DAO’AN
Dao’an (312–385 C.E.) is a pivotal figure in all main
developments within Chinese Buddhism during its pe-
riod of adaptation within early medieval Chinese soci-
ety. His life coincided with the brutal political situation
in the country following the collapse of the Han dy-
nasty in 220. Until age fifty-three, he migrated through
many parts of northern China, where he built up sev-
eral Buddhist communities that were later forced to
disperse due to calamities of the time. Around 365, he
settled in Xiangyang (Hubei), where he headed a dis-
tinguished Buddhist community of more than three
hundred members for about fifteen years. In 379, Fu
Jian (357–387) of the Former Qin dynasty destroyed
Xiangyang, forcing Dao’an to move to Chang’an,
where he died six years later while serving as the main
leader of the local SAN ̇GHAand adviser to the emperor.
Dao’an’s rich contributions can be divided into
several categories. First, he changed the rules for
translating Buddhist texts into Chinese when he de-
manded that the geyi(matching the meaning) system
of translation be abolished and proper Chinese Bud-
dhist terminology be developed. Second, his influen-
tial commentaries explained the DHYANA (TRANCE
STATE) techniques, specifically in translations attrib-
uted to ANSHIGAO(late second or early third century
C.E.). Third, Dao’an systematized the Chinese tripitaka.
In 374 he published Zongli zhongjing mulu(Compre-
hensive Systematic Catalogue of Scriptures), in which he
divided translations made by known translators from
the anonyms, successfully establishing new criteria of
authenticity for the Chinese Buddhist CANON. The cri-
teria were applied to Buddhist texts in Chinese by later
scholars including Sengyou (445–518), Fajing (fl. late
sixth century), DAOXUAN(596–667), and Zhisheng (fl.
early eighth century). Fourth, Dao’an developed the
VINAYAliterature and monastic practice within China.
In the absence of complete translations of the Vinaya-
pitaka, he designed his own strict rules for monks, in-
cluding the practice of changing their surnames to Shi
(from the Chinese transliteration Shijiamouni for the
Sanskrit S ́akyamuni). Due to Dao’an’s untiring advo-
cacy, the Sarvastivada-vinayawas finally translated
into Chinese by KUMARAJIVA(350–409/413). Fifth, he
developed a form of prajñaparamita philosophy,
specifically the doctrine of the wuben(essential non-
beingness), which served as a precursor to the Chi-
nese reception of S ́UNYATA(EMPTINESS) expounded
during the second century C.E. by NAGARJUNA.
In addition to these scholarly achievements, Dao’an
established good communications between the san ̇gha
and secular governments. Despite the political hard-
ships he endured, he was able to organize sponsorship
from several political leaders; his friendship with Fu
Jian and Emperor Xiaowu (r. 373–397) of the Jin dy-
nasty are particularly notable. Dao’an’s advocacy built
the worship of the future Buddha MAITREYAinto one
of the most important East Asian Buddhist cults. His
outstanding disciples, who influenced development of
Chinese Buddhism in the next generation, included
HUIYUAN(334–416), the vaunt-courier in the PURE
LAND SCHOOLS, and Zhu Fatai, the leader of Buddhism
in Yangzhou.See also:Catalogues of Scriptures; China; Commen-
tarial LiteratureBibliography
Ch’en, Kenneth. Buddhism in China: A Historical Survey.Prince-
ton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1964.
Link, Arthur. “Biography of Tao-an.” T’oung Pao46 (1958):
1–48.
T’ang, Yung-t’ung. Han Wei liang Jin Nanbeichao fojiaoshi(His-
tory of Buddhism during Han, Wei, two Jin, and Southern and
Northern Dynasties). Shanghai: Shang Wushuguan, 1938.
Ui Hakuju. Shaku Doan Kenkyu (Research on Shi Dao’an).
Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1956.
Zürcher, Erik. The Buddhist Conquest of China: The Spread and
Adaptation of Buddhism in Early Medieval China.Leiden,
Netherlands: Brill, 1959.TANYASTORCHDAOISM AND BUDDHISMModern scholars use the term Daoismto denote a wide
variety of Chinese social groups and attitudes. Almost
any activity engaged in by the elite that was not asso-
ciated with governance has been labeled Daoist.In this
entry, the term will be restricted to the Daoist religion,
here defined as the collection of cognate and loosely
organized Chinese religious organizations, first at-
tested during the first century C.E., that “practiced the
Dao” (Way) and traced their understandings to reve-
lations emanating from the Dao at various times in hu-
man history. The most important among these
revelations was that of the deified Laozi, who broughtDAOISM ANDBUDDHISM