(1) Photo by Moteng Zhu Falan (date of birth and death unknown): The Agni Fire Sutra

A famous classical scholar from ancient India, he first came to Luoyang, China, to teach Buddhism in 67 AD. At that time, Chinese society believed in Confucianism and Taoism, and was skeptical and negative about the Buddhist scriptures they transmitted. So they held a big Dharma meeting, which caused a sensation in the city from Emperor Ming down to the common people. They put Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist books into the fire. As a result, the Confucian and Taoist scriptures were reduced to ashes. But only the Buddhist scriptures became fresher and purer, and the two jumped into the flames again, making various amazing gestures. Later, there was an idiom "Fire Fire Scripture" and the allusion of "incredible" came from this.

(2) An Shigao (year of birth and death unknown) Picture: Traveling Eastward to Promote Dharma

The prince of the ancient Parthian king (today’s Iran), was extremely intelligent, could speak the words of birds and beasts, and later became a general He gave up the throne to his uncle and became a monk. In 147 AD, the Eastern Desert came to China. Systematic translation introduces Hinayana teachings and is the founder of Chinese Buddhist scripture translation. In more than 20 years in China, he has translated 34 Buddhist scriptures and 40 volumes. In the last years of Emperor Ling's reign (189), he fled the chaos in the south of the Yangtze River and passed through Mount Lu to Guangzhou and finally Kuaiji.

(3) Shi Daoan (312-385) Picture: Shi Daoan refused to be granted the title

An outstanding Buddhist scholar in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, known as the "Handprint Bodhisattva". He became a monk at the age of 12 and studied under the eminent monk Fotucheng at the age of 24. He advocated that monks and nuns should take "Shi" as their surname. He taught thousands of monks in Wangzhong Temple and had a great influence. King Fu Jian of Qin not only consulted him about Buddhism, but also often consulted him about politics. At that time, Fu Jian in the north and the Jin emperor in the south were competing for high-ranking officials and high salaries, but he remained unmoved. He had great achievements and outstanding insights in laying the foundation for the development of Buddhism in China, and became a lifelong teacher.

(4) Fotucheng (232-348) Picture: Fotucheng stopped killing

Qiuci people of the Western Regions (now Kuqa, Xinjiang), the fourth year of Yongjia in the Western Jin Dynasty (310 ) went to Luoyang and won the trust of Shi Le and Shi Hu with his ghost and magic skills. He often participated in military and political affairs, and repeatedly used Buddhism to persuade Shi to practice "virtue", "not to kill", "not to be violent, and not to harm innocent people". With his influence and wisdom, he persuaded Shi to stop killing, and from then on, Ershi regarded him as He was a man of God. He used his intelligence and status to build 839 temples in the court and prefectures, reaching the highest number since Buddhism was introduced to China, with more than 10,000 disciples. He passed away at the age of 117.

) Huiyuan (334-416) Picture: Three Smiles of Huxi

An outstanding monk in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The society was extremely unstable during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which made him have the idea of ??escaping from the world, and he refused official recommendation many times. Dao'an became a monk and insisted that monks not kneel before the emperor. At the same time, he advocated harmony with Confucianism and Taoism for the first time. He was respected by emperors, generals and ministers, and enabled Buddhism to develop comprehensively. He was the founder of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism and was born as a transcendent person. With his "fangwai" attitude, he made friends with all walks of life. He lived in Lushan and never visited Huxi. The three of them laughed heartily. Huiyuan had great political vision, activity methods and organizational talents. He was an eminent Buddhist monk who was good at absorbing the ideas of famous people. In the Tang Dynasty, he was honored as "Master Bianjue" and "Master Zhengjue". In the Song Dynasty, he was posthumously named "Guojue". "Master" etc.

(6) Faxian (about 337-about 422) Pictures: 1. Wandering Westward 2. Famous throughout the ages

A native of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was a great and arduous person in ancient my country A traveler and outstanding Buddhist translator, he set out from Chang'an at the age of 62, traveled through the Great Gobi, passed through more than 30 countries in the Western Regions, and narrowly escaped death in the Himalayas. After 14 years, he finally completed his journey in 412. He arrived in Laoshan, Qingdao, Shandong Peninsula. He not only brought back dozens of Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures, but also wrote dozens of volumes of Buddhist scriptures. The reasons for his journey are: firstly, he is determined to seek the Dharma, and he must be sincere when he is determined; secondly, he is sincere, and where he is sincere, gold and stone will be opened; thirdly, he is courageous, and even though he is facing a certain death situation, he can ignore his own safety and remain indomitable. It is truly commendable and will be admired by future generations.

