Great Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Personal Names

Author: Ven. Zhenhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features:
1. This dictionary includes 16,973 entries related to Buddhism in China since its introduction, covering seven major categories: monks (Bodhisattva monks, Bhikkhus, Samaneras), nuns (Bhikkhunis, Samaneri), lay Buddhists, female lay Buddhists, royalties (emperors, generals, high officials), imperial consorts, and princesses. The majority of entries are from Chinese Han Buddhist traditions, supplemented by Tibetan and Theravada Buddhist figures. Foreign eminent monks and scholars are included only if they have records of interaction with Chinese Han Buddhism; others are excluded.
2. In the "monk" and "nun" categories, the term "monk" () is an abbreviation of Sangha (), meaning "congregation." However, in China, the term has been traditionally used to refer to individual monastics, so it is retained here.
3. Monks and nuns are listed under their canonical names or sobriquets as primary entries, while alternative names, titles, and other aliases are listed as cross-references. Lay Buddhists, female lay Buddhists, royalties, imperial consorts, and princesses are generally listed by their names as primary entries, with cross-references used sparingly, except for emperors who follow established conventions (e.g., Emperor Taizong of Tang is listed as ).
4. For entries with verifiable birth and death dates, the corresponding years are noted in parentheses. Approximately 2,800 entries are based on Chen Yuan’s Chronological Records of Buddhist Figures, with some dates differing from general historical records. Where birth and death dates are provided, the date of death and lifespan are omitted in the text unless exceptional circumstances arise.
5. Under each primary entry, alternative names, titles, and sobriquets are listed. Official titles, posthumous honors, and posthumous names are indicated in the main text. Generally, no honorifics are added to names unless in special cases.
6. Explanations are concise. After the name, birth and death dates, dynasty, identity, and place of origin, key biographical details, academic lineage, and major works are provided. Only selected sayings are included, with the rest omitted. Sources are cited at the end, with the corresponding volume number. Two exceptions are noted: (1) entries without original sources but confirmed through diligent research are retained as they are likely based on reliable evidence; (2) entries from modern works omit the source title.
7. For historical place names, present-day locations are added for place of origin (e.g., "Jiahe (Zhejiang Jiaxing) Xu Family"). For names identical in ancient and modern forms, the current administrative division is noted in parentheses (e.g., "Fenyang (now part of Shanxi)"). Names with unclear historical origins are not annotated. Other historical place names are omitted.
8. For dynasty names, to avoid confusion, the Later Han is referred to as , the Southern Dynasties as , and the Northern Wei as . The Five Dynasties are labeled as "Five Dynasties Later Tang," "Five Dynasties Later Jin," etc.
9. Old calendar years are annotated with corresponding Common Era dates based on the reign title of the emperor or the historical context. If the same reign title appears more than twice in the same entry, it is noted only once.
10. The dictionary uses Arabic numerals for Common Era dates and source volumes but employs traditional characters with occasional variant forms in the text.
11. Entries are arranged by stroke order. Monks with identical names are generally sorted by dynasty and further ordered by stroke order (①, ②, ③, etc.), with ② and later entries omitted. Monks with different names are sorted by the stroke order and shape of the first character, with fewer strokes listed first. For characters with the same stroke count, the order is determined by stroke sequence (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, dot, hook). Entries with identical prefixes are sorted by length, with shorter ones listed first. If lengths are equal, the second character’s stroke order is used, followed by the third, and so on.
12. Stroke order follows the Dictionary of Modern Usage (1999 edition) Stroke Lookup Table. Additional strokes such as hooks or curves are classified as hooks ().
13. Foreign monks and scholars are identified by the first or second character of their country’s name. "" refers to India, "" to India, "" to Kapilavastu, "" to Gandhara, "" to Parthia, "" to Funan, "" to Japan, "" to Nepal, "" to Shilla, "" to Goguryeo, "" to Baekje, "" to Khotan, "" to Central Asia, "" to Balkh, "" to Goguryeo, "" to Sri Lanka, "" to Srivijaya, "" to Kamboja, "" to Ujjain, and "" to Vietnam.
14. The dictionary includes a stroke order index at the beginning and a Chronological Table of Major Buddhist Events in China at the end for reference. The dictionary includes 16,973 entries related to Buddhism in China since its introduction, covering seven major categories: monks, nuns, lay Buddhists, female lay Buddhists, royalties, imperial consorts, and princesses.