The setting of ontological and epistemological issues in the teachings of the Tiantai School

Abstract

In 56 CE, Emperor Min-din of the Han dynasty had a dream in which a saint shone a golden light. In the morning, the emperor gathered his wise officials and asked them to explain the identity of this saint. While everyone did not know the meaning of the dream, a sage said, “I heard that your servant in the fireplace was a divine being (shen) in the West, and his name was Buddha. This is the divine being who entered your dream. ” The emperor then sent an embassy to the Western lands (si yui - Central Asia), which after some time brought Buddhist texts and sacred images on a white horse.