(7) Kumarajiva (343-413) Picture: Translating Sutras All Night

Ancient Kucha native, forty years of Chinese Buddhism. One of the translators. He became a monk with his mother at the age of 7. He is proficient in Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures and has a high level of Chinese literacy. Therefore, the scriptures he translated are especially popular in Chinese Buddhist literature and the fundamental teachings of Mahayana. Transplantation and dissemination are indispensable. Since arriving in Chang'an in 401 AD, he has translated more than 300 volumes of scriptures, which had a great impact on the subsequent development of Chinese Buddhism and provided the basis for the creation of "Tiantai Sect" and "Pure Land Sect". ” and so on.

(8) Bodhidharma (?-528) Pictures: 1. Crossing the river with a reed 2. Bodhidharma facing the wall

The third Jade King of ancient South India He was determined to go to China to promote "Mahayana" Buddhism. According to historical records of Zen Buddhism, he was the 28th ancestor after Sakyamuni and the first ancestor of Zen Buddhism in China.

After arriving in Jinling, he discussed Zen with Emperor Wu of Liang. , did not speculate, and decided to cross the river to preach northward. It is said that when Bodhidharma was crossing the river, the people on the west bank wanted to see the ability of this distant monk, so they deliberately drove the boats away from the dock. Bodhidharma borrowed a reed from an old woman and put it into the river. Then he stood on the reed and floated to the north bank. He saluted the old woman across the river and pushed the reed across the river.

After Bodhidharma crossed the river, he landed at the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain. He faced the stone wall in a cave halfway up Wuru Peak, closed his eyes and meditated, day after day, year after year, and finally after 9 years of facing the wall , comprehend the meaning of Zen. Legend has it that when Bodhidharma finished his meditation, his figure was imprinted into the stone wall. Later generations called the cave "Dharma Cave" and the stone on the wall called the wall stone.

(9) Daosheng (year of birth and death unknown) Picture: Stubborn stone nodding

A monk in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was extremely intelligent and could teach the Dharma at the age of 15. He has been studying in Luoshi for many years and has gained a profound understanding of the Buddhist teachings. Based on the Buddhist principle that "all living beings can become Buddhas". He proposed that "everyone can become a Buddha with just one interpretation", which was unheard of at the time. The conservatives said that his heretical teachings were misleading the people, so they expelled him from the monks and drove him out of Jiankang. It is said that when he arrived in Suzhou, he was convinced that his theory was correct, so he erected a stone on Tiger Hill in Suzhou as an audience and preached to the stone. When he said that "Chanti also has Buddha nature", he asked the stones, "Does what I said is consistent with the Buddha's heart?" All the stones nodded in agreement. This is the famous allusion of "the old man talks, the stubborn stone nods". Later, the "Nirvana Sutra" was spread to the south, and it was indeed said that "Chanti is the Buddha's nature." Only then did the monks admire Tao Sheng's outstanding insights.

(10) Zhiyi YI (538-597) Picture: Dream Stool Tiantai

The eminent monk of the Sui Dynasty was the founder of the "Tiantai Sect" in China. He has been preaching Buddhism for more than 30 years, and the Tiantai Sect he founded is the first sect in the history of Chinese Buddhism. The Tiantai Sect takes the Lotus Sutra as its classic basis, so the Tiantai Sect is also called the Lotus Sect. He built 36 temples in his life and personally taught more than 14,000 monks. He wrote many works and had a great influence on the history of Chinese Buddhism (Chishan Fahuayuan belongs to the Tiantai Sect).

(11) Ji Zang (549-623) Picture: Zongda Lun Sect

Persian (now Iran), born in Jinling, is the founder of the "San Lun Sect". A great master. Since the "San Lun Sect" clearly stated the "eight nos" at the beginning, that is, "everything is empty", and the emperors of the Sui and Tang Dynasties did not accept this concept, it was not as influential as the Tiantai Sect, and it soon declined. However, Jizang's erudition and knowledge were respected by the emperors of the Chen, Sui and Tang dynasties. The Sanron sect was later introduced to Japan by his disciple Huiguan from Korea, who flourished in Japan and is known as the founder of the Sanron sect in Japan.

(12) Daoxuan (596-667) Picture: Nanshan Studying Dharma

An eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty and the founder of the Nanshan Sect of the Chinese Vinaya Sect. The law is the precepts. For Buddhism, the precepts are very important because he lived in Zhongnan Mountain for a long time and established his rules and regulations in the mountain. He was known as the "Nanshan Lawyer" in his old life, and the "Four-Part Law" he established became the norm for later generations of ascetics. He is also a Buddhist historian and has written many books.

