Philosophical ideas in the works of Zong Bing, a Chinese Buddhist monk-hermit

The paper analyzes the major Buddhist philosophical ideas in the less studied essay «On the Interpretation of the Buddhist Teaching» («Mingfolun» 明佛论）written by Chinese Buddhist monk-hermit named Zong Bing (375-447 AD). As a result of translation and analysis of «Mingfolun» it was revealed that all essays were based on four interrelated Buddhist theses: soul-shen didn’t become extinct (after death); everybody could become Buddha; heart-mind created the whole world; all dharmas-fa were empty. Zong Bing creatively developed the theses of Huiyuan, his teacher, concerning the immortal status of the soul and the possibility in principle to become Buddha for all people, he put forward original philosophical constructs and made a significant impact on the process of integration of the Indian Buddhism in the Chinese medieval social and cultural environment.