Biography of Zeng Zhao

Author: Xu Kangsheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Zeng Zhao was a renowned monk in the history of Chinese Buddhist studies and had a significant influence on later generations, who praised him as China's "expert in explaining emptiness." Zeng Zhao lived during the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms period, a time when Buddhism in China was experiencing its "early flourishing." He adhered to the Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhism transmitted by the monk Kumārajīva and wrote famous works in the history of Chinese Buddhist studies, including "On the Non-Existence of Reality," "On the Immutability of Things," "On the Ignorance of Praj?ā," and "On the Namelessness of Nirvana." From the perspectives of ontology and epistemology, he systematically and profoundly expounded the philosophical ideas of Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhism. He also integrated Indian Buddhism with the metaphysics of China's Laozi and Zhuangzi schools, not only ushering in a new era for the development of Buddhist thought in China but also playing a significant role in advancing the development of Chinese philosophy as a whole.