The Stream of Dharma: A Journey of Buddhist Wisdom Across Two Millennia

Series Articles

Prologue: One Moon Reflected in a Thousand Rivers

Why is the taste of Dharma one, yet its sects number in the hundreds? Is the truth of Buddhism ultimately one, or is it many?

This is a riddle that has perplexed countless seekers. When we gaze upon the sutras, the path to liberation pointed out by the Buddha seems like a bright moon on the horizon—pristine, singular, silent, and perfect, pointing towards eternal Nirvana. However, when we look across the river of history, we see a landscape of infinite variety, full of seemingly contradictory sects:

Some wear orange robes in tropical jungles, viewing the "self" as an illusion that must be dismantled; others in ancient Han temples confidently declare that "all sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature." Some argue that one can only enter the Way by strictly observing over two hundred precepts, while others, amidst the flames of war in Japan, believed that a single recitation of the Buddha's name was enough to transcend birth and death.

This is not a fragmentation of the Dharma, but the ultimate proof of its great vitality. The ancients said, "There are a thousand rivers, and in them, a thousand reflections of the moon." There is only one moon in the sky, but when its light spills onto the earth, reflecting upon the waves of the Ganges, the quiet flow of the Chao Phraya, the vastness of the Yangtze, or the raging billows of the Pacific, it manifests in a thousand different forms of light and shadow.

This "Stream of Dharma" series is a journey to trace these reflections back to their source. We will take you on an aerial view of this great river of wisdom that originated twenty-five hundred years ago, watching how it flowed down from the snowy peaks, branching south and north, and in different soils of civilization, stirring up distinct waves of wisdom.

Originating in the Snowy Mountains: The Philosophical Progression of Indian Buddhism

It all began with that great awakening at the southern foot of the Himalayas. If Dharma were a great river, India would be its towering, snow-capped source.

However, the water of this source was not stagnant. Throughout fifteen hundred years of flow, it underwent three philosophical leaps: from "Analysis" to "Negation," and finally to "Transformation."

The early teachings were as precise as a scalpel. Through the construction of "Abhidharma" (Commentaries), the Buddha and his disciples dedicated themselves to dismantling the "self" into the Five Aggregates, the Twelve Bases, and the Eighteen Realms, with the goal of attaining Arhatship and cooling the individual from the burning of Samsara (Nirvana).

Subsequently, the rise of Mahayana thought brought a revolution against "attachment to phenomena" (Dharma-grasping). Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka school and the Yogacara school of Asanga and Vasubandhu were no longer satisfied with merely dismantling the self; they went further to point out that even "the elements constituting the self" are empty. This torrent pushed "Emptiness" (Sunyata) to its extreme, giving birth to the vast compassion that "liberates all from suffering"—the Bodhisattva path.

In the late period, facing the blazing desires of the human heart and the resurgence of Brahmanism, the Vajrayana (Esoteric Buddhism) appeared like a precipitous and magnificent waterfall. It no longer viewed greed, anger, and ignorance as poisons to be discarded, but sought to transform the raw, restless energy of life directly into the fuel of enlightenment through extremely complex rituals and visualizations. The history of India is a profound philosophical history moving from "the cessation of suffering" to "transforming consciousness into wisdom."

The Quiet Southern Flow: The Technique and Persistence of Theravada

As the torrent of Mahayana rushed northward, another stream chose to flow south, pouring into the lands of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. This is "Theravada Buddhism" (The Way of the Elders).

This is a river with a gentle flow, calm and unruffled, yet in its depths lies an extremely precise "technology of the mind." Unlike Northern Buddhism's deduction of philosophical concepts, Southern Buddhism displays an almost stubborn loyalty to the "original teachings." rejecting the additions of Mahayana sutras, relying solely on the four Nikayas (Agamas) and the Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification) to construct their system of practice.

Here, Dharma is not metaphysical speculation, but a rigorous manual of psychological operations. From the observance of "Sila" (Precepts) to stabilize the body and mind, to the cultivation of "Samadhi" (Concentration) to strengthen focus, and finally using the blade of "Panna" (Wisdom/Insight) to cut off the roots of defilement. This southern water reminds us that no matter how the lineage evolves, the ancient technique of observing impermanence, suffering, and non-self within the breath remains the cornerstone of the path to liberation.

Merging into the Dragon Lineage: Classification and Syncretism in Han Buddhism

When the northern river crossed the Pamirs and the shifting sands to merge with the Chinese civilization—a "Dragon Lineage" equally ancient and profound—one of the most spectacular events of "digestion" and "reconstruction" in human civilization occurred.

This was a deep dialogue between "Emptiness" and "Buddha-nature." Initially, the Indian Dharma, which emphasized "Emptiness," was incompatible with Chinese culture, which emphasized "Existence" (Dao/Qi). The greatest challenge Han Buddhism faced was how to handle the oceanic vastness and diverse thoughts of the scriptures coming from India. The Chinese patriarchs did not choose to get lost in this; instead, they invented a unique system of "Pan Jiao" (Doctrinal Classification)—a grand form of library science and hermeneutics. The masters of the Tiantai and Huayan schools viewed the Buddha's teachings from different periods as an organic whole, placing them in different stages of practice, thus resolving the contradiction between "Emptiness" and "Existence."

They used Confucian ethics to interpret precepts and Taoist metaphysics to corroborate Prajna (Wisdom). More importantly, to handle the complex and contradictory scriptures, Chinese Buddhism utilized the "Pan Jiao" and "Sect" systems. Tiantai's "Three Thousand Realms in a Single Moment of Life," Huayan's "Non-obstruction of Phenomena," and Chan's (Zen) "Direct Pointing to the Human Mind" are all gems crystallized after this great river absorbed the "syncretic" and "pragmatic" qualities of Chinese civilization. Han Buddhism turned aloof philosophy into "daily wisdom" that could be implemented in everyday life.

