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Chinese Buddhism

Buddhism with Chinese characteristics

47 dated entries naming Chinese Buddhism, drawn from 45 separate years between 71 CE and 1352 CE. Nothing here is written by us: each line is the sentence a Wikipedia year article used, and the link beside it opens the exact revision.

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1st century

  • 71Liu Ying, Chinese prince of the Han Dynasty who converted to Buddhismsource

4th century

  • 360Tao Sheng, Chinese Buddhist scholar (approximate date)source

5th century

  • 412Fa-Hien, Chinese Buddhist monk, spends 2 years in Ceylon and is more than 200 days at sea as storms drive his ship off its course, but returns with sacred Buddhist texts back to China (see 414).source
  • 416Huiyuan, Buddhist teacher and founder of the Donglin Temple (born 334)source
  • 422Fa-Hien, Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler (approximate date)source
  • 434Tao Sheng, Chinese Buddhist scholarsource
  • 477Liu Zhun, age 10, becomes Emperor Shun of the Liu Song dynasty after his brother Houfei is assassinated by general Xiao Daocheng. He installs Shun as puppet ruler and sets himself up as regent. Xiao receives near-imperial powers, establishes Buddhism as the state religion and sets up the "Three Leaders" system, under which native hamlet, village and district officers are responsible for taxation and conscription.source

6th century

  • 557Dushun, Chinese (Buddhist) patriarch (died 640)source
  • 596Daoxuan, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 667)source
  • 598The Guoqing Temple is built on Mount Tiantai (Zhejiang), and becomes the site for the teachings of Chinese Buddhism.source

7th century

  • 602Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler (died 664)source
  • 658The Chinese Buddhist monks Zhi Yu and Zhi You recreate several south-pointing chariots, for the Japanese prince Tenji. This is a 3rd-century device made by Ma Jun, and acts as a mechanical-driven directional-compass vehicle (according to the Nihon Shoki).source
  • 664Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist monk and travelersource
  • 667Daoxuan, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 596)source
  • 671Yijing, Chinese Buddhist monk, travels by boat from Guangzhou, and visits the capital of the partly Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya in Palembang (Indonesia). He stays for 6 months to study Sanskrit grammar and the Malay language.source
  • 690October 16 – Wu Zetian ascends to the throne of the Tang dynasty, and proclaims herself ruler of the Chinese Empire as "Holy and Divine Emperor". She becomes the first and only female "emperor" in 5,000 years of Chinese history. Wu Zetian changes the dynasty's name to the Zhou Dynasty, and begins to murder throne pretendants and ministers who try to oppose her. During her reign she elevates the status of Buddhism above Taoism.source

8th century

  • 714Emperor Xuan Zong forbids all commercial vendors and shops in the Chinese capital city of Chang'an to copy and sell Buddhist sutras, so that the emperor can give the clergy of the Buddhist monasteries the sole right to distribute written sutras to the laity.source
  • 738Chengguan, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 839)source
  • 742Emperor Xuan Zong begins to favor Taoism over Buddhism, adopting the new reign title Tianbao ("Heavenly Treasures"), to indicate his divine mandate. The total number of enlisted troops in the Tang armies has risen to about half a million, due to Xuan Zongs's earlier military reforms.source
  • 745Yaoshan Weiyan, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 827)source
  • 746Hui-kuo, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 805)source
  • 754Jianzhen, Chinese Buddhist monk, arrives in Nara, where he is welcomed by former emperor Shōmu and empress Kōmyō. During his visit Jianzhen introduces sugar to the Japanese court, using it to mask the flavors of foul-tasting herbal tea.source
  • 759Wu Yantong, Chinese Buddhist monk (approximate date)source
  • 778Zhaozhou, Chinese Zen Buddhist master (died 897)source
  • 780Guifeng Zongmi, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 841)source

9th century

  • 805Hui-kuo, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 746)source
  • 826Wu Yantong, Chinese Buddhist monksource
  • 827Yaoshan Weiyan, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 745)source
  • 830Yunju Daoying, Chinese Buddhist teacher (died 902)source
  • 832Guanxiu, Chinese Buddhist monk and poet (died 912)source
  • 839Chengguan, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 738)source
  • 841Yunyan Tansheng, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 780)source
  • 841Guifeng Zongmi, Chinese Buddhist monk (born 780)source
  • 845Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution: Emperor Wu Zong begins the persecution of Buddhists and other foreign religions in China, such as Zoroastrianism, Nestorian Christianity and Manichaeism. More than 4,600 monasteries, 40,000 temples and numerous shrines are destroyed. More than 260,000 Buddhist monks and nuns are forced to return to secular life.source
  • 897Zhaozhou, Chinese Zen Buddhist master (born 778)source

10th century

  • 902Yunju Daoying, Chinese Buddhist teacher (born 830)source
  • 949Yunmen Wenyan, Chinese Zen Buddhist monksource
  • 958Rinchen Zangpo, Tibetan Buddhist monk (died 1055)source

11th century

  • 1032Touzi Yiqing, Chinese Zen Buddhist monk (died 1083)source
  • 1088Zhenxie Qingliao, Chinese Zen Buddhist monk (died 1151)source
  • 1089Dahui Zonggao, Chinese Zen Buddhist monk (died 1163)source
  • 1091Tiantong Zongjue, Chinese Buddhist monk and patriarch (died 1162)source
  • 1091Hongzhi Zhengjue, Chinese Chan Buddhist monk and writer (died 1157)source

12th century

  • 1107Changlu Zongze, Chinese Chan Buddhist monksource
  • 1125A collection of Zen Buddhist koans is compiled, in the Chinese Blue Cliff Record.source
  • 1166Wansong Xingxiu, Chinese Buddhist monk (died 1246)source

14th century

  • 1352After years of begging and being a Buddhist monk, the penniless Chinese peasant Zhu Yuanzhang joins the Red Turban Rebellions against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China; he will later become the first emperor of the Ming dynasty.source

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