Classics

Outline of the Development of Chinese Buddhism Preface

For more than two thousand years, Buddhism has spread across different countries, cultures, and civilizations. Yet its central message has remained unchanged: to seek truth through wisdom, to benefit others through compassion, and to realize awakening and liberation through practice.

In this sense, Buddhism is not merely a historical phenomenon, a cultural tradition, or a philosophical system. It is a living path that continues to inspire humanity's search for meaning, wisdom, and awakening.

两千多年来，佛教的发展跨越了不同国家、民族与文化，但其核心精神始终未变：通过智慧认识真实，通过慈悲利益众生，通过修行实现内在的觉悟与解脱。

从这个意义上说，佛教不仅是一段历史、一种文化传统或一种哲学思想，更是一条不断引导人们探索生命意义与内在觉醒的道路。

the Development of Chinese Buddhism

A Brief Outline of the Development of Chinese Buddhism

中国佛教发展略说

序

Preface

《中国佛教发展纲要》的最初写作，缘起于数年前印度新德里徐梵澄研究中心的邀请。当时，中心的印度学者希望我为相关文化交流与学术活动撰写一份关于中国佛教发展的英文导读，用以帮助印度读者和国际读者理解佛教传入中国之后的历史演变与文化影响。

佛教起源于古印度，却在中国经历了漫长而深刻的本土化过程。它通过丝绸之路、海上交通以及无数高僧大德的求法与弘法活动，逐渐进入中国社会，并与儒家、道家以及中国传统文化发生深入交流，最终形成了具有鲜明中国特色的中国佛教。

这本小书并不是一部完整的中国佛教通史，而是一份简明的导读。本书尝试以清晰的历史线索，介绍释迦牟尼佛、佛教早期传播、阿育王、佛教东传、法显、玄奘、义净等重要人物与事件，并进一步说明佛教如何在中国扎根、发展，并成为中国文化的重要组成部分。

在整理这份双语版本时，我尽量保留我的原英文讲稿的基本结构，同时根据今天的理解，对语言、术语和内容作了必要修订。中文部分尽量采用汉传佛教较为规范的表达，使中英文之间既相互对应，又各自符合其文化语境。

中国佛教的发展，不仅是一部宗教传播史，也是一部跨越沙漠、雪山与海洋，追寻智慧与真理的求法史。愿这本简明导读，能够为读者打开一扇理解中国佛教与中印文明交流的窗口。

简歌扬谨序
丙午年仲夏于瑞士莱茵河谷

The original writing of An Outline of the Development of Chinese Buddhism began several years ago at the invitation of Indian scholars from the Xu Fancheng Culture Study Center in New Delhi. At that time, I was invited to prepare an English introduction to the development of Chinese Buddhism for cultural exchange and academic purposes, in order to help Indian and international readers better understand how Buddhism developed after its transmission to China.

Buddhism originated in ancient India, yet in China it underwent a long and profound process of localization and transformation. Through the Silk Road, maritime routes, and the efforts of countless monks, translators, and seekers of the Dharma, Buddhism gradually entered Chinese society. It engaged deeply with Confucianism, Daoism, and traditional Chinese culture, eventually giving rise to distinctive forms of Chinese Buddhism.

This small book is not intended to be a comprehensive history of Chinese Buddhism. Rather, it is a concise introduction. It seeks to present a clear historical outline, introducing Sakyamuni Buddha, the early spread of Buddhism, Emperor Ashoka, the eastward transmission of Buddhism, and important figures such as Faxian, Xuanzang, and Yijing. It also explores how Buddhism took root in China, developed over time, and became an important part of Chinese civilization.

In preparing this bilingual edition, I have preserved the basic structure of my original English lecture manuscript while revising the language, terminology, and content where necessary. The Chinese text is not merely a literal translation of the English; rather, it seeks to employ expressions more appropriate to the tradition of Chinese Buddhism, while maintaining correspondence between the two languages.

The development of Chinese Buddhism is not only a history of religious transmission, but also a history of the quest for the Dharma—a journey across deserts, snowy mountains, and oceans in search of wisdom and truth. May this brief introduction open a window for readers to better understand Chinese Buddhism and the long history of cultural exchange between China and India.

Jian Geyang

Mid-Summer, the Year of Bingwu (2026)
In the Rhine Valley, Switzerland

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Part I

Origins of Buddhism

第一部分佛教的起源

Sakyamuni Buddha

释迦牟尼佛

The Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha

佛陀的十大弟子

The Early Spread of Buddhism

佛教的早期传播

Emperor Ashoka and the Expansion of Buddhism

阿育王与佛教的传播

Part II

Buddhism Travels East

第二部分佛教东传

The Transmission of Buddhism from India to China

佛教东传与中印交流

The Introduction of Buddhism into China

佛教传入中国

The Establishment of Buddhism in China

佛教在中国的确立

The Quest for the Dharma

求法之路

Faxian (c. 337–422)

法显（约337—422）

Xuanzang (602–664)

玄奘（602—664）

Yijing (635–713)

义净（635—713）

Part III

The Formation of Chinese Buddhism

第三部分中国佛教的形成

The Formation of Chinese Buddhist Schools

中国佛教宗派的形成

禅宗的传承与发展

The Development of Chan Buddhism

Part IV

Chinese Buddhist Culture

第四部分中国佛教文化

Sacred Buddhist Mountains and Sites in China

中国佛教名山与圣地

The Four Great Buddhist Mountains of China

中国四大佛教名山

Postscript

跋

Buddha Nature and Enlightenment

佛性与觉悟

Appendix

附录

Timeline of Chinese Buddhism

中国佛教发展时间轴

Suggested Reading

推荐阅读