East Asian Mādhyamaka

East Asian Mādhyamaka refers to the Buddhist traditions in East Asia which represent the Indian Mādhyamaka system of thought. In Chinese Buddhism, these are often referred to as the Sānlùn school (Ch. 三論宗), or "Three Treatise" school, known as Sanron in Japan, although modern scholars think them not an independent sect. The Mādhyamaka texts that it was founded on were first transmitted to China in the early 5th century by the Buddhist monk Kumārajīva.

History in China

Founding and early teachers

The name Sanlun derives from the fact that its doctrinal basis is formed by three principal Mādhyamaka texts composed by Nāgārjuna and Āryadeva, which were then translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva. These three foundational texts are: