The introduction of Buddhism into China was a landmark event in history. The entire process of introduction was a historical process in which Buddhism gradually became a part of Chinese culture from a foreign culture. The introduction of Buddhism also demonstrated that China had the conditions to accommodate Buddhist culture. Since the day that Buddhism was introduced to China, it gradually began its process of sinicization and, after more than a thousand years of historical development, it finally formed its own unique Chinese Buddhism and a systematic Chinese Buddhist studies, which became the source of East Asian and modern world Buddhist culture. The formation and development of Chinese Buddhist studies have made an indelible contribution to world culture and religion.
After the Buddha’s death more than 2,000 years ago, Buddhism gradually spread outward, south to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and north to Central Asia, the Central Plains, Tibet, North Korea, and Japan. In recent years, it has spread to countries such as Britain, America, Germany, and France. Among them, China has the widest propagation of Buddhism.
According to legend, Buddhism came to the east during the 10th year of Emperor Ming of Han (67 AD), but there were traces of Buddhism coming to the east before the Yongping period. For example, in the fourth chapter of Liezi Zhongni, it is said, “I have heard that there is a saint in the west who does not rule but is not chaotic, does not speak but is self-confident, does not convert but acts on his own, and cannot be named.” It can be inferred from this that Confucius knew of the Buddha as a great saint.
Sui Fei Changfang’s Chronicles of the Three Treasures of the Past also recorded: “… during the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, there were 18 wise monks including Shili Fang who brought scriptures to China to spread Buddhism. Emperor Qin did not accept them and banned Shili Fang and others. At night, six Vajra monks broke into the prison and freed them. Emperor Qin was frightened and bowed to them.” This account is also recorded in the history of the Buddha, and “Shili Fang” is translated as “Sheli Fang”.
The Wei Shu Shi Lao Zhi Ji recorded: “During the Han Wu Yuan Shou period, Huo Qu Bing captured the Kun Xie king and the golden people, who were more than ten feet tall. The emperor regarded them as great deities and placed them in the Ganquan Palace, where incense was burned and worship was conducted. This was a gradual development of the spread of Buddhism and Taoism.” The reference to the golden people of more than ten feet tall may refer to Buddha statues.
The Buddha Zong Tong Ji stated: “…and when the Western Regions were opened, Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to Daxia. When he returned, he passed by the State of Shendu, also known as Tianzhu, where he first heard of the teachings of Buddhism.”
Although the above accounts suggest that Buddhism had already spread to China before the Yongping period, they are fragmentary historical records with no other supporting documents. However, the Records of the Later Han Dynasty mentioned that during the Yongping period, the King of Chu, Ying Xi, observed the Buddhist fasting and worship rituals during the Fota festival. The biography stated that “When Ying was young, he liked to wander and meet guests. Later, he preferred to study the teachings of Huang-Lao and observe the Fota festival. In the eighth year of Yongping, the emperor ordered the execution of all those sentenced to death in the country. They were all redeemed with silk. Ying sent a commandery official to present thirty rolls of yellow silk to the Prime Minister, saying, ‘I have entrusted myself to foreign aid and have accumulated sins. I am grateful for your kindness and offer this silk to atone for my sins.’ When the Prime Minister heard this, he replied, ‘The King recites the subtle teachings of Huang-Lao and reveres the benevolent temple of Fota. He has observed the three-month fasting period and sworn an oath with the gods. Why should there be any doubt or suspicion? If there is any regret or reluctance, they may be redeemed to assist the magnificence of the Buddhist monks.'”
This edict was granted in the eighth year of Yongping, and the terms Fota (meaning Buddha), Yipuse (now called Upasaka, a lay male Buddhist), and Shamen (monks) were all translated, indicating that Buddhist rituals and translation work were already underway at that time. As far as communication between Han China and the Western Regions was concerned, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions during Emperor Wu’s reign, and after that, Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu, and Li Guangli attacked Dawan. From Dunhuang to Yanzhe, all were under the control of the Han Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xuan, Zheng Ji was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Regions, and all the countries south and north of the Tianshan Mountains and east of the Congling Mountains were under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty. At that time, communication was already open, and the spread of Buddhism to China was possible. However, it is generally accepted that Buddhism was introduced to China in the tenth year of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty.
