The Awakening of Faith

The Awakening of Faith known as Dasheng qixin lun in Chinese is a fundamental text in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. The exact authorship and date of composition of this text are still a matter of debate among scholars. Some attribute it to Asvaghosha the Indian Buddhist monk while others consider it to be of Chinese origin possibly written during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). The text expounds on various important Mahayana Buddhist concepts and teachings such as the nature of reality (emptiness) the Buddha-nature the mind and the ultimate truth. It had a significant influence on the development of East Asian Buddhism especially in China Japan and Korea.