333 · about 1 min
Monk Shōei was a prominent monk of the Shingon sect during Japan's Heian period, who traveled to Tang China to seek the Dharma. His work, "The Catalog of Monk Shōei of Zenrin-ji," is a record of Buddhist scriptures, ritual implements, images, and other items he brought back from China to Japan. The original text is now lost. This catalog reflects the important historical fact of the eastward transmission of Buddhist texts during the Tang dynasty, holding particular key value for the study of the dissemination of esoteric Buddhist literature. It serves as a crucial primary source for research on the history of Sino-Japanese Buddhist exchanges, Tang dynasty Buddhist bibliography, and the development of Japanese Shingon Buddhism, occupying a unique position within the system of Buddhist catalogs.