The doctrinal debate between Hui Yuan of Lu Shan and Kumārajīva was an extremely important event in the history of Buddhist thought,however,its significance has not been sufficiently revealed in the academic circles.This paper is of this opinion: The doctrinal debate between Hui Yuan and Kumārajīva revealed a profound refection of Chinese Buddhist scholars represented by Hui Yuan on the then popular prajā-’sūnyatā philosophy since the end of East Jin Dynasty,which paved the way for the great diversion of Chinese Buddhist thought from the Mahāyānaprajāpāramitā philosophy to Mahāyāna-nirvāna philosophy,and was of milestone importance in the history of evolution of the Chinese Buddhist thought.
