List of Buddhists

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A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists.

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Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools

Individuals are grouped by nationality, except in cases where the vast majority of their influence was felt elsewhere.

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Indian

The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama
Ananda, Siddhartha's cousin and one of his chief disciples
Aryadeva foremost disciple of Nagarjuna, continued the philosophical school of Madhyamika
Asanga founder of the Yogachara school, widely considered the most important Mahayana philosopher (with Nagarjuna)
Atisha holder of the “mind training” (Tib. lojong) teachings, considered an indirect founder of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism
Bhavaviveka early expositor of the Svatantrika Madhyamikha
Buddhaghosa (Theravadin commentator)
Buddhapalita early expositor of the Prasangika Madhyamikha
Candragomin renowned grammarian
Chandrakirti considered the greatest exponent of Prasangika Madhyamika
Dharmakirti famed logician, author of the Seven Treatises; student of Dignana's student Ishvarasena; said to have debated famed Hindu scholar Shankara
Dignaga famed logician
Gunaprabha foremost student of Vasubandhu, known for his work the Vinayasutra
Kamalashila 8th-century author of important texts on meditation
Luipa one of the eighty-four tantric mahasiddas
Mahakassapa (Pali, Mahakashyapa Sanskrit) a disciple of the Buddha
Moggallana, (Pali, Maudgalyayana Sanskrit) one of the two chief disciples of the Buddha
Nagarjuna founder of the Madhyamika school, widely considered the most important Mahayana philosopher (with Asanga)
Nagpopa one of the eighty-four tantric mahasiddas
Nadapada (Tib. Naropa), Tilopa's primary disciple, teacher of Marpa the Translator and Khungpo Nyaljor
Sakyaprabha prominent expositor of the Vinaya
Saraha famed mahasiddha, forefather of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage
Sariputta (Pali, Shariputra Sanskrit). one of the two chief disciples of the Buddha
Shantarakshita abbot of Nalanda, founder of the Yogachara-Madhyamika who helped Padmasambhava establish Buddhism in Tibet
Shantideva (8th century Indian) author of the Bodhisattvacaryavatra
Talika (Tib. Tilopa), recipient of four separate transmissions from Nagarjuna, Nagpopa, Luipa, and Khandro Kalpa Zangmo; Naropa's teacher
Vasubandhu author of the Abhidharmakosha
Vimuktisena commentator on texts of Asanga's

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Indo-Greek

Dharmaraksita (3rd century BCE), Greek Buddhist missionary of Emperor Ashoka, and a teacher of Nagasena.
Mahadharmaraksita (2nd century BCE), Greek Buddhist master during the time of Menander.
Nāgasena (2nd century BCE), Buddhist sage questioned about Buddhism by Milinda, the Indo-Greek king in the Milinda Pañha.

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Central Asian

An Shih Kao, a Parthian monk and the first known Buddhist missionary to China, in 148 CE.
Dharmaraksa, a Yueh-Chih Buddhist monk, the first known translator of the Lotus Sutra into Chinese.
Jnanagupta (561-592), a monk and tranlator from Gandhara, Pakistan.
Kumarajiva (c. 401), a Kuchean monk, and one of the most important translators.
Lokaksema, a Kushan monk, the first translator of Mahayana scriptures into Chinese, around 180 CE.
Prajna (c. 810). A monk and translator from Kabul, who translated important texts into Chinese and educated the Japanese Kukai in Sanskrit texts.

