Buddhism

Latter Han (25-220 CE)
Three Kindgoms Period (220-265 CE)
Western Chin (265-317 CE)

The Years of Growth (317-589 CE)

After the fall of the Western Chin, the Chinese withdrew South to Nanking and established the Eastern Chin dynasty, which was succeeded by a series of weak governments. The conquered North was occupied and divided between various sinicized peoples, who soon were warring with one another. Hence began the 'North and South Dynasties' period (317-581), which resembles the fuedal periods in Europe and Japan. In the South, the upper classes who devoted their lives to academics and literature began to explore Buddhism, often discovering it through Neo-Taoism. At the same time, Buddhism was adopted and promoted by many of the occupying dynasties in the North, where it eventually would achieve a popularity nearing the status of a state religion. Kumarajiva arrived and established the first Imperial translation bureau in the North, while a well read sangha in the South studiously examined the scriptures and developed the first beginnings of a Chinese Buddhism theology. This period closes with the reunification of China under the Sui dynasty.

Northern Dynasties
Southern Dynasties (Eastern Chin, Sung, Ch'i, Liang, Ch'en) Eastern Chin (317-420)

The Years of Acceptance (589-907 AD)

During the short-lived Sui dynasty (581-618), the North and South traditions of Buddhism were united. At the end of the Sui and during the opening years of the Tang dynasty (618-907), a series of Chinese Buddhists emerged to establish the major Chinese sects. Zhiyi's (Chih-i's) teachings would be written down by disciples and become the founding philosophy of the Tiantai school. Jizang (Chi-tsang) would bring the Chinese Madhyamika to its zenith by reviving the Sanlun school. Shandao (Shan-tao) would popularize the already established Pure Land school. Shenhui (Shen-hui) emerged claiming Huineng's (Hui-neng's) lineage and established the Southern school of the Chan. Zhiyan (Chih-yen) laid down the groundwork for the Huayen school. Xuanzang (Hsuan-tsang) would return from his pilgramage to India and organize the last, and greatest, of the Chinese translation bureaus. His disciple Kuiji (Kuei-chi) would establish a new Yogacaran sect, the Faxiang school. All of these schools and others would enjoy a period of state religion status under the first couple centuries of the T'ang dynasty. This period closes with the catatrophic persecutions at the hands of reactionary Tang emporers and the collapse of the Tang dynasty.

Decline and Revival (907-present)

After the mortal blows of two extensive persecutions and the general anarchy and warfare at the end of the Tang dynasty and throughout the Five Dynasties period (907-960), Chinese Buddhism would never recover the vitality and creativity it enjoyed at the height of the T'ang dynasty. But the sangha did recover after the unification under the Song dynasty (960-1279). There was, however, a culling and consolidation of the wide array of lineages which existed before the persecutions. The Chan and Pure Land sects would emerge as the two major schools of Chinese Buddhism after the Tang. And these two would share monastic quarters to such an extent that Pure Land would be absorbed into Chan practice.