Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks

Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks

The Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks is a cultural heritage site protected by Jiangsu Province.

The Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks is situated east of Xingfu Temple on Silu Street at the northern foot of Yushan Mountain. It is the burial ground of four historically significant monks from Xingfu Temple. The Tang Dynasty monks Huai Shu and Chang Da, the Five Dynasties monk Yan ??, and the Song Dynasty monk Wu En were collectively known as the “Four Eminent Monks of Xingfu Temple,” highlighting the temple’s enduring legacy and its longstanding status as a famous monastery in the Jiangnan area. These tombs offer important historical insight for research on the history of Xingfu Temple and ancient Buddhism in Jiangnan. The site was renovated in 1979, covering an area of approximately 1,400 square meters. The four tombs are arranged in a row, facing east. Each tomb is topped with a stone stupa about 2.5 meters high. The surrounding area is densely planted with pine and cypress trees and enclosed by a perimeter wall. The northern wall features a single-span, towering stone memorial archway serving as the entrance to the tomb complex. The archway’s lintel is carved with images of mythical beasts, and its upright pillars bear the couplet: “Across different eras, they attained the fruit of arhatship; In this secluded mountain, mandala flowers fall from time to time.”

The Four Eminent Monks refer to four historically significant monks from Xingfu Temple: Huai Shu and Chang Da of the Tang Dynasty, Yan ?? of the Five Dynasties, and Wu En of the Song Dynasty, collectively known as the “Four Eminent Monks of Xingfu Temple.”

Chang Da, courtesy name Wenju, studied at various temples across the Jianghuai region, mastered the Nirvana Sutra, and excelled in calligraphy. He secluded himself on Yushan Mountain—so reclusive that even prominent visitors who came calling at his door could not see him. He passed away in the fifteenth year of the Xiantong era while pressing his palms together in prayer. Huai Shu, courtesy name Zituru, studied the Nirvana Sutra and was known as a monk of strict discipline. When Emperor Wuzong suppressed Buddhism, temples were destroyed and monks defrocked, but Huai Shu resumed his monastic robes during the Dazhong era and was praised as a “green pine standing defiant against the snow.” Yan ?? was known for his austere precepts and ascetic life. Once, when a tiger was shot and fell to the ground, Yan ?? removed the arrow, and the tiger licked the blood before departing peacefully. When hunters tracked the tiger to the spot and saw the arrowhead that Yan ?? had shown them, they were moved to give up hunting. He passed away in the first year of the Zhenting era. Wu En, courtesy name Xiujǐ, had a naturally profound understanding of Buddhist teachings. He once studied south at Juhui Temple in Kunshan, taught at Ciguang Temple in Qiantang during the Jin Kaoyun era, and later returned to establish a religious institute on Yushan Mountain. He entered nirvana in the third year of the Yongxi era.

Historical Development:

The Song Dynasty monk Ju Jian wrote in his poem “Pagoda of the Eminent Monks of Poshan”: “The temple thrives through the legacy of these four monks; now, the monks have passed like cicadas shedding their shells.”

The Ming Dynasty’s “Changshu County Annals” by Sang Yu from the Hongzhi era recorded: “The pagoda of the eminent monk Chang Da is located three hundred steps southeast of Xingfu Temple; Huai Shu’s pagoda lies northeast of Chang Da’s; Yan ??’s pagoda is east of Xingfu Temple; Wu En’s pagoda is near Yan ??’s. Together, they are known as the Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks.”

During the Chongzhen era, Cheng Jiasui’s “Annals of Xingfu Temple on Poshan” stated: “The Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks is two hundred steps from the temple. At one point it fell into private hands, but in a certain year of the Wanli era, the monk Ruzi raised funds with the help of the senior official Qian to redeem it and return it to the temple.”

The Republican-era “Annals of Xingfu Temple on Poshan” further noted: “The pagoda of the Tang Dynasty eminent monk Chang Da is located three hundred steps southeast of Xingfu Temple, with an inscription by Chen Yan of Yingchuan, commissioned by the local gentry Zhou Sijí of Runan, and erected in the fourth year of the Qianfu era. The pagoda of the Tang Dynasty eminent monk Huai Shu is recorded as being northeast of Chang Da’s, with Huai Shu’s discipline no less exemplary than Chang Da’s. The pagoda of the Liang Dynasty eminent monk Yan ?? is located east of Xingfu Temple. The pagoda of the Song Dynasty eminent monk Wu En is near Yan ??’s, with some stone remnants still present.”

The site suffered severe damage in 1966 and was restored in 1979.

On June 5, 2006, the Tomb of the Four Eminent Monks was designated as part of the sixth group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

The current condition of the site is good.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units