author
Dao Shen
Known as one of the most important early Chinese Buddhist thinkers, this monk helped shape later ideas about Buddha-nature and enlightenment. His bold readings of the scriptures were controversial in his own time, but they went on to leave a lasting mark on Chinese Buddhism.
1 Audiobook
慎子
by Dao Shen
About the author
Active during the late 4th and early 5th centuries, Daosheng was a Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar best known for his interpretations of the Lotus Sutra and the Nirvana Sutra. He studied with major Buddhist teachers of his era and became part of the circle around Kumārajīva, one of the great translators of Buddhist texts into Chinese.
Daosheng is especially remembered for arguing that all beings possess Buddha-nature and for stressing the possibility of sudden enlightenment. These ideas were debated fiercely in his lifetime, and some of his views were initially rejected. Later translations and developments in Buddhist thought gave strong support to positions he had defended.
Because of that, Daosheng came to be seen as a remarkably forward-looking figure. His writings and interpretations helped prepare the ground for later Chinese Buddhist traditions, especially those that emphasized direct insight and innate awakening.