Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

法沖

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Fachong

Senses:

  • (589–665). A specialist in the Laṅkâvatāra-sūtra [LS] 楞伽經. The entry on him in the Xu gaoseng zhuan 續高僧傳 may have been added soon before Daoxuanʼs death in 667. Aspects of his biography show an 'antiestablishmentarian cast' (McRae, Northern School, 24): his refusal to accept official ordination, his criticisms of Xuanzang 玄奘, and his life of mendicancy. This biography traces his teaching on the LS back to Huike 慧可, the traditionally regarded second patriarch of Chinese Chan 禪宗, and thus constitutes an important link in claims that the LS held a special pride of place in early Chan. McRae considers these claims exaggerated, however, and proceeds to argue that with the sole exception of Fachong, we have no explicit evidence to prove that there was indeed any special link between early Chan figures and the LS. [Michael Radich]
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

    • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 1138a

    Fo Guang Dictionary 3353

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2003-10-05

    Updated: 2013-07-10