Tao Sheng
Encyclopedia
Tao Sheng (ca. 360 – 434) was an eminent Liù Cháo era Chinese Buddhist scholar. Born in Pengcheng, he studied in Jiankang
under Chu Fa-t'ai
, and later at Lu-shan monastery with Hui Yüan, and from 405 or 406 under Kumarajiva
at Ch'ang-an, the capital of the Eastern Chin, where he stayed for some two years perfecting his education, and became one of the foremost scholars of his time, counted among the "fifteen great disciples" of Kumarajiva.
Seng-chao reports that Tao-Sheng assisted Kumarajiva in his translation of the Lotus Sutra
, Tao Sheng wrote commentaries on the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakirti-nirdesa Sutra and the Astasahasrika-prajnaparamita Sutra (the last of which has been lost). In 408, he returned to Lu-shan, and in 409 back to Jiankang, where remained for some twenty years, staying at the Ch'ing-yuan ssu monastery from 419.
Tao-Sheng controversially ascribed Buddha-nature
to the icchantikas, based on his reading on a short version of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which in that short form appears to deny the Buddha-nature to icchantikas; the long version of the Nirvana Sutra, however (not yet known to Tao Sheng), explicitly includes the icchantikas in the universality of the Buddha-nature. Tao Sheng's bold doctrine of including icchantikas within the purview of the Buddha-nature, even before that explicit teaching had actually been found in the long Nirvana Sutra, led to the expulsion of Tao-Sheng from the Buddhist community in 428 or 429, and he retreated to Lu-shan in 430.
With the availability of the long Nirvana Sutra after 430, through the translation of Dharmakshema, Tao-Sheng was vindicated and praised for his insight. He remained in Lu-shan, composing his commentary on the Lotus Sutra in 432, until his death in 434
Tao-Sheng's exegesis of the Nirvana Sutra had an enormous influence on interpretations of the Buddha-nature in Chinese Buddhism that prepared the ground for the Chán
school emerging in the 6th century.
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
under Chu Fa-t'ai
Chu Fa-t'ai
Zhu Fatai was a 4th century Chinese Buddhist scholar, disciple of Tao-an, teaching at Jiankang....
, and later at Lu-shan monastery with Hui Yüan, and from 405 or 406 under Kumarajiva
Kumarajiva
Kumārajīva; was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial...
at Ch'ang-an, the capital of the Eastern Chin, where he stayed for some two years perfecting his education, and became one of the foremost scholars of his time, counted among the "fifteen great disciples" of Kumarajiva.
Seng-chao reports that Tao-Sheng assisted Kumarajiva in his translation of the Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
, Tao Sheng wrote commentaries on the Lotus Sutra, the Vimalakirti-nirdesa Sutra and the Astasahasrika-prajnaparamita Sutra (the last of which has been lost). In 408, he returned to Lu-shan, and in 409 back to Jiankang, where remained for some twenty years, staying at the Ch'ing-yuan ssu monastery from 419.
Tao-Sheng controversially ascribed Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature, Buddha-dhatu or Buddha Principle , is taught differently in various Mahayana Buddhism traditions. Broadly speaking Buddha-nature is concerned with ascertaining what allows sentient beings to become Buddhas...
to the icchantikas, based on his reading on a short version of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which in that short form appears to deny the Buddha-nature to icchantikas; the long version of the Nirvana Sutra, however (not yet known to Tao Sheng), explicitly includes the icchantikas in the universality of the Buddha-nature. Tao Sheng's bold doctrine of including icchantikas within the purview of the Buddha-nature, even before that explicit teaching had actually been found in the long Nirvana Sutra, led to the expulsion of Tao-Sheng from the Buddhist community in 428 or 429, and he retreated to Lu-shan in 430.
With the availability of the long Nirvana Sutra after 430, through the translation of Dharmakshema, Tao-Sheng was vindicated and praised for his insight. He remained in Lu-shan, composing his commentary on the Lotus Sutra in 432, until his death in 434
Tao-Sheng's exegesis of the Nirvana Sutra had an enormous influence on interpretations of the Buddha-nature in Chinese Buddhism that prepared the ground for the Chán
Chan
-People:* Chan Marshall, American musician better known as Cat Power* Chan , Chinese surname; Mandarin transcription of the same name is Chen ** Agnes Chan , Hong Kong singer, also famous in Japan...
school emerging in the 6th century.