Sino-Tibetan Buddhism: Continuities and Discontinuities. The Case of Nenghai能海’s Legacy in the Contemporary Era

The interest of Han Chinese in Tibetan tantric teachings and practices is on the rise in contemporary China. To some extent, this can be seen as a continuation of a phenomenon that marked the first half of the 20th century, when Chinese Buddhist monks sought in Tibet the Tibetan Dharma, while in China monks and nuns, lay people and simple Buddhist believers engaged in Tibetan tantric practices. Among these masters and practitioners, the “Chinese Lama” Nenghai 能海 (1886–1967) stands out as one of the most significant personalities of the Gelukpa tradition in China proper. In the present study, I shall attempt to assess Nenghai’s legacy at the beginning of the 21st century, focusing on the life and works of the youngest of his immediate disciples, Zhimin 智敏 (1927–2017). The contemporary “fever for Tibetan Buddhism” provides the general context for this inquiry.