Lokaksema
Lokaksema (Chinese: 支谶, Zhī Chèn).
Born	147 CE
Died	unknown
Occupation	Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator
Religion	Buddhism

Lokakṣema (Ch: 支婁迦讖 Zhī Lóujiāchèn, sometimes abbreviated 支讖 Zhī Chèn), born around 147 CE, was the earliest known Buddhist monk to have translated Mahayana sutras into the Chinese language and as such was an important figure in Buddhism in China. The name Lokakṣema means 'welfare of the world' in Sanskrit.

Origins[link]

Lokaksema was a Kushan of Yuezhi ethnicity from Gandhara. His ethnicity is described in his adopted Chinese name by the prefix Zhi (Chinese: 支), abbreviation of Yuezhi (Chinese: 月支). As a Yuezhi, his native tongue was one of the Tocharian languages, an Indo-European language group.

He was born in Gandhara (presently known as a center of Greco-Buddhist art) at a time when Buddhism was actively sponsored by the Kushan Emperor Kanishka, who convened the Fourth Buddhist Council. The proceedings of this Council actually oversaw the formal split of Nikaya Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. It would seem that Kanishka was not ill-disposed towards Mahayana Buddhism, opening the way for missionary activities in China by monks such as Lokaksema.

Lokaksema came from Gandhara to the court of the Han dynasty at the capital Loyang as early as 150 and worked there between 178 and 189. A prolific scholar-monk, many early translations of important Mahāyāna texts in China are attributed to him, including the very early Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra known as the "Practice of the Path" (Dào Xíng Bānruò Jīng 道行般若經), Pratyutpanna Sutra (Bān Zhōu Sānmèi Jīng 般舟三昧經), ādūshì Wáng Jīng 阿闍世王經, Za biyu jing 雜譬喩經, Shou lengyan jing 首楞嚴經, Wuliang qingjing pingdeng jue jing 無量淸淨平等覺經, and the Baoji jing 寶積經 ^[1].

The Sanskrit names of the sutras he translated are as follows: Astasahasrika, Aksobhyatathagatasyavyuha, Surangamasamadhisutra, an early version of a sutra connected to the Avatamsakasutra, Drumakinnararajapariprccha, Bhadrapalasutra, Ajatasatrukaukrtyavinodana, and the Kasyapaparivarta,^[1] which were probably composed in the north of India in the first century CE^[2][3].

Activity in China[link]

Lokaksema's work includes the translation of the Pratyutpanna Sutra, containing the first known mentions of the Buddha Amitabha and his Pure Land, said to be at the origin of Pure Land practice in China, and the first known translations of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (The "Astasahasrika-prajnaparamita Sutras", or "Perfection of Wisdom Sutras of the practice of the Way", which later became known as the "Perfection of Wisdom in 8000 lines"), a founding text of Mahayana Buddhism.

Lokaksema's translation activities, as well as those of the Parthians An Shih Kao and An Hsuan slightly earlier, or the Yuezhi Dharmaraksa (around 286 CE) illustrate the key role Central Asians had in propagating the Buddhist faith to the countries of East Asia.

Another Yuezhi monk and one of Lokaksema's students named Zhi Yao (Chinese: 支曜), translated Mahayana Buddhist texts from Central Asia around 185 CE, such as the "Sutra on the Completion of Brightness" (Chinese: 成具光明經 Chengiu guangming jing).

See also[link]

• History of Buddhism
• Buddhist texts
• Silk Road transmission of Buddhism

References[link]

^[4]

Notes[link]

1. ^ A History of Indian Buddhism - Hirakawa Akira (translated and edited by Paul Groner) - Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 1993, p. 248-251
2. ^ ‘The sudden appearance of large numbers of (Mahayana) teachers and texts (in North India in the second century AD) would seem to require some previous preparation and development, and this we can look for in the South.’ AK Warder, Indian Buddhism, 3rd edition, 1999 p. 335.
3. ^ A History of Indian Buddhism - Hirakawa Akira (translated and edited by Paul Groner) - Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 1993, p. 252, 253
4. ^ Foltz, Richard, Religions of the Silk Road, Palgrave Macmillan, 2nd edition, 2010, ISBN 978-0-230-62125-1

1. ^ Dictionary References: Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) p. 287b/319. Fo Guang Shan Dictionary, p. 1416. Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa), p. 569. Index to the Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono), p. 341.Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki)(v.1-6), p. 2858a.

