Life

Early life, emigration to China, and association with Shi Les Later Zhao dynasty

Fotudeng came from Central Asia to China in 310 CE and propagated Buddhism widely. He is said to have demonstrated many spiritual powers, and was able to convert the warlords in this region of China over to Buddhism. He succeeded in converting the Jie warlord Shi Le and became his closest advisor as he founded the Later Zhao dynasty in 319 CE. Fotudeng uttered the only phrase that reached us in the Jie language, cited in connection with Shi Le's successful war against Liu Yao of Former Zhao in 328 CE, and recorded in the Chinese annals in Chinese transcription with a Chinese translation. This phrase was analyzed in several publications.

As a teacher of meditation

Fotudeng is well known for teaching methods of meditation, and especially ānāpānasmṛti ("mindfulness of breathing"). Fotudeng widely taught ānāpānasmṛti through methods of counting breaths, so as to temper to the breathing, simultaneously focusing the mind into a state of peaceful meditative concentration (Skt. samādhi). By teaching meditation methods as well as doctrine, Fotudeng popularized Buddhism quickly. According to Nan Huai-Chin, "Besides all its theoretical accounts of emptiness and existence, Buddhism also offered methods for genuine realization of spiritual powers and meditative concentration that could be relied upon. This is the reason that Buddhism began to develop so vigorously in China with Fotudeng."

Legacy and successors

Eventually Fotudeng became a Later Zhao government official under Shi Hu, who allowed him to found a great number of Buddhist temples. Among his disciples were Dao An, Zhu Faya, Zhu Fatai, Fa-he and Fa-ch'ang. These disciples had a great impact on Buddhism in China, and continued to revere the memory of their teacher. In his history of China, John Keay writes:

生平

佛圖澄為西域人，少年時在烏萇國出家，後至罽賓從學。

他深入經藏，深明佛理，同時又擅長方技咒語。

晉懷帝永嘉四年（310年），79歲的佛圖澄到西晉首都洛陽，原準備在此建立寺院，但因為發生永嘉之亂而不能成功。

永嘉六年（312年）2月石勒屯兵葛陂，準備南攻建康。其部下郭黑略為佛圖澄弟子，引佛圖澄見石勒。佛圖澄以神通得到石勒的信任，在清水中變出青蓮，並勸其少行殺戮。當時本將殺戮之人，大多獲救。石勒、石虎等人都尊重竺佛圖澄，並諮以國事。

後趙建武十四年（348年）竺佛圖澄於鄴宮寺圓寂，享壽117歲。

影響及貢獻

佛圖澄在亂世之中，以神通力，吸引統治階級的崇信，再利用宗教力量來安定人民，推展佛教，是漢傳佛教早期極為重要的宣教家。

他注重戒律，平生「酒不齒，過中不食，非戒不履」，為僧團立下良好的傳統。他的德行與學識，為佛教義理的傳入展開新頁，下啟鳩摩羅什與道安。

弟子

竺佛圖澄的弟子有法首、法祚、法常、法佐、僧慧、道進、道安、僧朗、竺法汰、竺法和、竺法雅等人。

佛圖澄的弟子極多，有遠從天竺、康居來從學的。弟子之中，泰山僧朗，安令首尼，皆是重要的弘教人才。但是在他弟子之中，最重要的則是道安。