ABSTRACT
Hui Guan 慧觀 was born into a family with the surname Cui, in what is present-day Hebei Province. He became a Buddhist monk at an early age, and traveled to study under different masters. He went to Mount Lu and studied under Hui Yuan 慧遠. When he heard that Kumārajīva 鳩摩羅什 was coming to northern China, he went to study under him. His extensive exposure enabled him to make comparisons between the teachings of different masters and thus helped him explore doctrinal problems in depth. The work he wrote to introduce the Saddharma-puṇḍarīka Sūtra 法華經 (Lotus Sutra), titled “The Doctrinal Essentials of the Lotus Sutra” 法華宗要 (Fahua zongyao), was much praised by Kumārajīva for being able to establish and propagate important Buddhist precepts. He died some time between 424 and 452 CE.
