Three towering figures brought the kaleidoscopic vision of the Avatamsaka Sutra into Chinese, each leaving a distinct mark on how East Asia understands the web of interdependence.

Buddhabhadra (359–429 CE)
Arriving from Central Asia during the Eastern Jin dynasty, this pioneering monk delivered the first substantial taste of the “Flower Ornament” teaching with a 60-fascicle rendering around 418 CE. His work captured the Sutra’s sweeping panoramas of countless worlds and bodhisattvas, planting seeds that would bloom in later commentaries. By conveying lofty cosmological vistas in sound, clear Chinese prose, Buddhabhadra set the stage for the Huayan school’s poetic metaphors of Indra’s Net.

Bodhiruci (active ca. 693–697 CE)
A disciple of the great Yijing, Bodhiruci polished and expanded earlier fragments into an 80-scroll version during the early Tang dynasty. His meticulous attention to technical terms—particularly around the stages of bodhisattva cultivation—helped clarify thorny passages on emptiness and simultaneous arising. Thanks to Bodhiruci’s stubborn devotion to accuracy, later masters had a firmer linguistic foundation to explore ecological and social implications of “mutual identity.”

Śikṣānanda (635–713 CE)
Often hailed as the consummate craftsman of Buddhist translation, Śikṣānanda spent nearly two decades at Chang’an’s grand Ta-Chou Monastery. His 80-scroll edition, completed in 716 CE, became the standard text in the Tripitaka. With a flair for poetic rhythm, his phrasing allowed ritual chanting to resonate like a celestial symphony—no small feat when dealing with tens of thousands of lines. Today’s eco-philosophers and systems thinkers still quote his elegant metaphors when highlighting how a single dewdrop reflects the entire cosmos.

Together, these three translators wove linguistic bridges between India’s profound vision of “interbeing” and China’s rich textual traditions. Their combined legacy ripples through modern discussions—from university seminars on quantum entanglement to grassroots movements weaving community gardens—showing that every leaf, every breath, stands inextricably linked to the whole.