Chinese Buddhism

Buddhism with Chinese characteristics

53 dated entries naming Chinese Buddhism, drawn from 51 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 (b. 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 (d. 640)source
596Daoxuan, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 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 (d. 664)source
640Dushun, (Chinese Buddhist) patriarch (b. 557)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 (b. 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 (d. 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 (d. 827)source
746Hui-kuo, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 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 (d. 897)source
780Guifeng Zongmi, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 841)source

9th century

805Hui-kuo, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 746)source
826Wu Yantong, Chinese Buddhist monksource
827Yaoshan Weiyan, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 745)source
830Yunju Daoying, Chinese Buddhist teacher (d. 902)source
832Guanxiu, Chinese Buddhist monk and poet (d. 912)source
839Chengguan, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 738)source
841Yunyan Tansheng, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 780)source
841Guifeng Zongmi, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 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
865Deshan Xuanjian, Chinese Zen Buddhist monksource
897Zhaozhou, Chinese Zen Buddhist master (b. 778)source

10th century

902Yunju Daoying, Chinese Buddhist teacher (b. 830)source
912Guanxiu, Chinese Buddhist monk and poet (b. 832)source
949Yunmen Wenyan, Chinese Zen Buddhist monksource
958Rinchen Zangpo, Tibetan Buddhist monk (d. 1055)source
980Xuedou Chongxian, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 1052)source

11th century

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

12th century

1105Xuedou Zhijian, Chinese Zen Buddhist monk (d. 1192)source
1107Changlu Zongze, Chinese Chan Buddhist monksource
1125A collection of Zen Buddhist koans is compiled, in the Chinese Blue Cliff Record.source
1162Tiantong Zongjue, Chinese Buddhist monk (b. 1091)source
1166Wansong Xingxiu, Chinese Buddhist monk (d. 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