monumental commentary on S ́iksananda’s translation
of the Huayan jing,which he supplemented with a sub-
commentary. A masterpiece of medieval exegetical lit-
erature, Chengguan’s work superseded all earlier com-
mentaries and was recognized as an authoritative study
of the scripture. The commentary exceeds the scope
and length of the scripture and is unrivaled in its com-
prehensive coverage and subtle analysis. Chengguan’s
major contribution to Huayan’s doctrinal evolution
was his theory of the four realms of reality (DHAR-
MADHATU). He was also the first Huayan scholar to
take into account the teachings of the Chan school,
which he studied during his early years.
Zongmi.The connection with Chan was further ex-
tended by Chengguan’s student ZONGMI(780–841),
the fifth and last of the Huayan patriarchs. Born into
a gentry family in Sichuan, Zongmi received a clas-
sical education in his youth. He became interested in
Chan during his twenties, and before long decided
to enter the monastic order. Zongmi became a
student of Chengguan in 812 after his move to
Chang’an. Subsequently he had a successful clerical
career and authored a number of works that cover a
broad range of topics. Zongmi’s position within
Huayan is somewhat ambiguous because his writings
do not focus directly on the Huayan jing,and be-
cause he was also recognized as a member of the
Chan lineage. He made lasting contribution to the
rapprochement between Chan and the doctrinal tra-
ditions of Buddhism (jiao), represented mainly (but
not exclusively) by Huayan. He also introduced
changes in his doctrinal taxonomy by including the
teachings of Confucianism and Daoism, and by ele-
vating the TATHAGATAGARBHAtheory to a place of
preeminence at the expense of the perfect teaching
represented by the Huayan jing.
Li Tongxuan. Another notable figure during the
Tang period was Fazang’s contemporary Li Tongxuan
(635–730), a lay recluse whose whole life is shrouded
in mystery. Li’s major work was his commentary on
the Huayan jing(in forty fascicles), and he also wrote
a few shorter works. Li studied Fazang’s writings, but
his exegesis of the scripture often adopts a different
approach and puts forward novel ideas and interpre-
tations. Although he was not widely recognized dur-
ing his lifetime, Li’s writings became popular after the
Tang period among Chan monks, and they were
transmitted to Japan and Korea, where they achieved
high acclaim.
Further spread and influence
With Zongmi, the patriarchal tradition came to an end.
Yet, that was not the end of Huayan history in China.
Huayan continued to be studied as a major system of
Buddhist philosophy. Its key tenets also became dif-
fused as part of a general Chinese Buddhist worldview
and they were gradually absorbed into other Buddhist
schools. Huayan influences can be found in the records
of many Chan teachers, including Dongshan (807–
869), Caoshan (840–901), Fayan (885–958), and Dahui
ZONGGAO(1089–1163). Huayan concepts and teach-
ings, such as nature origination, were also absorbed
into the TIANTAI SCHOOL. Huayan influences are evi-
dent in the writings of ZHANRAN(711–782), who re-
vived Tiantai’s sagging fortunes during the Tang, even
as he tried to demonstrate the superiority of Tiantai
over Huayan. The increasing scope of Huayan influ-
ences became a point of contention during the Tiantai
debates of the Northern Song period (960–1126), as
proponents of the Shanwai (Off Mountain) faction of
Tiantai were criticized by ZHILI(960–1028) and his
Shanjia (Home Mountain) faction for their unwar-
ranted adoption of Huayan metaphysics, mainly de-
rived from the writings of Chengguan and Zongmi.
There was also a modest Huayan revival during the
Song, spearheaded by the reputed “four masters”—
Daoting, Shihui, Xidi, and Guanfu—but their main fo-
cus was on commenting on the works of the Tang pa-
triarchs rather than on charting new paths of doctri-
nal development for the school.Korea.Beyond China, Huayan entered Korea (where
it is known as Hwao ̆m) at an early stage of the tradi-
tion’s history. The first transmitter and leading
Hwao ̆m figure during the Silla period (668–935) was
U ̆ISANG(625–702). U ̆isang traveled to China and be-
came a student of Zhiyan at Mount Zhongnan. He was
a senior colleague of Fazang and the two formed a last-
ing friendship. After returning to his native land in 671,
U ̆isang was successful in establishing Hwao ̆m as a ma-
jor Buddhist tradition on the Korean peninsula. He
built a number of monasteries and secured the official
patronage of the royal court, which bestowed on him
the title of national teacher. U ̆isang’s major work, the
brief Hwao ̆m ilsu ̆ng po ̆pkye to(Chart of the Huayan
One-Vehicle Realm of Reality), was presented to Zhiyan
during his stay in China and it remains a classic expo-
sition of Huayan thought.Because of the great influence of U ̆isang and his dis-
ciples, Hwao ̆m became the primary theoretical system
of Korean Buddhism and served as the foundation forHUAYANSCHOOL