Huayan School
A school of Mahayan Buddhism founded in China, based on the teachings of the Flower Adornment Sutra. Huayan means 'Flower Adornment' and is the standard Chinese translation of the Sanskrit Avatamsaka. The school is also often referred to as the Xianshou School after its influential third patriarch
Commentary
The Venerable Master Dushun (557640) is traditionally regarded as the first patriarch of the school. The second patriarch was the Venerable Ziyan (602-668), the third, Fazang (643-712), the fourth Qingliang Chengguan (738-840?), and the fifth, Zongmi (780-841), who was also a Chan Master in the lineage of Chan Master Shenhui.
In addition to its propagation of the fundamental teachings of the Flower Adornment Sutra, the school is best kown for: 1) its system of analysis of the Buddha’s teachings (ranking the teachings) which was developed by the school’s third patriarch, the Venerable Fazang, and 2) its system for lecturing on Buddhist sutras, called the Ten Doors of the Xianshou School.
Chinese / Sanskrit Terms
l華嚴宗 ; Avatamsaka