The official history of China records in the Later Han Dynasty’s Western Regions that “Emperor Ming dreamed of a golden man who was tall, with a bright light around his neck, and asked his officials about it. Some said that there was a god named Buddha in the Western Regions who was more than ten feet tall and was golden in color. The emperor then sent envoys to Tianzhu to inquire about the Buddhist teachings, and they brought back books and monks.”
The Records of the Grand Historian, Han Dynasty, Chapter 37 states: “The first emperor heard that there was a deity in the Western Regions named Buddha. He sent envoys to Tianzhu to seek his teachings, and obtained his books and monks.”
The above two accounts are brief and not detailed. The Complete Record of the Buddhist Patriarchal System provides a more detailed and comprehensive account, which has become the widely accepted version. It states: “In the seventh year of the Yongping period, the emperor had a dream of a golden man six zhang tall and a sun-like radiance on his head, flying in the palace courtyard. He asked his courtiers about it, but no one could answer. The Court Historian Fu Yi stepped forward and said, ‘I have heard that during the time of King Zhou of the Zhou dynasty, there was a sage in the Western Regions named Buddha.’ The emperor then sent eighteen envoys, including Cai Yin, Qin Jing, and scholar Wang Zun, to the Western Regions to seek the Buddha’s teachings. Ten years later, Cai Yin and his companions arrived at the Great Moon Monastery in Central Tianzhu, where they met Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksha, and obtained the sixty-thousand-word Sutra on the Dependent Origination of the Buddha. They brought the sutra back to Luoyang on a white horse. Dharmaraksha, in the manner of a Buddhist monk, paid his respects to them and stayed at the Honglu Monastery. In the eleventh year, the emperor ordered the construction of the White Horse Monastery outside the western Yong Gate of Luoyang. Kasyapa Matanga began to translate the Forty-Two Chapter Sutra, and the blue Sanskrit text was kept in the right chamber of the Lantai Palace. A statue of the Buddha was placed at the West Yang Gate and the Xianjie Mausoleum.”
In summary, Buddhism came to China after the Han Wu Emperor’s reign. When Indian monks came to China during the reign of Emperor Ming, the imperial court recorded their teachings out of respect, and the records were passed down through the ages. Subsequently, Buddhist masters from the Western Regions came to China to translate Buddhist texts, and Chinese scholars went to the Western Regions in search of the Buddhist teachings. Thus, the teachings of the Buddha gradually spread in China.
China had native Buddhist monks as early as the Han dynasty. The earliest recorded cases were the monkification of Sikong Yangcheng and Hou Liujuan by Emperor Ming of Han. However, these early monks only shaved their heads, followed the monastic code, and did not receive formal ordination. It was not until 250 AD when Tanyi Jiaoluo from Central India officially established the ordination platform at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang that China had fully ordained bhikkhus who followed the Vinaya. As no foreign bhikkhunis arrived, the initial ordination of women as nuns only involved shaving their heads. Later, women also received full ordination, but the ordination system was still incomplete. It was not until 429 AD when 19 bhikkhunis led by Sanghamitta from Sri Lanka arrived in China that the ordination system for nuns was fully established, and China had fully ordained bhikkhunis who followed the Vinaya.
Noun Definitions:
Shakyamuni Buddha: Refers to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
Parinirvana: Also known as Nirvana or Mahaparinirvana, refers to the final nirvana after death, which is the release from the cycle of rebirth.
Ordination: Refers to the act of a person becoming a monk or nun in Buddhism. There are five, eight, ten, and full ordination, each with its own ceremony and rules.
Ordination platform: Refers to the place where the ordination ceremony is held for a Buddhist monk or nun. In Sanskrit, it is called the Mandala.
Following the Dharma and Vinaya: Refers to following the teachings of Buddhism and the monastic code.