(13) Xuanzang (600-664) Pictures: 1. Taking the path alone 2. Intimidating the thieves 3. Monument

An eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty, one of the four major translators of Chinese Buddhism One of the teachers and the founder of Faxiang Sect. He became a monk at the age of 13. At the age of 29, he went to the desert of the Western Regions, alone for thousands of miles, and went through many hardships and dangers. He traveled back and forth for 17 years, traveled more than 50,000 miles, and visited 138 countries. After learning from the experience and returning to China, he wrote the twelve volumes of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty. . When he was in India, he debated with 18 kings, more than 4,000 monks and more than 2,000 pagans at a debate meeting in Qunu City. No one could raise objections to his teachings, which made him famous throughout India. After returning to China, he founded the Consciousness-Wei Sect. Xuanzang was an accomplished translator. He translated 75 scriptures and 1,335 volumes in his lifetime, which can be said to be unprecedented. He was a famous eminent monk in the East, an outstanding thinker, and a world-famous traveler. He occupies an important position in the history of Chinese Buddhism, philosophy, culture, and Sino-foreign exchanges.

In 664, Xuanzang passed away in the Yuhua Palace Dojo in Chang'an. Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty mourned and mourned and resigned from the court. There were more than a million people within 500 miles of the capital, and the capital was blocked.

(14) The Three Great Masters of Kaiyuan (713-741) Picture: The Three Great Masters of Tantra

The three Indian monks who founded Tantric Buddhism during the Kaiyuan period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, namely Shan Wuwei and King Kong Zhi , not empty. They were all foreign eminent monks who came to China in the Tang Dynasty and systematically spread Indian esoteric Buddhism to China, so they were called the "Three Great Masters of Kaiyuan".

Shan Wuwei was originally from Tianzhu and was a descendant of King Ganlufan, the uncle of Sakyamuni. Soon after he became king, he abdicated the throne to his brother. He became a monk himself. When he was 80 years old, he was ordered to come to China to preach. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty appointed him as his national teacher. He passed away at the age of ninety-nine. In the fourth year after Shan Wuwei came to China, another Indian eminent monk Vajra Zhi and his disciples passed through Guangzhou. He went straight to Luoyang and was honored as a national master by Xuanzong. His disciple Fu Kong was the one with the greatest achievement and the most far-reaching influence among the three great scholars. After the death of Vajra Zhi, he sailed to the Lion Kingdom (today's Sri Lanka) with his will and the credential of the Tang Dynasty, practiced Tantric Buddhism intensively, and collected more than a thousand volumes of Tantric scriptures. In the fifth year of Tianbao, he returned to Chang'an, where he translated scriptures and taught Dharma. . He passed away in 774 with a lifespan of seventy lifetimes. Fu Kong translated seventy-seven esoteric classics and more than one hundred volumes in his lifetime. Therefore, he was called one of the "Four Great Commentators of Chinese Scriptures" by later generations, and was honored as a national teacher by Xuanzong, Suzong, and Daizong.

(15) Huineng (638-731) Picture: Magical power to control the killer

A monk in the Tang Dynasty and the founder of the Southern School of Zen. His common surname is Lu, originally borrowed from Fan Yang, and he was born in Lingnan. He lost his father when he was three years old. In the first year of Yifeng (676), he met Master Yin Zong at Nanhai Faxing Temple and was ordained. He inherited the mantle of Hongren and became the sixth ancestor of Zen. In the history of Chinese Buddhism, only Hui Neng, the master who founded the sect, came from a poor background.

He not only has an important position and profound influence in the history of Chinese Buddhism, but also in Chinese philosophical thought. Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty gave him the posthumous title of "Zen Master Dajian".

(16) Fa Zang (643-712) Picture: Ancestor Huayan

An eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty, with a common surname of Kang and the courtesy name of Xian Shou, or "Master Xian Shou". The complex name is "Kang Zang Guoshi". The actual founder of "Huayan Sect". He learned the Huayan Sutra from Yunhua Temple at the age of 17, and passed through Gaozong, Wu Zetian, and Zhongzong. He passed away in the first year of Ruizong's Xiantian (712 AD) at the age of 70. Fazang made lifelong contributions to the establishment and promotion of Huayan Sect throughout his life. He wrote many works, systematically expounding the ideological system of Huayan Sect. Wu Zetian, who is known to the world as the "Three Patriarchs of Huayan", also gave him the name of "Xianshou Bodhisattva" in the "Huayan Sutra".

