Our Lineage

Hanmi is Chinese Esoteric Buddhism. The Buddhist masters assimilated the prevailing teaching of Confucianism and Taoism, and evolved the teaching into Hanmi, which was more easily understood by the Chinese people. Chinese Esoteric Buddhism predates the Tibetan Esoteric School, or Lamaism. Hanmi Buddhism, being forced underground for over twelve hundred years, is not as well known as Lamaism.

Hanmi Buddhism was established between 712 to 720 A.D. during the reign of emperor Tang Xuanzong (or Hsuan Tsung) by the Three Great Founders, Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra. They came to the Daxing Shansi (Great Propagating Goodness Temple, the predecessor of Temple of the Great Enlightener — MahaVairocana) in today’s Xi’an City and translated many buddhistic sutras and tantras from Sanskrit to Chinese.
Subhakarasimha, an eminent Indian monk, translated the Vairocanabhi-sambodhi-tantra, or the Mahavairocana Sutra from Sanskrit to Chinese.
Vajrabodhi, a graduate of Nalanda Temple, received complete empowerment and transmission from Nagabodhi, who received from Nagarjuna.
Amoghavajra, a Singhalese, was the most famous Yogacharya of his time. He came at the age of 15 to China, where in 718 he became a disciple of Vajrabodhi, and later of Subhakarasimha. The Tang emperor granted dharma instruments to Amoghavajra who set up the first abhiseka-bodhi-mandala at Daxing Temple, thus founding Hanmi.
After Vajrabodhi’s death in 732, and at his wish, Amoghavajra went to India and Ceylon in search of esoteric or tantric writings, and returned in 746, when he baptized the emperor Xuanzong. He was especially noted
for rain-making and stilling storms. In 749 he received permission to return home, but was stopped by imperial orders when in the south of China. In 756 under emperor Suzong he was recalled to the capital. His time until 771 was spent translating and editing tantric books in 120 volumes, and the Yogachara rose to its peak of prosperity. He died greatly honored at 70 years of age, in 774, the twelfth year of Taizong, the third emperor under whom he had served. He was given the title of the Thesaurus of Wisdom, Amogha Tripikata and the posthumous rank and title of a Minister of State.
Historically, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, or the Hanmi Mystery School, was thought to be lost when Emperor Tang Wuzong banned the teaching. Huiguo, the last known disciple of Amoghavajra, had left China and went with Kukai to Japan to establish the Japanese Esoteric school of Buddhism, later known as the Shingon sect. Unknown to history, Amoghavajra had another disciple, Huisu, who received all the religious instruments and dharma transmission. He then became the Dharma Lineage Bearer. Since then, Hanmi has been underground for over twelve centuries.
The Hanmi lineage has been passed on through one master per generation. Master Yu Tian Jian is the highest and only living master of Hanmi, the Honorable Abbot of the 1000-year old LongQuan Temple in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, a doctor of Chinese medicine, and acknowledged as a Living Buddha in China.
Master Yu, from Chaoyang, Liaoning, at the age of 39, attained realization under the guidance of Grandmaster Huiling, the 48th Maha-Acharya of the Hanmi lineage. He sees the past, the present and the future, and understands his mission as a Hanmi successor. He resigned his position as a plant manager in China, and donated all his personal savings, over 1 million RMB, to the cause of reviving Buddha-dharma. He said,”I want to let people know the truth of Buddhism again.” He experienced all kinds of hardship as he journeyed through great rivers and mountains in order to transmit Dharma and to heal people. He has left indelible impressions everywhere.
In 1989, a discovery was made in the Heaven Chamber of the North Pagoda at Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province. They found sharira, or the bone relic of the Buddha, sutra and tantra engraved in silver plates in Chinese, two Chinese Stupas of the Diamond and the Womb Worlds, and the Stupa of Five-Buddha-Five-Wisdom. Later, a Hanmi mandala was also discovered in the Earth Chamber of Famen Temple (Famensi), or Dharma Doorway Temple at Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province. These discoveries predict the revival of Hanmi Buddhism.
Master Huiling found Master Yu on the 99th days after the discovery. Master Yu received complete empowerment and transmission, and became the Great Enlightener MahaVairocana Dharma King Dechan Jueren, the 49th Great Acharya.

About Master Yu

Master in Los Angeles, 1998
Living Buddha Dechan Jueren (得禅觉人-大日如来法王)  is the current lineage holder of Hanmi, He is the MahaVairocana Dharma King, the 49th Lineage Holder of the Esoteric School. He is also the 47th Lineage Holder of the Linji Chan School, and the honorable abbot of the 1000-year old Longquan Monastery in Inner Mongolia’s Chifeng, the vice-abbot of Wendu Monastery in Qinghai Province. He is a 9th generation Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, and acknowledged as a Living Buddha in China.

 

Dechan Jueren is also known by his given name and called Master Yu Tianjian. He is Manchurian Chinese from the north eastern province of Liaoning, city of Chaoyang. At the age of 39, he attained self-realization under the guidance of the 48th Mahacharya of the Esoteric School, Grandmaster Huiling of Putian, Fujian Province.
Dechan Jueren attained the highest awareness, he sees the past, the present and the future, and understands his mission as the Dharma Lineage Holder. When his master found him in 1989, he resigned his position as a plant manager in China, and donated all his savings of over one million RMB to the cause of reviving Buddha-Dharma. He said, “I want to let people know the truth of the Buddha-Dharma again.”
He experienced all kinds of hardship as he journeyed over great rivers and mountains in order to transmit Dharma and to heal people. He has left indelible impressions everywhere.
In 1989, a discovery was made in the heaven palace of the North Pagoda at Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province.  They found Sharira, or the bone relic of the Buddha himself, sutra and tantra engraved in silver plates in Chinese, two Chinese Stupas of the Vajradhatu and the Garbhadhatu, and the Stupa of the Five Wisdom Buddhas.
Later, a mandala of The Esoteric School was also discovered in the crypt, the earth palace, of Famensi, or Dharma Doorway Temple at Fufeng County, Shaanxi Province.  These discoveries predicted the revival of The Esoteric School.  Grandmaster Huiling found Dechan Jueren on the 99th day after the discovery. Dechan Jueren received complete empowerment and transmission, and became MahaVairocana Dharma King, the 49th Mahacharya of The Esoteric School.
Dechan Jueren visited Los Angeles for the first time to attend the International Association of Integrated Medicine at the University of Southern California on July 26, 1998. His thesis on calcium enrichment through meditation practice won the golden award.
On April 1, 1999, the Dari Rulai Temple was founded as the seat of the MahaVairocana Dharma King.
Dechan Jueren attended the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. He was appointed as a Special Advisor of the World Council of Religious Leaders in 2007.
On August 15, 2008, the 105-year old Grandmaster Fozhi, the abbot of Yingtian Monastery in Chengdu, Sichuan, passed on the Dharma Lineage Holder-ship of the Linji School of Chan/Zen Buddhism to Dechan Jueren. Master Dechan Jueren became the 47th Dharma Lineage Holder of the Linji Chan/Zen Buddhism, and the 16th Lineage Holder of the renowned Zhaojue Monastery.