Crucially, Han Buddhism completed an ontological turn: from Indian Buddhism's emphasis on "breaking through illusion (Emptiness)" to Chinese culture's preference for "affirming the essence (Tathagatagarbha/Buddha-nature)." This theoretical confidence that "everyone possesses Buddha-nature" directly gave birth to the Chan concept of "Sudden Enlightenment"—since Buddha-nature is inherent, why wait for three great aeons? Simply point directly to the heart, see the nature, and become a Buddha. This is the most brilliant creation of Dharma on Chinese soil.

Flowing East to the Sea: The Choice and Extremism of Japanese Buddhism

The river continued east, crossing the vast sea to irrigate the Japanese archipelago. Here, against the unique historical backdrop of the Kamakura period, the flow presented a philosophy of "Selection" (Senchaku) that bordered on the tragic.

The evolution of Japanese Buddhism was deeply shrouded in "Mappo thought" (the Age of Dharma Decline). In an era of constant warfare and natural disasters, Japanese monks felt deeply that ordinary people were powerless to complete complicated practices through "self-power." Thus, they boldly performed a "subtraction" on the Dharma, pursuing a "absolutization of a single practice."

Japanese Buddhism boldly simplified the gates of practice: Zen discussed only the single thought of the present moment; Pure Land emphasized only the single recitation of the name; Nichiren focused exclusively on the recitation of one sutra title. Masters Honen and Shinran believed that only by completely abandoning self-calculation and entrusting oneself absolutely to the "Other Power" of Amitabha could one be saved; meanwhile, Dogen Zenji went to the other extreme, advocating "Shikantaza" (Just Sitting), experiencing Buddha-nature in extreme self-discipline. Japanese Buddhism concentrated the vast Han system into "one recitation of the Buddha's name," "one koan," or "one sutra."

This simplification was not superficial, but an extreme refinement of faith's purity at the edge of life and death, a leap of faith in a desperate situation. It merged deeply with Bushido, the Tea Ceremony, and Japanese aesthetics, transforming Dharma into an intense gaze upon the moment of life and death. Here, Dharma is a gleaming katana, pointing directly at the essence of life and death, both poignantly beautiful and resolute.

Rising Tides on New Shores: The Humanistic Turn of Taiwanese Buddhism

Time moves to the modern era. On the island of Taiwan, this ancient lineage gathered the heritage from the mainland and, facing the waves of globalization, struck up entirely new splashes of the times. If traditional Buddhism focused mostly on the "destination after death," Taiwanese Buddhism violently pulled the gaze back to the "present moment of life."

Amidst the waves of modernization and globalization, Taiwanese Buddhism completed a "Theological Turn." With Yin Shun's textual research on "Early Mahayana" as a theoretical basis, Taiwanese Buddhist groups no longer viewed society as an object to escape from, but as the only dojo for practicing Dharma. The rise of Taiwanese Buddhism marks the return of Buddhism from "sacred temples" to the "bustling human world." This is not merely an increase in unexpected charitable activities, but a theological shift—from "seeking rebirth" to "building a Pure Land."

pioneered by Master Yin Shun and continuing to the major orders of today, Taiwanese Buddhism proposes that "The Buddha is in the world, not apart from the world is enlightenment sought." It no longer views social problems as obstacles to practice, but treating them as the field for practicing the Bodhisattva path. From Tzu Chi's global relief system to Fo Guang Shan's cultural and educational network, and Dharma Drum Mountain's spiritual environmentalism, this modern wave proves that the ancient Dharma is fully capable of using the tools of modern civilization (management, media, technology) to heal the concrete sufferings of modern people.

Epilogue: Choose Your Course

At this moment, we stand high in the sky, taking a bird's-eye view of the entire journey of this river of wisdom—from its Indian source, flowing through South Asian jungles, the fertile soil of the Han lands, the Japanese archipelago, and finally to modern harbors.

This river, flowing over different riverbeds, presents different colors; every sect is a prescription written by the Dharma to respond to the spiritual crises of a specific time and culture. Understanding this "Stream of Dharma" is not to let us drown in historical relics, but to help us find coordinates on the path of practice that resonate with our own capacities.

To help you explore each magnificent landscape more deeply, we have carefully prepared five core articles for this series. We sincerely invite you to choose your next destination according to the calling of your heart:

Exploring the Source: If you want to understand how Dharma evolved from "dismantling the self" to "transforming energy," and delve into the three leaps of Indian philosophy, please read The Rise, Debate, and Esoteric Transmission of Indian Buddhism.
Returning to the Original: If you yearn for the ancient path of relying on precise meditation techniques to attain liberation in this life, please read Theravada Buddhism: The Guardians of Tradition and the Pali Canon.
Han Syncretism: If you are curious about how Chinese patriarchs resolved scriptural contradictions and created the brilliant system of "Sudden Enlightenment," please enter Han Buddhism: Sinification, Classification, and Reconstruction.
Japanese Extremism: If you want to understand how Japanese Buddhism achieved the pinnacle of faith through "selection" and "simplification" amidst the anxiety of the Mappo era, please read Japanese Buddhism: Aesthetics, Simplification, and Redemption.
Pure Land in the Human World: If you care about how Buddhism came out of the mountains and forests to transform ancient wisdom into an active force for healing modern society, please read Taiwanese Buddhism: The Humanistic Engagement and Vows.

May you find your own ladle of wisdom water in this journey through the millennial lineage, drink its sweet dew, and attain great coolness.