Buddhism in China
The introduction of Buddhism into China was a landmark event in history. The entire process of introduction was a historical process in which Buddhism gradually became a part of Chinese culture from a foreign culture. The introduction of Buddhism also demonstrated that China had the conditions to accommodate Buddhist culture. Since the day that Buddhism was introduced to China, it gradually began its process of sinicization and, after more than a thousand years of historical development, it finally formed its own unique Chinese Buddhism and a systematic Chinese Buddhist studies, which became the source of East Asian and modern world Buddhist culture. The formation and development of Chinese Buddhist studies have made an indelible contribution to world culture and religion.
After the Buddha’s death more than 2,000 years ago, Buddhism gradually spread outward, south to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and north to Central Asia, the Central Plains, Tibet, North Korea, and Japan. In recent years, it has spread to countries such as Britain, America, Germany, and France. Among them, China has the widest propagation of Buddhism.
According to legend, Buddhism came to the east during the 10th year of Emperor Ming of Han (67 AD), but there were traces of Buddhism coming to the east before the Yongping period. For example, in the fourth chapter of Liezi Zhongni, it is said, “I have heard that there is a saint in the west who does not rule but is not chaotic, does not speak but is self-confident, does not convert but acts on his own, and cannot be named.” It can be inferred from this that Confucius knew of the Buddha as a great saint.
Sui Fei Changfang’s Chronicles of the Three Treasures of the Past also recorded: “… during the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, there were 18 wise monks including Shili Fang who brought scriptures to China to spread Buddhism. Emperor Qin did not accept them and banned Shili Fang and others. At night, six Vajra monks broke into the prison and freed them. Emperor Qin was frightened and bowed to them.” This account is also recorded in the history of the Buddha, and “Shili Fang” is translated as “Sheli Fang”.
The Wei Shu Shi Lao Zhi Ji recorded: “During the Han Wu Yuan Shou period, Huo Qu Bing captured the Kun Xie king and the golden people, who were more than ten feet tall. The emperor regarded them as great deities and placed them in the Ganquan Palace, where incense was burned and worship was conducted. This was a gradual development of the spread of Buddhism and Taoism.” The reference to the golden people of more than ten feet tall may refer to Buddha statues.
The Buddha Zong Tong Ji stated: “…and when the Western Regions were opened, Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to Daxia. When he returned, he passed by the State of Shendu, also known as Tianzhu, where he first heard of the teachings of Buddhism.”
Although the above accounts suggest that Buddhism had already spread to China before the Yongping period, they are fragmentary historical records with no other supporting documents. However, the Records of the Later Han Dynasty mentioned that during the Yongping period, the King of Chu, Ying Xi, observed the Buddhist fasting and worship rituals during the Fota festival. The biography stated that “When Ying was young, he liked to wander and meet guests. Later, he preferred to study the teachings of Huang-Lao and observe the Fota festival. In the eighth year of Yongping, the emperor ordered the execution of all those sentenced to death in the country. They were all redeemed with silk. Ying sent a commandery official to present thirty rolls of yellow silk to the Prime Minister, saying, ‘I have entrusted myself to foreign aid and have accumulated sins. I am grateful for your kindness and offer this silk to atone for my sins.’ When the Prime Minister heard this, he replied, ‘The King recites the subtle teachings of Huang-Lao and reveres the benevolent temple of Fota. He has observed the three-month fasting period and sworn an oath with the gods. Why should there be any doubt or suspicion? If there is any regret or reluctance, they may be redeemed to assist the magnificence of the Buddhist monks.'”
This edict was granted in the eighth year of Yongping, and the terms Fota (meaning Buddha), Yipuse (now called Upasaka, a lay male Buddhist), and Shamen (monks) were all translated, indicating that Buddhist rituals and translation work were already underway at that time. As far as communication between Han China and the Western Regions was concerned, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions during Emperor Wu’s reign, and after that, Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu, and Li Guangli attacked Dawan. From Dunhuang to Yanzhe, all were under the control of the Han Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xuan, Zheng Ji was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Regions, and all the countries south and north of the Tianshan Mountains and east of the Congling Mountains were under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty. At that time, communication was already open, and the spread of Buddhism to China was possible. However, it is generally accepted that Buddhism was introduced to China in the tenth year of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty.