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Chinese

Baizhang Huaihai
Bodhidharma (legendary first patriarch of Zen in China)
Fazang
Ba Tuo / Fo Tuo
Fa Xian (translator and pilgrim)
Seng Chou (僧稠)
Joshu (9th century Chinese Zen monk)
Huangbo Xiyun
Fu Yu (福裕)
Jinaluo
Fa Ru
Hui Guang (慧光)
Huineng (6th Patriarch of Zen in China)
Ingen (17th century Chinese Zen monk, founder of the Ōbaku sect of Zen)
Pu Ji
Daoji (Buddhist monk revered as a deity in Taoism)
Jnanayasas (translator)
Linji (9th century Chinese monk, founder of the Linji school of Zen)
Sanghapala (6th century monk (Mon-Khmer?) who translated many texts to Chinese)
Shen Xiu (Tang Dynasty,the chief of Shao-Lin Temple,made great contribution to Zen)
Xuanzang (brought Yogacara to China to found Faxiang school, significant pilgrim, translator)
Yi Jing (pilgrim and translator)
Yunmen Wenyan (founder of one of the five Chan schools)
Zhiyi (founder of Tiantai school)
Zongmi (WG: Tsung-mi; fifth patriarch of Chinese Huayan school)
Ou-Yang Jin-Wu
Hong Yi (also calligraphist, painter, master of seal carving)

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Tibetan

Gampopa, a student of Jetsun Milarepa and founder of the Karma Kagyü lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
Dolpopa founder of the Jonang school and the Shentong philosophy
Khungpo Nyaljor, founder of the Shangpa Kagyü lineage
Longchenpa one of the greatest Nyingma philosophers
Marpa (Marpa the Translator, Marpa of Lhobrag), student of Naropa and a founder of the Kagyü lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
Milarepa, a foremost student of Marpa Lotsawa
Padmasambhava (Tib. Guru Rinpoche) Indian semi-legendary founder of Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism
Sakya Pandita one of the greatest Sakya philosphers
Tsongkhapa (14th century Tibetan monk, founder of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism, based upon the Kadam tradition)

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Japanese

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)
Ippen, founder of the Japanese Pure Land Ji sect (Ji-shu)
Ikkyu
Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769, Rinzai Zen)
Honen, founder of the Japanese Pure Land Jodo sect (Jodo-shu)
Kukai (9th century Japanese monk, founder of Shingon)
Myoe (Japanese monk of the Shingon and Kegon schools, known for his propagation of the Mantra of Light)
Nichiren (founder of Nichiren Buddhism)
Nikko (founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism)
Rōben (8th century Japanese monk, invited Simsang to Japan and founded the Kegon tradition, based upon the Korean Hwaeom school)
Ryōkan (18th century Japanese Zen monk and poet)
Saicho (9th century Japanese monk, founder of Tendai tradition, based upon the Chinese Tiantai school)
Shinran, founder of the Japanese Pure Land Jodo Shin sect (Jodo Shinshu)
Takuan Soho (Zen teacher, and, according to legend, mentor of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi)

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Korean

Gihwa (1376-1433) Korean Seon monk; wrote commentaries on the Diamond Sutra and Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment
Jinul Korean Seon monk (1158-1210); founder of modern Korean gong'an meditation system
Simsang (8th century Korean monk, who at the request of Rōben helped transmit Hwaeom to Japan, thereby founding the Japanese Kegon tradition)
Uisang (7th century Korean monk, founder of Hwaeom tradition, based upon the Chinese Huayan school)
Weonhyo (617-668) Korean monk; prolific commentator on Mahayana sutras
Wonchuk

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Thai

Somdej Toh (Thai monk specializing in magical amulets)
Phramonkolthepmuni (1885-1959) (Thai monk who founded the Dhammakaya Tradition)
Khun Yay Mahā Ratana Upāsikā Chandra Khonnokyoong (1909-2000) (Thai nun who founded Wat Phra Dhammakaya)

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Historical rulers and political figures

Ashoka the Great, Mauryan Emperor of Ancient India
Brhadrata, the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty
Menander (Pali: Milinda), 2nd century BCE, an Indo-Greek king of northwestern India, who questioned Nāgasena about Buddhism in the Milinda Pañha, and is said to have become an arhat.
Theodorus (1st century BCE), Indo-Greek governor, author of a Buddhist dedication.
Kanishka, ruler of the Kushan Empire
Shōtoku (574-622), crown prince and regent of Japan
Liang Wudi (梁武帝) (502-549), emperor during the Chinese Liang Dynasty
Harshavardhana (606-648), Indian emperor who converted to Buddhism.
Wu Zetian
Jayavarman VII (1181-1219), king of Cambodia
Mongkut, king of Thailand and founder of the Thammayut Nikaya