Monks and rulers join forces
Arrivals of several prestigious monks in the early 5th century also contributed to the propagation of the religion and were welcomed by rulers of the Sixteen Kingdoms and Northern Dynasty|Northern Dynasties. Fo Tu Teng was entrusted by the tyrant Shi Hu of Later Chao. Kumarajiva was invited by Lu Guang, the founder of Later Liang, and later by Yao Xing, second ruler of Later Qin. Biographies of these monks, among others, were the subject of the Memoirs of Eminent Monks. |
|
Modern Chinese Buddhism
Today the most popular form of Buddhism in both mainland China and Taiwan is the Pure Land school, although it is sometimes mixed with Chan. Its central scripture, the Amitabha Sutra was first brought to China by An Shigao, circa 147, however the school did not become popular until later. |
|
Chinese Schools of Buddhism
When Buddhism moved to China it met a religiously sophisticated culture. As a result a number of Indian-transplant as well as Chinese-indigenous schools of Buddhism developed. |
|
Tiantai
Tiantai(天台宗, Wade-Giles: T'ien T'ai) is one of the thirteen schools of Buddhism in China and Japan, also called the Lotus Sutra School. It was founded by Zhiyi (538-597) during the Sui dynasty in China. |
|
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was born near Luoyang, Henan in 602 as Chen Yi (陳褘 Ch'en I, yi1). He came from a scholarly family, and had three elder brothers. He became famous for his seventeen year-long trip to India, during which he studied with many famous Buddhist masters, especially at the famous center of Buddhist learning in Nalanda|Nālanda.
When he returned, he brought with him some 657 Sanskrit texts. With the emperor's support, he set up a large translation bureau in Chang'an, drawing students and collaborators from all over East Asia. He is credited with the translation of some 1,330 fascicles of scriptures into Chinese. His strongest personal interest in Buddhism was in the field of Yogācāra (瑜伽行派) or Consciousness-only (唯識). |
|
Taoism
Taoism (from Chinese 道, in pinyin dao4, and thus sometimes spelled Daoism; see Daoism versus Taoism) is an Asian philosophy and religion, though it is also said to be neither but rather a way of life. Translated literally, it means "Way" or "Path". The Tao is the natural order of things. It is a force that flows through every living or sentient object, as well as through the entire universe. |
|
|
