Huiyuan (Buddhist)

2007-11-12T21:47:43Z

Singinglemon~enwiki: /* See also */

{{ otheruses4|Huiyuan (慧遠), a Buddhist teacher|Huiyuan (惠远), the fortress in Xinjiang|Huiyuan, Xinjiang}}

'''Huiyuan '''(Chinese 慧遠; '''Hui-Yuan''' or '''Hui-Yüan'''; 334 AD–416 AD) was a [[China|Chinese]] [[Buddhist]] teacher who founded a monastery on [[Mount Lushan]] in [[Jiangxi]] province and wrote the text ''On Why Monks Do Not Bow Down Before Kings'' in 404 AD. He was born in [[Shanxi]] province but after a long life of Buddhist teaching he wound up in [[Hubei]] province, where he died in 416. Although he was born in the north, he would eventually move south to live within the bounds of the [[Eastern Jin Dynasty]].

Huiyuan was posthumously named First Patriarch of the [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land School of Buddhism]]. His disciples included Huiguan (慧觀), Sengji (僧濟), and Faan (法安).

==Life==

Huiyuan began studying [[Zhuangzi]] and [[Laozi]] at a young age, as well as the teachings of [[Confucius]]. However, at the age of 21 he was converted in Hebei Province by the Buddhist [[Dao An]], who was a Chinese disciple of a [[Kucha]]n missionary. Hearing the sermons of Dao An convinced Huiyuan to "leave the family" and embark on a life of Buddhist teachings.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 97">Ebrey, Cambridge Illustrated History of China, 97.</ref> Later, he lived at East Forest Temple (東林寺) at [[Mount Lushan]]. His teachings were various, including the [[vinaya]] (戒律), meditation (禪法), [[abhidharma]] and [[Prajna]] or wisdom. Besides his teaching and interaction with lay followers of the Buddhist faith, he also upheld a learned correspondence with the monk [[Kumarajiva]].

In the year 402 he organized a group of monks and lay people into a [[Mahayana]] sect known as [[Pure Land Buddhism]], the Pure Land being the western paradise of the buddha [[Amitabha]].

In the year 404, Huiyuan wrote a treatise ''On Why Monks Do Not Bow Down Before Kings''. This book symbolized his efforts to assert the political independence of Buddhist clergy from the courts of monarchic rulers. At the same time, it was a religious and political text that aimed to convince monarchs and Confucian-minded ministers of state that followers of Buddhism were ultimately not subversive. He argued that Buddhists could make good subjects in a kingdom due to their beliefs in retribution of [[karma]] and the desire to be reborn in paradise. Despite the Buddhists' reputation of leaving their family behind for a monastic life, Huiyuan stated "those who rejoice in the Way of the Buddha invariably first serve their parents and obey their lords."<ref name="ebrey cambridge 97"/>

==Notes==

{{reflist|3}}

==References==
*Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
*國語辭典[http://140.111.34.46/cgi-bin/dict/GetContent.cgi?Database=dict&DocNum=75563&GraphicWord=yes&QueryString=慧遠]

==See also==
*[[Buddhism in China]]
*[[Chinese philosophy]]


{{Persondata
|NAME = Huiyuan
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Hui-Yuan, Hui-Yüan
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = Military Colonel and Businessman
|DATE OF BIRTH = [[334]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Shanxi]], [[Hubei]]
|DATE OF DEATH = [[416]]
|PLACE OF DEATH = [[Hubei]], [[Hubei]]
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huiyuan}}
[[Category:334 births]]
[[Category:417 deaths]]
[[Category:5th century philosophers]]
[[Category:Chinese philosophers]]

[[fr:Huiyuan]]
[[ja:慧遠]]
[[vi:Huệ Viễn]]
[[zh:慧遠]]

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Huiyuan (Buddhist)