(17) One line (683-727) Picture: Observing the sky at night

An eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty, a famous astronomer and the organizer of Tantric teachings. Born in the first year of Emperor Gaozong's reign. He passed away in the 15th year of Emperor Xuanzong's reign at the age of 45. His posthumous title is "Zen Master Dahui".

Yixing's real surname is Zhang and his given name is Sui. He is a descendant of Zhang Gongjin, a hero in the early Tang Dynasty. He had read extensively about classics and history since he was a child, and was especially proficient in the study of yin and yang and the five elements. He became a monk at the age of 21, participated in the Shanwuwei Translation Center, and wrote twenty volumes of the Mahavaira Sutra. He also wrote twenty volumes of "Dayan Calendar", fifty-two volumes of "Kaiyuan Dayan Calendar", three volumes of "Qi Zheng Chang Li", twelve volumes of "Yi Lun", one volume of "Psychic Arithmetic", etc. Yi Xing also made the Armillary Bronze Sphere and the Zodiac Bronze Sphere. Using these instruments, the group discovered the movement of stars. This is more than a thousand years earlier than the Western view of stellar motion. He initiated astronomical observations at 12 locations across the country and calculated the length equivalent to the meridian latitude, which was 90 years earlier than in the West. The British Joseph Needham praised him as "one of the greatest astronomers and mathematicians in Chinese history" in his book "History of Chinese Science and Technology". The group's outstanding contributions to my country's ancient science and technology and culture will forever be remembered in history.

(18) Huaihai (720-814) Picture: Baizhang Zen Master Du Laohu

The Zen master of the Tang Dynasty, because he taught disciples in Baizhang Mountain, was known as "Baizhang Zen Master" ". In the past, many Zen monks lived in Lv Temple. Huaihai founded a Zen monastery because of the different habits of Zen and Lv sects, and formulated the "Zen Rules", later called "Baizhang Qing Rules". After his death, Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty was given the posthumous title of "Dazhi Zen Master". Due to the power of Huaihai, Mazu's sect was formed into the "Hongzhou Sect" with many disciples. Because he had a strange encounter with the old fox during his missionary work, later generations of Zen masters called him "Wild Fox Zen".

The origin of "Wild Zen Fox" is this. Every time Huaihai went to the church to preach, there would be an old man among the monks listening. One day, Zen Master Baizhang finished preaching the Dharma and all the monks dispersed. Only the old man stayed in the Zen room and refused to leave. Huaihai came closer and asked, "Do you have any advice for me, old benefactor?" The old man responded with a salute and said, "I am not an ordinary person, I am the incarnation of a wild fox!" He said intermittently: "I was originally a practitioner. Just because a young Taoist asked me a question: "Is it possible for a person who practices great practice to avoid falling into the cycle of cause and effect and become a long-lived immortal without birth and death?" I told him without thinking at that time: "A person who practices great practice?" Of course I won't fall into the reincarnation of cause and effect.' It turns out that I said it wrong. Suddenly the earth shook and a wild fox emerged from where I was sitting in meditation. It cuffed me with handcuffs and said in a rough voice! "You are one of our Wild Fox Kingdom. "I became a wild fox and lived a life of darkness. I still can't escape to this day. Where did I go wrong? Please tell me where I went wrong. I would be very grateful to you!"

"It's not that I won't fall into the reincarnation of cause and effect. But don't be ignorant of the reincarnation of cause and effect!" Huaihai said without hesitation.

Then he explained: "The greatness of the saint is not that he escapes the reincarnation of cause and effect and becomes an immortal immortal or an ever-changing monster. It is that he is in the reincarnation of cause and effect, but does not The saint is fooled by the cycle of cause and effect."

"Why do the saints still get sick and die? Face asked suspiciously.

“This is the place where saints are saints!” As far as the Buddha is concerned, he could have retreated into the mountains to meditate for his own entertainment, and he could have ascended to heaven to enjoy peace and happiness; however, he refused. In order to save all sentient beings in the cycle of life and death, he would rather endure the torture of disease and life and death and stay in the world to share the joys and sorrows with us. "

When the old man heard this, his thin face showed a trace of red light, he knelt down, and said with tears: "Thank you, Master, for your enlightenment, so that the disciple can escape from the body of a wild fox. At sunrise tomorrow morning, the disciple transformed. He begged the master to collect the disciple's body and bury it with the etiquette of a monk's death. "After saying that, he disappeared under an ancient pine tree behind the temple.

The next day, Huaihai summoned all the Zen monks in the temple and came to the ancient pine tree. Sure enough, he saw a wild fox that had just died. Lying on the ground, Huaihai ordered the monks to bury him under the ancient pine in the manner of a monk's death. Later, he asked someone to erect a stone tablet with the words: Tomb of the Fox Immortal!

