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A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists.
Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools
- The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama
- Ananda, Siddhartha's cousin and one of his chief disciples
- An Shih Kao, a Parthian monk and the first known Buddhist missionary to China, in 148 CE.
- Asanga
- Atisha (indirect founder of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism)
- Bodhidharma (legendary first patriarch of Zen in China)
- Buddhaghosa (Theravadin commentator)
- Chandrakirti
- Dharmakirti
- Dharmaraksa, a Yueh-Chih Buddhist monk, the first known translator of the Lotus Sutra into Chinese.
- Dharmaraksita, a Greek Buddhist missionary of Emperor Ashoka, and a teacher of Nagasena.
- Dogen Zenji (founder of Soto Zen, based upon the Chinese Caodong tradition)
- Eisai (12th century Japanese monk, travelled to China and returned to found the Japanese Rinzai sect of Zen)
- Fazang
- Fa Xian (translator and pilgrim)
- Gampopa Dagpo Lharje, a student of Jetsun Milarepa and founder of the Karma Kagyü lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
- Gihwa (1376-1433) Korean Seon monk; wrote commentaries on the Diamond Sutra and Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment
- Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769, Rinzai Zen)
- Huineng (6th Patriarch of Zen in China)
- Ingen (17th century Chinese Zen monk, founder of the Ōbaku sect of Zen)
- Jinul Korean Seon monk (1158-1210); founder of modern Korean gong'an meditation system
- Jnanagupta (translator)
- Jnanayasas (translator)
- Joshu (9th century Chinese Zen monk)
- Khandro Kalpa Zangmo
- Khungpo Nyaljor, founder of the Shangpa Kagyü lineage
- Kukai (9th century Japanese monk, founder of Shingon)
- Linji (9th century Chinese monk, founder of the Linji school of Zen)
- Lokaksema, a Kushan monk, the first translator of Mahayana scriptures into Chinese, around 180 CE.
- Longchenpa
- Luipa
- Mahakashyapa, a disciple of the Buddha
- Mahadharmaraksita (A Greek Buddhist master during the time of Menander)
- Marpa Lotsawa (Marpa the Translator, Marpa of Lhobrag), a student of Naropa and first Tibetan founder in the Kagyü lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
- Menander (Pali: Milinda, 2nd century BCE, an Indo-Greek king of northwestern India, who questioned Nāgasena about Buddhism in the Milinda Pañha)
- Jetsun Milarepa, a student of Marpa Lotsawa and one of Tibet's most famous yogis
- Nagarjuna (influential Buddhist philosopher)
- Nāgasena (2nd century BCE Buddhist sage questioned about Buddhism by Milinda, the Greek king of Bactria in the Milinda Pañha)
- Nagpopa
- Naropa, Tilopa's primary disciple, teacher of Marpa the Translator and Khungpo Nyaljor
- Nichiren (founder of Nichiren Buddhism)
- Nikko (founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism)
- Padmasambhava (semi-legendary founder of Nyingma school of Tibetan_Buddhism)
- Rōben (8th century Japanese monk, invited Simsang to Japan and founded the Kegon tradition, based upon the Korean Hwaeom school)
- Ryokan (18th century Japanese Zen monk and poet)
- Saicho (9th century Japanese monk, founder of Tendai tradition, based upon the Chinese Tiantai school)
- Sariputta (Pali. Shariputra Sanskrit. One of two chief disciples of the Buddha.)
- Shantideva (8th century Indian)
- Shinran
- Simsang (8th century Korean monk, who at the request of Rōben helped transmit Hwaeom to Japan, thereby founding the Japanese Kegon tradition)
- Takuan Soho (Zen teacher, and, according to legend, mentor of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi)
- Tilopa, recipient of four separate transmissions from Nagarjuna, Nagpopa, Luipa, and Khandro Kalpa Zangmo; Naropa's teacher
- Tsongkhapa (14th century Tibetan monk, founder of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism, based upon the Kadam tradition)
- Uisang (7th century Korean monk, founder of Hwaeom tradition, based upon the Chinese Huayan school)
- Vasubandhu
- Weonhyo (617-668) Korean monk; prolific commentator on Mahayana sutras
- Wonchuk
- Xuanzang (brought Yogacara to China to found Faxiang school, significant pilgrim, translator)
- Yi Jing (pilgrim and translator)
- Zhiyi (founder of Tiantai school)
- Zongmi (WG: Tsung-mi; fifth patriarch of Chinese Huayan school)
Historical rulers and political figures
Modern teachers
Zen teachers
- Robert Aitken, Roshi (1917- )
- Tenshin Reb Anderson
- Zentatsu Richard Baker, Roshi
- Jan Chozen Bays
- Charlotte Joko Beck
- John Crook (1930- )
- Zoketsu Norman Fischer
- Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Roshi
- Joan Halifax
- Daiun Harada, Roshi (1871-1961)
- Sandra Jishu Holmes
- the Ven. Hsing Yun (1927-)
- the Ven. Hsu Yun (1840-1959)
- Philip Kapleau, Roshi (1912-2004)
- Dainin Katagiri
- Jiyu Kennett, Roshi (1924-1996)
- Jakusho Kwong, Roshi (1935- )
- Geri Larkin
- John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Taizan Maezumi, Roshi
- Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, Roshi (1907- )
- Seung Sahn, Soen Sa (1927-2004)
- the Ven. Sheng-yen (1931- )
- Soyen Shaku, Roshi (1859-1919)
- Nyogen Senzaki, Roshi (18??-1958)
- Eido Shimano, Roshi
- Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi (1904-1971)
- Haku'un Yasutani, Roshi (1885-1973)
Miscellaneous
Teachers of controversial Buddhist or Buddhist-influenced groups
Modern scholars and authors
Modern politicians, activists, and protestors
Celebrity Buddhists
See also
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