Daochuo (, 562–645), was a Chinese Buddhist scholar of the ''

Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra The ''Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra'' (Sanskrit; , ; Vietnamese: ''Kinh Đại Bát Niết Bàn'') or ''Nirvana Sutra'' is Mahāyāna Buddhist sutra of the Buddha-nature genre. Its precise date of origin is uncertain, but its early form ...

'' who later became an eminent scholar of

Pure Land Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism (; ja, 浄土仏教, translit=Jōdo bukkyō; , also referred to as Amidism in English,) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddha's Buddha-field or Pure Land. It is one of the most wide ...

. In Chinese Buddhist tradition, he is considered the second patriarch of

while In

Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism. It was founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran (f ...

, he is considered the Fourth Patriarch.

Life and teachings

Daochuo was born and raised in

Bingzhou Bingzhou, or Bing Province, was a location in ancient China. According to legend, when Yu the Great (c. 2200 BC-2100 BC) tamed the flood, he divided the land of China into the Nine Provinces. Historical texts such as the ''Rites of Zhou'', and "Tr ...

, Shanxi. According to legend, Daochuo visited the temple of

Tan-luan Tánluán (, 476–542) was a Chinese Buddhist monk. He is credited by Hōnen as the founder of Pure Land Buddhism in China. He is also considered the Third Patriarch of Jōdo Shinshū, a popular school of Buddhism in Japan. Tanluan was origin ...

in 609 and read an epitaph on the wall that venerated Tanluan. Daochuo was so impressed by this inscription that he took up the pursuit of Pure Land Buddhism over his previous studies, including

nianfo Nianfo (, Japanese: , , vi, niệm Phật) is a term commonly seen in Pure Land Buddhism. In the context of Pure Land practice, it generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha. It is a translation of Sanskrit '' '' (or, "recoll ...

and daily recitation of the ''

Infinite Life Sutra Infinite may refer to: Mathematics *Infinite set, a set that is not a finite set *Infinity, an abstract concept describing something without any limit Music *Infinite (group), a South Korean boy band *''Infinite'' (EP), debut EP of American mu ...

'' (). Among Daochuo's contributions to Pure Land Buddhism was his distinction that there existed two Paths in Buddhism: the holy path (monastic practices leading to the purification of the mind) and the pure land path (relying on

Amitābha Amitābha ( sa, अमिताभ, IPA: ), also known as Amitāyus, is the primary Buddha of Pure Land Buddhism. In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is known for his longevity, discernment, pure perception, purification of aggregates, and deep awaren ...

's grace). He also linked the Buddhist concept of the

Three Ages of Buddhism The Three Ages of Buddhism, also known as the Three Ages of the Dharma (), are three divisions of time following Shakyamuni Buddha's death and passing into Nirvana in East Asian Buddhism. Three Ages The Three Ages of Buddhism are three divisi ...

with the salvation of Amitābha by teaching that Amitābha's compassion was particularly suited on those living in the current degenerate age. Some believe that Daochuo's habit of counting his recitations with beans is the origin of

Buddhist prayer beads A japamala, , or simply mala ( sa, माला; , meaning 'garland') is a loop of prayer beads commonly used in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism for counting recitations when performing ''japa'' (reciting a ...

References

Bibliography

External links

* Pure Land Buddhists Tang dynasty Buddhist monks 562 births 645 deaths People from Lüliang Chinese spiritual writers Tang dynasty writers Writers from Shanxi Northern Zhou Buddhist monks Sui dynasty Buddhist monks Jōdo Shin patriarchs {{Mahayana-stub