. Kuan Ting knelt down before his 85-year-old mother and, holding her hands in his, exclaimed with great emotion in his voice, "Mom, I've returned! Please forgive me for being unable to look after you."

His mother nodded her head and smiled. "I'm so glad to see you again. I can rest in peace now."

Kuan Ting said to her, "No, mother, you have to take care of yourself. I'm sorry but I have to leave you now." He then kowtowed before her three times and left.

A little later, while chatting with Abbot Yuan Chueh in his room, a monk came in and told Kuan Ting that his mother had just passed away. Kuan Ting was speechless. A few minutes passed before he could speak again. Then, holding back his tears, he told Yuan Chueh that he would like to pray for his mother in the main hall. The abbot nodded his head in agreement. When Kuan Ting arrived in the main hall, the candles scattered around the room cast his lone shadow across the floor.

In 618, Emperor Yang was assassinated by his generals, and the glorious Tang Dynasty replaced the Sui Dynasty. When he heard the news, Kuan Ting had a profound insight into the impermanence of this human world, and he decided that from that point on he would never again leave the temple. He vowed to stay on Mount Tien Tai and propagate Buddhism for the rest of his life.

One day, Kuan Ting opened a chest and discovered that it contained letters and orders from previous dynasties to his master Chih Yi. Kuan Ting recognized that these were very important documents for the Tientai school. He decided to compile them, and a year later a new book titled Kuo Ching Pai Lu (國清百錄) was completed. The book contains documents written by Master Chih Yi and correspondence between Chih Yi and other monks, government officials and emperors.

Kuo Ching Pai Lu is a valuable collection of historical documents, because it not only reflects the lives of the monks on Mount Tien Tai, but it also records the development of the Tientai school and displays the devotion of ministers and emperors from both the Chen and the Sui dynasties for Buddhism. The book also demonstrates many of the important interactions between Buddhism and Chinese society, and thus occupies a very important spot in the history of Chinese Buddhism and in the development of Chinese culture as a whole.

On completion of this book, Kuan Ting's health rapidly began to deteriorate. A few days before he died in 632, he suddenly woke from a deep state of sleep and asked his disciples to lift him up so he could sit up straight. He then told them to burn sticks of incense as his day had finally come.

While sitting up, the feeble and ailing Kuan Ting put his hands together in front of his chest and bowed three times towards the sky as if he had seen the Amitabha Buddha himself. Then he slowly lay back on the bed, crossed his hands in front of his chest, and passed away. He was 72 years old.