Huiyuan

CHINA, Shanxi, Xinzhou; Eastern Jin dynasty

Born in Ningwu county of Xinzhou, Huiyuan was a monk, painter, and poet from the Jia family. He traveled to Hengshan with his younger brother at the age of 21 to attend Master Dao’an’s lecture on the Heart Sutra. So impacted by this experience, he decided to renounce and become a monk under Master Dao’an.
Huiyuan established Donglin Temple in Jiangxi in 381, assembling a sangha that included his younger brothers Huichi and Huiyong, in addition to Daosheng and Huirui. He later worked alongside Liu Yimin and others to establish the White Lotus Society, which promoted the practices of the Pure Land school. Huiyuan was honored by later generations as the first patriarch of the Pure Land school. His disciples were numerous, and included the likes of monks such as Huiguan, Sengji, Fa’an, Tanyong, and Daozu.
In addition to his vast knowledge of Buddhism, Huiyuan was also erudite in literature and writing. Books he authored include Treatise on the Dharma Nature, Explanation Notes on the Classic of Poetry, and Lushan Collection.
Also a skilled painter, his painting, Famous Mountains in Jiangnan and Huainan Regions.