Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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Yongjia Xuanjue, a monk from Wenzhou, initially practiced Tiantai meditation until he awakened upon reading the Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Lacking a master’s confirmation, he met Dongyang Xuance — a disciple of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng — who urged him to seek verification at Caoxi.
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Master Huineng (638–713 CE), also known as the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, is one of the most influential figures in Chinese Buddhist history. Born into a poor family and uneducated, he attained enlightenment upon hearing a recitation of the Diamond Sutra, and later became a disciple of the Fifth Patriarch, Master Hongren.
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While traveling in Huangmei, Chan Master Daoxin encountered a seven-year-old boy (later known as Hongren) whose speech revealed extraordinary wisdom.
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National Teacher Huizhong (Imperial Preceptor Huizhong), a renowned Tang Dynasty Chan master who studied under Huineng, was revered by three emperors.
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Chan Master Xingsi ordained in childhood and later sought the Sixth Patriarch Huineng at Caoxi, becoming his foremost disciple. Shitou Xiqian arrived at Caoxi in Huineng’s final years. As the Patriarch prepared to enter nirvana, Xiqian pleaded: “To whom shall I turn after your passing?” Huineng’s dying guidance cut like lightning: “Seek Si” —…
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The venerable Master Yinzong was a significant figure in Buddhist history. Renowned during the Tang Dynasty for expounding sutras, he specialized in teaching the Nirvana Sutra and served as abbot of Guangzhou’s Faxing Temple (present-day Guangxiao Temple). After leaving Huangmei, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng once visited Faxing Temple to attend Yinzong’s lectures on the…
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After inheriting the Dharma at Dongshan Temple in Huangmei, Huineng (the Sixth Patriarch) journeyed south. Finding Baolin Monastery in ruins, he lodged with villagers, hosted by scholar Liu Zhilue.
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Yulin Tongxiu (1614–1675CE), Dharma name Tongxiu, courtesy name Yulin, commonly known as National Master Yulin, was a renowned Chan master of the Linji (Rinzai) school during the transition period between the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. He once served as abbot of Baoren Temple in Wukang, Zhejiang Province. In 1658, he was summoned…
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In his childhood, Shenhui studied classics and history under a teacher, mastering the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Later, after reading the Book of the Later Han, he encountered Buddhism and devoted himself to its teachings.