Huiyuan

From a young age, Huiyuan was well versed in Confucian and Daoist teachings. At the age of 21, while listening to a lecture by Dao’an on the Prajnaparamita Sutra, he realized the superiority of the Buddha’s teachings and subsequently became a monk. When Huiyuan was 24 years old, he used Daoist concepts to help his audience grasp the profound meanings of the Nirvana Sutra in a lecture he gave in place of his master. Dao’an then granted him special permission to use non-Buddhist texts in his teachings. He stayed at Lushan for over 30 years, without ever leaving the mountain. The nobility held him in high respect and educated people took refuge under him. When Huanxuan decreed that Buddhist monks must prostrate to emperors, Huiyuan wrote a commentary arguing that monastic and emperors are equal before the Dharma. He founded the White Lotus Society, which emphasized cultivation through reciting the Buddha’s name, and became the First Patriarch of the Chinese Pure Land School.