PREFACE

63

Subhakarasimha

II. BRIEF HISTORY OF SECRET BUDDHISM IN

CHINA

The Sutras belonging to the various tantric Buddhist sects
were translated into Chinese in the early fourth century A.D.
Srimitra, habitants of Pai Country (Kuccha, a white skin tribe),
had translated a few scriptures on charms symbols, mystic
sentences, some mantras, and verses praising the Deities and
Saints. In reality they could not be considered as the
representation of a high aspiration.

The pure Secret Buddhism sect began with the following
tantric masters, who came to China (between 713 - 765 AD) during
the Tang Dynasty.

A. Subhakarasimha (637- 73 5)

He was once the king of Orissa; however he fled the throne
and became a monk at Nalanda University. He studied Secret
Doctrine with Nagabodhi, the 4th patriarch. He often traveled to
the southern regions of India where
Nagarjuna’s Doctrine of Emptiness
was most popular. Subhakarasimha
was proficient in the Emptiness
doctrine and the Doctrine of “The
Unique Dharma Realm” as well as
having a profound understanding of
yoga meditation techniques, the
Dharanis and Mudras. He traveled to
Kasmir and Tibet and arrived in
Ch'an-An in 716 AD, the fourth year
of the Tang Dynasty. The Emperor
Xuan Zong (685-762AD) received