imperial preceptor

  • Monk Baozhi’s Statue in The Mural

    In Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio: The Painted Wall (The Mural), the statue of Baozhi Monk (Zhi Gong) — a revered monk of the Liang Dynasty–is not a random religious motif but a deliberate spiritual beacon crafted by Pu Songling.

  • What color is the grass?

    National Teacher Huizhong (Imperial Preceptor Huizhong), a renowned Tang Dynasty Chan master who studied under Huineng, was revered by three emperors.

  • The attendant who couldn’t see the Buddha

    National Teacher Huizhong (675-775CE), widely known as Nanyang Huizhong Guoshi or National Teacher Huizhong of Nanyang, was a revered Tang Dynasty Chan master. He served as imperial preceptor to three emperors (Xuanzong, Suzong, Daizong), earning the title “National Teacher” (imperial preceptor). Born in Zhuji, Yuezhou (modern-day Zhuji, Zhejiang Province), he mastered the sutras and…