Brad Warner
Brad Warner
School	Soto Zen
Dharma name(s)	Odo
Personal
Nationality	American
Born	(1964-03-05) March 5, 1964 (age 48) Hamilton, Ohio
Senior posting
Title	Priest
Religious career
Teacher	Gudo Wafu Nishijima
Website	hardcorezen.blogspot.com

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Brad Warner (born March 5, 1964) is a Sōtō Zen priest, author, blogger, documentarian and punk rock bass guitarist.

Biography[link]

Brad Warner was born in Hamilton, Ohio^[1] in 1964. His family traveled for his father's job and Warner spent some time in Nairobi, Kenya^[2] but grew up mainly near Akron, Ohio^[2] and attended Kent State University. As a teenager Warner got into the music of the 1960s and hardcore punk,^[3] and a friend of his took him to a show by Zero Defex. He auditioned for and joined the band^[4] after finding out they needed a bass guitarist. He began practicing Zen Buddhism under his first teacher, Tim McCarthy.^[2][5][6] Warner later studied with Gyomay Kubose.^[3]

He has played with Dimentia 13. After the financial failure of his Dimentia 13 albums, Warner got a job in Japan with the JET Programme, and then later in 1994 with Tsuburaya Productions who made Ultraman.^[3] Warner played the roles of various foreigners in their programs. While in Japan he met and trained with Gudo Wafu Nishijima,^[5][6] who ordained him as a priest.

He agreed to write articles for SuicideGirls, the online soft porn site.^[7]

In 2007 he directed the documentary film Cleveland’s Screaming, which depicts the punk rock scene in Akron and Cleveland in the 1980s. Also in 2007, Gudo Wafu Nishijima named Warner the leader of Dogen Sangha International.^{[6][8][9][10]}

In 2008 Warner lost his job with the Japanese company he had been working for in the States.

As of January 2009 he was self-employed and leads the Dogen Sangha International.^[10] In April 2012, Warner dissolved Dogen Sangha International.^[11][12]

Bibliography[link]

• Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies & the Truth About Reality. Wisdom Publications. 2003. ISBN 0-86171-380-X. 
• Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye. New World Library. 2007. ISBN 1-57731-559-6. 
• Zen Wrapped in Karma Dipped in Chocolate: A Trip Through Death, Sex, Divorce, and Spiritual Celebrity in Search of the True Dharma. New World Library. 2009. ISBN 1-57731-654-1. 
• Sex, Sin, and Zen: A Buddhist Exploration of Sex from Celibacy to Polyamory and Everything in Between. New World Library. 2010. ISBN 978-1-57731-910-8. 
• Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika. Monkfish Book Publishing. 2011. ISBN 0-9833589-0-7. 

Discography[link]

Compilations

• The New Hope. New Hope Records. 1983. 
• P.E.A.C.E./War (double LP). RRadical Records. 1983. 
• Midnight X-Mess #2 LP. Midnight Records. 1986. 
• Midnight X-Mess #3 LP. Midnight Records. 1987. 

Dimentia 13

• Dimentia 13. Midnight Records. 1985. 
• Mirror Mind. Midnight Records. 1987. 
• Disturb the Air. Midnight Records. 1989. 
• T.V. Screen Head. Midnight Records. 1990. 
• Flat Earth Society. Midnight Records. 1991. 

Guest appearances

• Twink and Plasticland (1989). You Need a Fairy Godmother. Midnight Records. 

0DFx

• drop the A-bomb. Get Revenge Records. 2007.  (1982 demo reissue)
• Discography. Get Revenge Records. 2007.  (1982 demo and 1983 debut, 2 CD)
• War Hero. Get Revenge Records. 2007.  (1983 debut reissue)
• Zero Defex. 0DFx Records. 2008.  (New recordings 2007/2008)

See also[link]

• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who? A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-509-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=-kut6gcyTNEC&dq=zen+master+who. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brad Warner

• Official website
• Brad Warner's articles for Suicide Girls
• Dimentia 13 on the Midnight Records website
• Audio Interview Series on Buddhist Geeks