. the presence of esoteric buddhist elements 303
And though they never central to the Faxiang school, Esoteric Bud-
dhist practices were present in its teachings and rituals from the very
outset, as documented in Xuanzang’s many translations. The Esoteric
Buddhist element in Faxiang would appear to have increased after
Xuanzang’s death.
Both Śubhākarasiṃha and Vajrabodhi are known to have taught
their brand of Esoteric Buddhism to monks from the Northern School
of Chan. Moreover, Esoteric Buddhist beliefs and practices were not
limited to the Northern School but also thrived within the Southern
School of Chan. At least one late manuscript from Dunhuang shows
evidence of harmonization between Chan and Zhenyan Buddhism as
transmitted via Amoghavajra.
It is interesting to observe that while Esoteric Buddhist influence
on Chinese Buddhism in general was extensive, in particular during
the mid- and late Tang, it became even more so during the following
dynasties. At that time, however, the orthodox lineages of the Zhe-
nyan school had been broken, resulting in an unsystematic and bifur-
cated transmission of Esoteric Buddhist doctrines, rituals, and general
lore. Hence, Esoteric Buddhism current under the Liao, Song, and Jin
dynasties was historically divorced from the “golden age” of Esoteric
Buddhism of the mid-Tang, even though most of its literature was still
in circulation.