Bianji () was a Buddhist monk who lived in the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

. He was also the translator and author of '' Great Tang Records on the Western Regions''. Little is known about his life, apart from that he translated several Buddhist scriptures and sutras. He was executed by Emperor Taizong for having an illicit affair with the emperor's daughter Princess Gaoyang.

Life

According to the ''Record of Praises'' at the end of Volume 12 of the ''Record of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty'', Bianji was born into a family of esteemed scholars. From a young age, he displayed a noble and upright character. As soon as he reached the age of study, he abandoned his worldly pursuits and entered the Great Monastery of Total Support, becoming a disciple of Master Daoyue, a renowned Dharma Master of the Sarvāstivāda school of Buddhism. He copied a vast number of Buddhist scriptures that are still in circulation today. He was renowned for his profound Buddhist cultivation, literary proficiency, and skill in writing. He wrote about his personal experiences in ''Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty''. At that time, there were fewer than thirty individuals in the entire Great Tang Dynasty who had this distinguished honor. Debating skillfully, he managed to enter among them at the young age of twenty-six, showcasing his exceptional talent. He also assisted

Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...

in translating important scriptures such as ''Exposition of the Sacred Doctrine'' (1 volume), the ''Six-Gate Dharani Sutra'' (1 volume), the ''Buddha-Ground Sutra'' (1 volume), the ''Questions of Heaven Sutra'' (1 volume), and seven volumes of the ''Stories of the Past''. The ''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

'', compiled by Ouyang Xiu, records that Bianji had a love affair with Princess Gaoyang, leading to his execution by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.

Sima Guang Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the ''Zizhi Tongjian'', a monumental work of history. B ...

's account provides a more gruesome detail, stating that Bianji was executed by waist-cutting, a form of execution involving cutting the victim in half at the waist. Some scholars question the narrative of Bianji being killed by Taizong, suggesting that Ouyang Xiu and Sima Guang's positions are highly suspicious, as both of them held strong anti-Buddhist views, which could have influenced their portrayal of Bianji's death. The alleged affair between Princess Gaoyang and the Buddhist monk Bianji is the most serious accusation against her and the reason for her bad reputation in history. However, an earlier historical work, the ''

Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

'', does not mention this incident at all. Instead, it was written by the authoritative historians Ouyang Xiu and others in the ''New Book of Tang'', a national history compiled by the Song Dynasty a hundred years later. Therefore, since the reign of Emperor Renzong of

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, the story of Princess Gaoyang and Bianji has been considered to be true history, and it also marks the beginning of Princess Gaoyang's image as a promiscuous woman in historical materials. Nowadays, because there is no more detailed historical evidence to support it, although later researchers have raised various doubts and questions about this matter, they are still not enough to overturn the ''New Book of Tang''s portrayal of Princess Gaoyang.

References

* Zhang Xiuping et al. (1993). ''100 Books That Influenced China: Da Tang Xiyu Ji''. Nanning: Guangxi Renmin Press. . p. 392-398. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bianji Chinese travel writers Tang dynasty Buddhist monks 7th-century deaths 649 deaths Tang dynasty writers People executed by the Tang dynasty Year of birth unknown 7th-century executions by the Tang dynasty People executed by cutting in half Medieval travel writers Chinese Buddhist monks Tang dynasty Buddhists 7th-century Buddhists