Fazang

Fazang (Chinese法 藏, Pinyin Fǎzàng, W.-G. Fa - tsang; * 643 in Chang'an; † 712 in Chang'an ) was the third patriarch of the Huayan Buddhist school in China. He is the preeminent scholar of the Avatamsaka Sutra.

His family is originally from Central Asia. At the age of seventeen he began his Buddhist studies in Tai -po.

Fazang ordained as a novice 674 in Taiyuan Temple. A few years later, he received full ordination and was given the title Xianshou awarded ( the most capable ), teaching the Avatamsaka Sutra at Taiyuan Temple of Empress Wu Zetian. 695 he assisted Sikshananda in translating the eighty -volume Avatamsaka Sutra from Sanskrit into Chinese. He wrote numerous comments to the Avatamsaka Sutra and contributed significantly to the systematization of Buddhist texts. Building on the work of Dushun - the first patriarch of the Huayan school - classified Fazang the Buddhist teachings into five groups:

• Hinayana
• Mahayana Basics
• Final Mahayana teachings (eg, Lankavatara Sutra, Nirvana Sutra )
• Spontaneous Mahayana teachings ( enlightenment is not achieved by practice but occurs spontaneously )
• Teachings of a vehicle ( Ekayana ), the basis of the Avatamsaka Sutra forms.

Fazang was one of the greatest scholars of his time and contributed significantly to the further spread of the Huayan Buddhism in China. He was highly regarded at the court of the Empress. The Huayan Temple in Luoyang and Chang'an were built with his support.

Fazang was known to explain Buddhist wisdom with impressive and vivid examples. To demonstrate the interpenetration of all phenomena, he let build a mirror space. Not only all the walls, the ceiling and the floor were covered with mirrors. Then he placed a statue of Buddha in the middle of the room. The Buddha statue was reflected in all the mirrors, and their mirror images are reflected in turn endlessly in all the mirrors. He led his students in this room and showed them so, what is meant by mutual penetration.

Another time he used a golden lion to demonstrate that everything is contained in everything. He explained that the figure, the shape of a lion, however, entirely made ​​of gold. The lion represents the cosmos, the individual parts of the various phenomena in the universe. The gold represents the emptiness ( Shunyata ). This lion is made of different parts - head, fur, paws, etc. But all the parts included as a basic substance gold, just like the entire lion is made of gold. So you can say that in a part of the lion - the entire lion is included - for example, in a single hair lace. He demonstrated the emptiness of all phenomena.