Tao-an
Tao-an or Shih Tao-an (312–85). Chinese Buddhist monk, of key importance in the Chinese assimilation of Buddhism, and in the transition from Theravāda to Mahāyāna. Trained in both, he was also a pupil of Fo-tʾuteng, under whom he studied Perfection of Wisdom texts and the sūtras and practices of dhyāna. He rejected syncretistic methods (ko-i) and insisted on disciplined life. This was balanced by devotion, especially to Maitreya. In all these organized practices, the purpose was the penetration to the realization of the fundamental ‘non-beingness’ (pen-wu; Jap., honmu) as the absolute truth. In that way, he was pointing to the elaboration of śūnyatā in Chinese terms. He wrote a commentary on Sūtra on the Perfection of Wisdom.
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Tao-an
