I Ching

Not to be confused with the I Ching (易經), the Book of Changes.

I Ching (義淨; pinyin Yì Jìng) (635 – 713) was a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India by sea to collect Buddhist texts in Sanskrit. These he took back to China and translated into Chinese. He was based for a time at Xi Ming Temple in Chang’an, the capital of Tang Dynasty China.

During his trip, in the year 671 he visited the Srivijayan capital of Palembang on Sumatra, and his writings are one of the few sources about that kingdom.

Translated 60+ sutras into Chinese, including:

• Saravanabhava Vinaya (一切有部毗奈耶)
• Avadana, i.e. stories of great deeds (譬喻經) in 710.
• Suvarnaprabhascottamaraja-sutra, i.e. Sutra of the Most Honored King (金光明最勝王經) in 703.

義淨