588 henrik h. sørensen
she will allow rain to fall.^42 Both texts provide us with enough informa-
tion to establish Hyech’o in the orthodox line of Zhenyan Buddhism.
Finally, we may add that his achievements as a disciple of Vajrabodhi
and Amoghavajra, and as the author of the celebrated travelogue to
India, have tended to overshadow his importance for Buddhism in
Korea as such.
The great master in the orthodox Zhenyan transmission, Huiguo
(?–805), the teacher of the celebrated Japanese founder of the
Shingon school, Kūkai (774–835), is recorded to have had two
Korean disciples, Hyeil (n.d.)^43 and Ŏjin (n.d.) (T. 2057.50:
295a). To Hyeil, Huiguo is said to have transmitted the methods relat-
ing to both the Vajradhātu and the Garbhadhātu Mandalas in 781 C.E.,
and to Ŏjin he only transmitted the Garbhadhātu Mandala, an event
that took place in 789 C.E. (T. 2057.50:295a). Hyeil is stated to have
returned to Silla upon the completion of his studies in Tang, whereas
Ŏjin is said to have continued to India. None of these monks appear
in the contemporary Korean records, and at least in the latter case we
can be fairly certain that he never returned to Silla.
The last Silla monk with direct spiritual affinity to the Zhenyan
school is one Kyŭnyang (n.d.). He is said to have been a second-
generation disciple of Huiguo and a dharma-brother of Haiyun
(n.d.), the compiler of the important chronicle Liangbu dafa xiang
cheng shizi fufa ji.^44 There are no other records on Kyŭnyang, and
there is no way to know whether he remained in Tang or eventu-
ally returned to Silla. He is also not mentioned in the contemporary
Korean records.
Here it is important to note that whereas there are no contemporary
Korean records available on these monks, both contemporary Chinese
and Japanese sources mention the names of the Korean monks who
were among the followers of the “three ācāryas” as well as Amogha-
vajra’s disciple Huiguo. All in all this would seem to indicate that the
majority of the Korean monks affiliated with Zhenyan Buddhism did
not return to Silla, but either remained in China or perhaps went on
pilgrimage to the holy sites of India. In this connection it is interesting
to note that most of these Esoteric Buddhist monks are rarely, if ever,
(^42) The Jade Woman is connected with longevity and good fortune. See Zhonghua
daojiao da cidian 43 , 781b.
T. 2057.50:295a. He went to China in 781 C.E. and is later said to have returned
to his native country where he spread the Esoteric Buddhist teaching. 44
T. 2081.51:784b. Kyŭnyang is simply mentioned as part of the lineage.