ABSTRACT
Buddhism was introduced into China from India in the first century CE, when Buddhist monks from northern India accompanied traders who traveled the dangerous silk route into Central Asia and China, offering them spiritual protection. The first undisputed reference to Buddhism in China is an edict by Emperor Ming to Liu Ying, king of Qu, a Daoist, in 65 CE, that refers to favorable treatment for Buddhist monks and laymen. By the fifth century, almost all of the Indian and Central Asian texts and schools had been introduced to China. This chapter focuses on the four main schools of uniquely Chinese Buddhism, the Tiantai, Huayan, Pure Land, and Chan schools. Each school recognizes its own founder and patriarchs and its own preferred texts. According to Zhiyi, after the Buddha reached enlightenment, he was so enraptured by his new vision that he began to describe it in the exuberant terms of the Huayan Sutra.