One day, A monk named Huang Bo Xiyun (who later became Huaihai's proud disciple) came to ask Huaihai: "Master, if the practitioner was right at that time, where should he be now? "

"Come here and I'll tell you! "Huaihai waved and said.

Huang Bo approached Baizhang and slapped Baizhang like an arrow! Not only was Huaihai not angry, he clapped his hands and laughed and said, "I was going to give you a slap, but I didn't expect that you are better than me." After saying this, the master and the apprentice burst into laughter.

This story also illustrates his Zen skills and Zen style. Because of true liberation, the real Buddha has no form, so he has no direction and cannot ask where he is. Huang Bo knew this, but deliberately asked the master this unreasonable question, so Huaihai said he was going to give him a slap. However, precisely because Huang Bo already knew the absurdity of the question and knew that the master would give him a slap, he took the initiative and slapped Baizhang! Although there is a sternness between master and disciple in the Zen sect, there is also humor between Huaihai and Huangbo.

(19) Daoji (1148-1209) Picture: Living Buddha Jigong

A monk in the Southern Song Dynasty, whose original name was Li Xiuyuan, was known as "Jigong" in the world. Born in the early Southern Song Dynasty, he was born in Taizhou, Zhejiang. Shishou is 61 years old. Buddhists mythologize him as Arhat and call him "Subduing Dragon". Because he punished evil and promoted good and helped the world throughout his life, later generations wrote various legends about this unruly Arhat. There are six or seven kinds of stories that have been circulated in the world. Therefore, Jigong Living Buddha can be said to be the most famous person in our country. Became a household name.

(20) Hongyi (1880-1942) Picture: Saving the country with Buddha

Li Shutong, whose Buddhist name is Hongyi, is a famous scholar and monk in modern China. He is a man of scriptures, calligraphy and painting. He is a talented man who knows everything about music, printing, music and drama. He studied in Japan in 1905. After returning to China in 1910, he founded the "Bunmei Society" with Liu Yazi and others and edited the "Bunmei Magazine". He became a monk in Hangzhou in 1918. In the 1930s, when Japan invaded China, Li Shutong did not forget the fate of the country because he was a Buddhist. He loudly put forward the slogan: "Recite the Buddha without forgetting to save the country, and save the country without forgetting to recite the Buddha." He practiced it and actively participated in The anti-Japanese national salvation movement had a huge impact in the religious world. After that, many Buddhist disciples not only preached anti-Japanese, but some even took off their cassocks and went directly to the battlefield to fight against Japan and kill the enemy. In 1942, Li Shutong passed away in Quanzhou at the age of 66. Buddhism respects him as "the 11th generation founder of the Nanshan Vinaya Sect of Revival".

(21) Jianzhen (688-763) Picture: Jianzhen's eastward journey

An eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty, also known as the "Master Crossing the Sea" and the "Great Monk of the Tang Dynasty". A monk from the Tang Dynasty, the founder of the Japanese Vinaya Sect. Born in Jiangyang County, Yangzhou, his common surname is Chunyu. He became a monk at a young age and became an authority on southern discipline at the age of 45. The number of disciples who were ordained by him reached 40,000. In the first year of Tang Tianbao (742), he traveled eastward to spread Buddhism at the invitation of monks studying in Japan. In this way, at the age of 55, Jianzhen began his eastward journey that illuminated the annals of history, and he struggled for 12 years. In 12 years, Jianzhen and his party made six trips to the east, and the first five failed. Among them, during the fifth trip eastwards, due to a storm, they were drifted to Zhenzhou (now Yaxian County) on Hainan Island, and 36 people sacrificed their lives before and after. More than 200 people left due to frustration, and Jianzhen himself became blind. However, Jianzhen's belief in traveling eastward to spread Buddhism remained unshaken. In 753, he once again traveled eastward. After more than a month of wandering, he finally arrived at Lukong Island in southern Kyushu, Japan. He introduced all the civilization of the Tang Dynasty to Japan and had a profound impact on the development of Japanese culture. First of all, it caused fundamental changes in the Japanese Buddhist world. Through the efforts of Jianzhen and his disciples, the Japanese Vinaya Sect was officially established. He was the founder of the formal Buddhist teachings in Japan and the first Japanese Vinaya Sect. He was awarded the title of "Dengden Great Master" by the Emperor of Japan. . He has made indelible contributions to Sino-Japanese culture, medicine, architecture, exchanges and friendly exchanges.