Fengfayao

Buddhist literature

Also known as: “Feng-fa-yao”

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Chinese:: “Essentials of the Dharma”

Wade-Giles romanization:: Feng-fa-yao

See all related content

Fengfayao, discussion of Buddhist precepts written in the 4th century ce by Xi Chao, who, though a Daoist, was a great admirer of Buddhism. One of the earliest discourses on the subject by a non-Buddhist, it is regarded as a milestone in the advance of Buddhist thought in China. Although it contains some erroneous interpretations of Buddhist ideas, the Fengfayao is comparable in its accuracy to the works of Xi Chao’s Chinese Buddhist counterparts.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon.