Zhu Fonian
Zhu Fonian (竺佛念, 4th–5th centuries) lived during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317–420). He was from Liangzhou (涼州), present-day Wuwei (武威), Gansu Province, China. He became a monk at an early age. Firm in his belief, he not only recited Buddhist sūtras but also dabbled in non-Buddhist texts.
During the Jianyuan years (建元, 365–85) of the Former Qin Dynasty (前秦, 350–94), staying in its capital, Chang-an, Zhu Fonian assisted Saṅghabhūti (僧伽跋澄) and Dharmanandi (曇摩難提) in translating Sanskrit texts into Chinese. During the Hongshi (弘始) years (399–416) of the Later Qin Dynasty (後秦, 384–417), he translated from Sanskrit into Chinese twelve sūtras in 74 fascicles, including the Sūtra of the Garland of a Bodhisattva’s Primary Karmas. However, some of his translations are lost. Zhu Fonian died in Chang-an, age unknown. He was esteemed as a great translator during the Former and the Later Qin Dynasties.
