Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law, The ［入唐求法巡礼行記］ ( Nittō-guhō-junrei-kō-ki): An account by Jikaku, the third patriarch of the Japanese Tendai school, of the nine years he spent in China from 838 to 847. It is considered an especially valuable reference on Buddhism and on China during the T’ang dynasty. It describes the state of Buddhism at that time, as well as the history, geography, social conditions, and customs of China. It also records Jikaku’s encounter at the capital, Ch’ang-an, with a nationwide drive to destroy Buddhism led by Emperor Wu-tsung of the T’ang dynasty in 845. This is known as the third of the four imperial persecutions of Buddhism in China.