Sengzhao
Encyclopedia
Sengzhao (384–414), from Jingzhao, was a Buddhist
Chinese philosopher and the first disciple of Kumārajīva
. He helped translate Indian treatises and also wrote his own. These form the only source of study for early Chinese Mādhyamika Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Memoirs of Eminent Monks
.
Sengzhao criticized earlier Chinese Buddhist schools for believing in being or non-being. He concluded that all dharma
s are empty.
He was also influenced by the Taoists
Laozi
and Zhuangzi
.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
Chinese philosopher and the first disciple of Kumārajīva
Kumarajiva
Kumārajīva; was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial...
. He helped translate Indian treatises and also wrote his own. These form the only source of study for early Chinese Mādhyamika Buddhism. He is mentioned in the Memoirs of Eminent Monks
Memoirs of Eminent Monks
The Memoirs of Eminent Monks is a compilation of biographies of monks in China from the introduction of Buddhism to China up to the Liang Dynasty....
.
Sengzhao criticized earlier Chinese Buddhist schools for believing in being or non-being. He concluded that all dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
s are empty.
He was also influenced by the Taoists
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
Laozi
Laozi
Laozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
and Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, a period corresponding to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — the Hundred Schools of Thought, and is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name,...
.