Hongzun

2021-11-18

Huiguang

Huiguang (487-536), surname Yang, was born in Dingzhou (the present Ding county of Hebei province). He, aged 13, moved to Luoyang and then was accepted as a disciple by Buddhabhadra, becoming a monastic of Shaolin Temple before long. Buddhabhadra was not only great at dharma of Hinayana but also quite had research to the Vanaya school, the Huayan school and so on, being a great master of the Vinaya school. Huiguang died in the Ye town (the present Anyang city), aged 70.

2021-11-18

Bodhidharma

Bodhidharma (?-536), also named Dharma, was an eminent Brahman monk of ancient India. He mounted Guangzhou to preach Buddhism in China during the first year of Datong in Liang Dynasty (527). Afterwards he reached Shaolin Temple from Luoyang and peacefully practiced in a cave of Wuru Mount around 9 years. He originally established the theory of sitting quietly with self-cultivation, following doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism and integrated it into Chinese spirit, which is called “Biguan” or Chan Buddhism of Mahayana Buddhism. Afterwards Dharma left Shaolin Temple and died in the third year of the Taiping period in Eastern Wei Dynasty (536), buried in Xiong’ er Mount. Emperor Daizong of Tang awarded him the title master Yuanjue later on. Dharma was respected as the primary ancestor and the 28th patriarch of Chan Buddhism after its thriving.

2021-11-18

Buddhabhadra

Buddhabhadra (359-429), also known as Buddha, was an eminent monk of India. He preached Buddhism in China during the reign of emperor Xiaowen in Northern Wei Dynasty, deeply respected. The Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang where emperor Xiaowen built a temple for him. Afterwards emperor Xiaowen built another temple for Buddhabhadra under Shaoshi Mountain among Songshan Mountains. It is the present Shaolin Temple whose first abbot and founder was Buddhabhadra. He translated scriptures including The Avatamsaka Sutra, The Nirvana Sutra, Vimalakirti Sutra and so on.

2021-11-16

Faru

Faru (638-689), born in Shangdang, his surname Wang, was a leader of Chan in North of the early Tang Dynasty. Faru was known as another the sixth master of Chan inherited from Hongren. Faru preached dharma in Shaolin Temple, playing a role in establishing the position of the ancestral monastery of Chan for Shaolin Temple. Faru passed away in Shaolin Temple in Yongchang one year of the Tang Dynasty (689), aged 52. Disciples built his pagoda in the west of the temple.

2021-11-16

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