Clerics › Religious Figure

Tan Yao

Eminent Northern Wei Buddhist master who supervised the creation of the Yungang Grottoes and the monumental Tan Yao Five Caves.

Also known as Shamen Tong Tan Yao · Master Tan Yao

Tan Yao (c. 405 CE–475 CE) was the imperial superintendent of monks in Northern Wei. Leading the restoration of Buddhism under Emperor Wencheng, he engineered and directed the excavation of the world-renowned Yungang Grottoes.

Life and times

  1. 405 CEBornJinNorthern and Southern
  2. 460Yungang Monumental GrottoesTook partImperial carving of the Tanyao Five Caves, inaugurating the flourishing era of Buddhist rock-cut architecture.
    1. Tianlongshan Caves Carved in TaiyuanIn 460 CE, Emperor Wencheng commissioned Tanyao to direct the carving of Caves 16–20 at Wuzhou Mountain, beginning the Yungang complex.
    2. Monk Tanyao Founding Yungang GrottoesMonk Tanyao initiated the Five Caves at Yungang under imperial patron Emperor Wencheng.
  3. 475 CEDied

Works

  1. Literature · Prose3
    1. Account of the Causes and Conditions of the Transmission of the Dharma TreasuryNorthern and SouthernNorthern Wei translation by Kekaya and Tan Yao tracing the Dharma through 23 Indian patriarchs
    2. Account of the Causes and Conditions of the Transmission of the Dharma Treasury: Juan 1Northern and Southern
    3. Account of the Causes and Conditions of the Transmission of the Dharma Treasury: Opening of Juan 1: The Buddha Defeats Mara and Attains EnlightenmentNorthern and Southern

Connections

  1. Shared events1
    1. Tuoba Dao408 CE–452 CE
  2. Interactions1
    1. Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei (Tuoba Jun)Political: The cave-temple petition · 440 CE–465 CEMonk Tanyao Founding Yungang Grottoes

Records

Tanyao becomes overseer of monks and proposes five caves at Wuzhou Pass

Early Heping era, Northern Wei

According to the Book of Wei, early in the Heping era of Northern Wei, Shixian died and Tanyao took his place, and the office was renamed shamen tong (overseer of monks). He then petitioned the emperor to cut five caves into the rock face at Wuzhou Pass, west of the capital, with one Buddha image set up in each.

References (1)