Tao-sheng

Tao-sheng (355/60–434). An early Chinese monk and literary scholar. A disciple of Lu-shan Hui-yüan (334–416) on Mt. Lu, he later moved to the capital of Ch'ang-an. In both places he studied Buddhist philosophy and participated in the translation activities of Indian or central Asian masters; in Ch'ang-an he worked with Kumārajīva (343–413). He was instrumental in helping turn Chinese Buddhism from the essentially negative way of the Perfection of Insight (Prajñā-pāramitā) texts received from Indian Buddhism to a more positive analysis of reality and the beings within it in their ‘Suchness’ (tathatā). In a famous episode, he disagreed with a newly translated scripture called the Nirvāṇa Sūtra which seemed to assert the doctrine of icchantikas, beings who lack the nature to achieve Buddhahood. He stated that this was wrong, that every being had ‘Buddha-nature’, and that all therefore had the possibility of attaining Buddhahood. For this, he was forced out of the office he held in his temple in Chien-k'ang and he returned to Mt. Lu. Later, when a newer translation of the same scripture appeared which contained a passage supporting his position, he was vindicated and returned to office, universally admired for his foresight and ability to see the truth behind the text. For the rest of his life, he stressed the teaching that, once the application of Perfection of Insight thought had served to clear away all misconceptions about beings and phenomena, then the result would not be unqualified negation (which Indian Madhyamaka thought seemed to indicate), but the pure, subtle, and characterless truth of the phenomena would instead become apparent. This led to a more positive assessment of phenomenal reality within Chinese Buddhism.