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Huiyuan

Type Figure Region Yanmen Time 334–416 Also known as Huiyuan、庐山慧远、远公

Huiyuan (334–416), eminent monk of Mount Lu under the Eastern Jin, first patriarch of Pure Land Buddhism;…

Timeline

  1. c. 354–379Xiangyang · JingzhouStudious from youth, he later entered Dao'an's following at Mount Heng, Xiangyang, and elsewhere, studying Prajñā and Nirvāṇa teachings deeply; he became one of Dao'an's famous disciples and gradually gained renown.
  2. 384–416Mount Lu · JiangzhouHe built a hermitage on Mount Lu, founded Donglin Monastery, gathered monks and laypeople to practice together, and established the White Lotus Society, giving equal weight to Buddha-recollection samādhi and Prajñā learning, making it a center of Buddhism in Jiangnan.
  3. 402–404Mount Lu · JiangzhouWhen the Eastern Jin court ordered monks to bow to the emperor, Huiyuan wrote a treatise defending the transcendent status of the sangha, arguing that monks do not bow to the emperor; the court accepted it, consolidating Buddhism's independent position in Chinese society.

Sources