The Beishan lu (North Mountain Record) by Shenqing (d. 814) is a key text of medieval Chinese Buddhism commenting on a wide array of matters. The chapters selected for translation refer to the life of the Buddha, the handing down of the dharma teachings, philosophical implications of the way to enlightenment, anecdotes of how rulers reacted to Buddhism, the correct way of representing Buddhism in state and society, the wit of eminent Buddhist monks, and chapter 8 presents a dialogue between a ‘guest,’ who attacks Buddhism using both Confucian and Daoist perspectives, and a ‘host,’ who serves as an apologist for Buddhism. The Beishan lu is known to be a particularly difficult text, which has to this point remained largely obscure to researchers. The present book for the first time offers an English translation of a large part of this important work.