The official history of China records in the Later Han Dynasty’s Western Regions that “Emperor Ming dreamed of a golden man who was tall, with a bright light around his neck, and asked his officials about it. Some said that there was a god named Buddha in the Western Regions who was more than ten feet tall and was golden in color. The emperor then sent envoys to Tianzhu to inquire about the Buddhist teachings, and they brought back books and monks.”
The Records of the Grand Historian, Han Dynasty, Chapter 37 states: “The first emperor heard that there was a deity in the Western Regions named Buddha. He sent envoys to Tianzhu to seek his teachings, and obtained his books and monks.”
The above two accounts are brief and not detailed. The Complete Record of the Buddhist Patriarchal System provides a more detailed and comprehensive account, which has become the widely accepted version. It states: “In the seventh year of the Yongping period, the emperor had a dream of a golden man six zhang tall and a sun-like radiance on his head, flying in the palace courtyard. He asked his courtiers about it, but no one could answer. The Court Historian Fu Yi stepped forward and said, ‘I have heard that during the time of King Zhou of the Zhou dynasty, there was a sage in the Western Regions named Buddha.’ The emperor then sent eighteen envoys, including Cai Yin, Qin Jing, and scholar Wang Zun, to the Western Regions to seek the Buddha’s teachings. Ten years later, Cai Yin and his companions arrived at the Great Moon Monastery in Central Tianzhu, where they met Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksha, and obtained the sixty-thousand-word Sutra on the Dependent Origination of the Buddha. They brought the sutra back to Luoyang on a white horse. Dharmaraksha, in the manner of a Buddhist monk, paid his respects to them and stayed at the Honglu Monastery. In the eleventh year, the emperor ordered the construction of the White Horse Monastery outside the western Yong Gate of Luoyang. Kasyapa Matanga began to translate the Forty-Two Chapter Sutra, and the blue Sanskrit text was kept in the right chamber of the Lantai Palace. A statue of the Buddha was placed at the West Yang Gate and the Xianjie Mausoleum.”
In summary, Buddhism came to China after the Han Wu Emperor’s reign. When Indian monks came to China during the reign of Emperor Ming, the imperial court recorded their teachings out of respect, and the records were passed down through the ages. Subsequently, Buddhist masters from the Western Regions came to China to translate Buddhist texts, and Chinese scholars went to the Western Regions in search of the Buddhist teachings. Thus, the teachings of the Buddha gradually spread in China.
China had native Buddhist monks as early as the Han dynasty. The earliest recorded cases were the monkification of Sikong Yangcheng and Hou Liujuan by Emperor Ming of Han. However, these early monks only shaved their heads, followed the monastic code, and did not receive formal ordination. It was not until 250 AD when Tanyi Jiaoluo from Central India officially established the ordination platform at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang that China had fully ordained bhikkhus who followed the Vinaya. As no foreign bhikkhunis arrived, the initial ordination of women as nuns only involved shaving their heads. Later, women also received full ordination, but the ordination system was still incomplete. It was not until 429 AD when 19 bhikkhunis led by Sanghamitta from Sri Lanka arrived in China that the ordination system for nuns was fully established, and China had fully ordained bhikkhunis who followed the Vinaya.
Noun Definitions:
Shakyamuni Buddha: Refers to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
Parinirvana: Also known as Nirvana or Mahaparinirvana, refers to the final nirvana after death, which is the release from the cycle of rebirth.
Ordination: Refers to the act of a person becoming a monk or nun in Buddhism. There are five, eight, ten, and full ordination, each with its own ceremony and rules.
Ordination platform: Refers to the place where the ordination ceremony is held for a Buddhist monk or nun. In Sanskrit, it is called the Mandala.
Following the Dharma and Vinaya: Refers to following the teachings of Buddhism and the monastic code.
