▁read ▁Chinese ▁but ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁speak ▁it ▁at ▁all , ▁thus ▁he ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁bring ▁a ▁trust ed ▁dis ci ple ▁along ▁named ▁, ▁who ▁apparently ▁could ▁speak ▁Chinese . ▁G ish in ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁head ▁mon ks ▁of ▁the ▁T end ai ▁order ▁after ▁Sa ich ō . ▁ ▁Sa ich ō ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁four - ship ▁diplom atic ▁mission ▁to ▁Tang ▁China ▁in ▁ 8 0 3 . ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁turn ▁back ▁due ▁to ▁heavy ▁wind s , ▁where ▁they ▁spent ▁some ▁time ▁at ▁D aza if u , ▁Fu ku oka . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁Sa ich ō ▁likely ▁met ▁another ▁passenger , ▁K ū ka i , ▁a ▁fellow ▁Buddh ist ▁mon k ▁who ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁China ▁on ▁a ▁similar ▁mission ▁though ▁he ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁stay ▁much ▁longer . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁ships ▁set ▁sail ▁again , ▁two ▁s ank ▁during ▁a ▁heavy ▁storm , ▁but ▁Sa ich ō ' s ▁ship ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁N ing bo , ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁M ing z hou ▁( ), ▁in ▁northern ▁Z he ji ang ▁in ▁ 8 0 4 . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁arrival , ▁permission ▁was ▁granted ▁for ▁Sa ich ō ▁and ▁his ▁party ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁Ti ant ai ▁Mountain ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁sevent h ▁Patri arch ▁of ▁Ti ant ai , ▁Da os ui ▁( ), ▁who ▁became ▁his ▁primary ▁teacher ▁during ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁China .