Philosopher as Exemplar: Daoan’s Dao John M. Thompson Professor Thompson analyzes the life and remarkable achievements of the fourth-century Chinese Buddhist master Daoan. Active as a teacher, as a metaphysician in the prajña schools of his time, and as a scholar and commentator, Daoan was an important early leader in the effort to bring the Mahayana Buddhist canon from the Sanskrit into Chinese. As head of the imperial translation bureau, Daoan brought order into the translation enterprise and devised guidelines and procedures which informed the translation of Buddhist texts in subsequent centuries.
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s the resident expert in “Eastern thought” at a small college, I am often asked by my students what possible relevance Indian or Chinese religions and philosophies could have to their lives. Often I respond by citing persons such as the Buddha Shakyamuni, whose teachings address concerns that we all share and whose lives demonstrate the difference those teachings make. Recently, though, I’ve been turning to lesserknown examples to encourage my students to think more deeply on what “philosophy” and “religion” are and what the role of a “philosopher” might be. One person particularly well-suited for such pondering is the eminent Chinese Buddhist monk Shi Daoan (312–385 C.E.), who was a renowned scholar of Prajñaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) texts and a key figure in the intellectual circles of his day. Daoan’s work in establishing methods of translation and monastic organization had profound impact on the development of Chinese Buddhism.1 However, Daoan’s real importance lies not in his many achievements but in the overall shape and tenor of his life. Following a path (Dao) we can trace as far back as Confucius,2 Daoan demonstrates how individuals can work to revitalize tradition and embody it for the benefit of others. Daoan thus shows students of Buddhism and Chinese philosophy what the end of philosophy really should be.
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