（746-806）. Chinese esoteric master acknowledged as one of the eight patriarchs of the doctrine 傅授八祖 in Shingon lineages. Born in Zhangan 长安， he became a Buddhist novice at nine years of age. In 763， Amoghavajra 不空金刚 began teaching him dha^ran!i^s and meditation techniques. Five years later， he had been initiated into the Susiddhi 苏悉地经 and Vajradha^tu 金刚界 practices by Amoghavajra， also receiving the Matrix realm practices 胎藏法 from Xuanchao 玄超， a disciple of S/ubhakara^sim!h!a 善无畏. By 779 Huiguo was acknowledged as the most outstanding of Amoghavajra's disciples and began reporting directly to the throne. A year later he met the Javanese pilgrim Bianhong 辩弘， who had detoured to Zhangan on his way to India， and initiated him into the practices of the Matrix realm. He similarly initiated the Sillan monks Hye-Il 慧日 and O-jin 悟真 into the Susiddhi and Vajradhatu practices respectively. In 805， when close to death， he met the then-unknown Japanese monk Ku^kai 空海 and， recognizing him as his successor， transmitted everything he could during the next few months， including the complete ritual and textual tradition of the Vairocana^bhisambodhi 大日经 and Tattvasam!graha 金刚顶经. Huiguo died shortly afterwards， and Ku^kai composed his epitaph for a grand state-sponsored funeral. In China， Huiguo was succeeded by several other disciples who in turn trained the next generation of Japanese pilgrims. The sole canonical text attributed to him is 'The Eighteen Gestures' 十八契印 （T 900 p.781-5）