Buddhism in China
The introduction of Buddhism into China was a landmark event in history. The entire process of introduction was a historical process in which Buddhism gradually became a part of Chinese culture from a foreign culture. The introduction of Buddhism also demonstrated that China had the conditions to accommodate Buddhist culture. Since the day that Buddhism was introduced to China, it gradually began its process of sinicization and, after more than a thousand years of historical development, it finally formed its own unique Chinese Buddhism and a systematic Chinese Buddhist studies, which became the source of East Asian and modern world Buddhist culture. The formation and development of Chinese Buddhist studies have made an indelible contribution to world culture and religion.
After the Buddha’s death more than 2,000 years ago, Buddhism gradually spread outward, south to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and north to Central Asia, the Central Plains, Tibet, North Korea, and Japan. In recent years, it has spread to countries such as Britain, America, Germany, and France. Among them, China has the widest propagation of Buddhism.
According to legend, Buddhism came to the east during the 10th year of Emperor Ming of Han (67 AD), but there were traces of Buddhism coming to the east before the Yongping period. For example, in the fourth chapter of Liezi Zhongni, it is said, “I have heard that there is a saint in the west who does not rule but is not chaotic, does not speak but is self-confident, does not convert but acts on his own, and cannot be named.” It can be inferred from this that Confucius knew of the Buddha as a great saint.
Sui Fei Changfang’s Chronicles of the Three Treasures of the Past also recorded: “… during the time of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, there were 18 wise monks including Shili Fang who brought scriptures to China to spread Buddhism. Emperor Qin did not accept them and banned Shili Fang and others. At night, six Vajra monks broke into the prison and freed them. Emperor Qin was frightened and bowed to them.” This account is also recorded in the history of the Buddha, and “Shili Fang” is translated as “Sheli Fang”.
The Wei Shu Shi Lao Zhi Ji recorded: “During the Han Wu Yuan Shou period, Huo Qu Bing captured the Kun Xie king and the golden people, who were more than ten feet tall. The emperor regarded them as great deities and placed them in the Ganquan Palace, where incense was burned and worship was conducted. This was a gradual development of the spread of Buddhism and Taoism.” The reference to the golden people of more than ten feet tall may refer to Buddha statues.
The Buddha Zong Tong Ji stated: “…and when the Western Regions were opened, Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to Daxia. When he returned, he passed by the State of Shendu, also known as Tianzhu, where he first heard of the teachings of Buddhism.”
Although the above accounts suggest that Buddhism had already spread to China before the Yongping period, they are fragmentary historical records with no other supporting documents. However, the Records of the Later Han Dynasty mentioned that during the Yongping period, the King of Chu, Ying Xi, observed the Buddhist fasting and worship rituals during the Fota festival. The biography stated that “When Ying was young, he liked to wander and meet guests. Later, he preferred to study the teachings of Huang-Lao and observe the Fota festival. In the eighth year of Yongping, the emperor ordered the execution of all those sentenced to death in the country. They were all redeemed with silk. Ying sent a commandery official to present thirty rolls of yellow silk to the Prime Minister, saying, ‘I have entrusted myself to foreign aid and have accumulated sins. I am grateful for your kindness and offer this silk to atone for my sins.’ When the Prime Minister heard this, he replied, ‘The King recites the subtle teachings of Huang-Lao and reveres the benevolent temple of Fota. He has observed the three-month fasting period and sworn an oath with the gods. Why should there be any doubt or suspicion? If there is any regret or reluctance, they may be redeemed to assist the magnificence of the Buddhist monks.'”
This edict was granted in the eighth year of Yongping, and the terms Fota (meaning Buddha), Yipuse (now called Upasaka, a lay male Buddhist), and Shamen (monks) were all translated, indicating that Buddhist rituals and translation work were already underway at that time. As far as communication between Han China and the Western Regions was concerned, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions during Emperor Wu’s reign, and after that, Huo Qubing attacked the Xiongnu, and Li Guangli attacked Dawan. From Dunhuang to Yanzhe, all were under the control of the Han Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xuan, Zheng Ji was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Regions, and all the countries south and north of the Tianshan Mountains and east of the Congling Mountains were under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty. At that time, communication was already open, and the spread of Buddhism to China was possible. However, it is generally accepted that Buddhism was introduced to China in the tenth year of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty.
