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

佛图澄为西域人，少年时在乌苌国出家，后至罽宾从学。

他深入经藏，深明佛理，同时又擅长方技咒语。

晋怀帝永嘉四年（310年），79岁的佛图澄到西晋首都洛阳，原准备在此建立寺院，但因为发生永嘉之乱而不能成功。

永嘉六年（312年）2月石勒屯兵葛陂，准备南攻建康。其部下郭黑略为佛图澄弟子，引佛图澄见石勒。佛图澄以神通得到石勒的信任，在清水中变出青莲，并劝其少行杀戮。当时本将杀戮之人，大多获救。石勒、石虎等人都尊重竺佛图澄，并谘以国事。

后赵建武十四年（348年）竺佛图澄于邺宫寺圆寂，享寿117岁。

影响及贡献

佛图澄在乱世之中，以神通力，吸引统治阶级的崇信，再利用宗教力量来安定人民，推展佛教，是汉传佛教早期极为重要的宣教家。

他注重戒律，平生「酒不齿，过中不食，非戒不履」，为僧团立下良好的传统。他的德行与学识，为佛教义理的传入展开新页，下启鸠摩罗什与道安。

弟子

竺佛图澄的弟子有法首、法祚、法常、法佐、僧慧、道进、道安、僧朗、竺法汰、竺法和、竺法雅等人。

佛图澄的弟子极多，有远从天竺、康居来从学的。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，最重要的则是道安。