Mijiao 密教

Esoteric Buddhism （Mìjiáo 密教) is a generic term that has been applied to various types of Buddhist thought and practice.

20th Century Chinese History

During the Republican period this term was divided into three types of esoteric Buddhism. The Esoteric Buddhism of China was generally felt to have disappeared in China. Two broad living traditions of Esoteric Buddhism were believed to remain, and in the 1920s and 1930s a number of Chinese Buddhists sought to revive the tradition of Chinese Esoteric Buddhism by studying in these traditions. These two traditions were:

• 1. The Esoteric Buddhism of Japan 東密
• 2. The Esoteric Buddhism of Tibet 西密

For lists of the individuals associated with the study of each type of Esoteric Buddhism, follow these links.

Section Editor: Erik Hammerstrom

References

• Welch, Holmes. The Buddhist Revival in China. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968. Pp. 173-179.
• Shì Dōngchū 釋東初. Zhōngguó Fójiào jìndài shǐ 中國佛教近代史 (A History of Early Contemporary Chinese Buddhism), in Dōngchū lǎorén quánjí 東初老人全集 (Complete Collection of Old Man Dongchu), vols. 1-2. Taipei: Dongchu, 1974 Pp. 407-457.