The official history of China records in the Later Han Dynasty’s Western Regions that “Emperor Ming dreamed of a golden man who was tall, with a bright light around his neck, and asked his officials about it. Some said that there was a god named Buddha in the Western Regions who was more than ten feet tall and was golden in color. The emperor then sent envoys to Tianzhu to inquire about the Buddhist teachings, and they brought back books and monks.”
The Records of the Grand Historian, Han Dynasty, Chapter 37 states: “The first emperor heard that there was a deity in the Western Regions named Buddha. He sent envoys to Tianzhu to seek his teachings, and obtained his books and monks.”
The above two accounts are brief and not detailed. The Complete Record of the Buddhist Patriarchal System provides a more detailed and comprehensive account, which has become the widely accepted version. It states: “In the seventh year of the Yongping period, the emperor had a dream of a golden man six zhang tall and a sun-like radiance on his head, flying in the palace courtyard. He asked his courtiers about it, but no one could answer. The Court Historian Fu Yi stepped forward and said, ‘I have heard that during the time of King Zhou of the Zhou dynasty, there was a sage in the Western Regions named Buddha.’ The emperor then sent eighteen envoys, including Cai Yin, Qin Jing, and scholar Wang Zun, to the Western Regions to seek the Buddha’s teachings. Ten years later, Cai Yin and his companions arrived at the Great Moon Monastery in Central Tianzhu, where they met Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksha, and obtained the sixty-thousand-word Sutra on the Dependent Origination of the Buddha. They brought the sutra back to Luoyang on a white horse. Dharmaraksha, in the manner of a Buddhist monk, paid his respects to them and stayed at the Honglu Monastery. In the eleventh year, the emperor ordered the construction of the White Horse Monastery outside the western Yong Gate of Luoyang. Kasyapa Matanga began to translate the Forty-Two Chapter Sutra, and the blue Sanskrit text was kept in the right chamber of the Lantai Palace. A statue of the Buddha was placed at the West Yang Gate and the Xianjie Mausoleum.”
In summary, Buddhism came to China after the Han Wu Emperor’s reign. When Indian monks came to China during the reign of Emperor Ming, the imperial court recorded their teachings out of respect, and the records were passed down through the ages. Subsequently, Buddhist masters from the Western Regions came to China to translate Buddhist texts, and Chinese scholars went to the Western Regions in search of the Buddhist teachings. Thus, the teachings of the Buddha gradually spread in China.
China had native Buddhist monks as early as the Han dynasty. The earliest recorded cases were the monkification of Sikong Yangcheng and Hou Liujuan by Emperor Ming of Han. However, these early monks only shaved their heads, followed the monastic code, and did not receive formal ordination. It was not until 250 AD when Tanyi Jiaoluo from Central India officially established the ordination platform at the White Horse Temple in Luoyang that China had fully ordained bhikkhus who followed the Vinaya. As no foreign bhikkhunis arrived, the initial ordination of women as nuns only involved shaving their heads. Later, women also received full ordination, but the ordination system was still incomplete. It was not until 429 AD when 19 bhikkhunis led by Sanghamitta from Sri Lanka arrived in China that the ordination system for nuns was fully established, and China had fully ordained bhikkhunis who followed the Vinaya.
Noun Definitions:
Shakyamuni Buddha: Refers to Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
Parinirvana: Also known as Nirvana or Mahaparinirvana, refers to the final nirvana after death, which is the release from the cycle of rebirth.
Ordination: Refers to the act of a person becoming a monk or nun in Buddhism. There are five, eight, ten, and full ordination, each with its own ceremony and rules.
Ordination platform: Refers to the place where the ordination ceremony is held for a Buddhist monk or nun. In Sanskrit, it is called the Mandala.
Following the Dharma and Vinaya: Refers to following the teachings of Buddhism and the monastic code.