Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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.
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.
Chan Master Yuanguan was a prominent monk in the early Song Dynasty. Posthumously known as Liangshan Yuanguan for his residence at Mount Liang in Dingzhou (modern-day Changde, Hunan), he served as the ninth-generation dharma successor of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and studied under Chan Master Tong’an Guanzhi. His lineage played a pivotal role in…
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…
In Journey to the West, how did the Monkey King measure time on Lingtai Fangcun Mountain without clocks or calendars?