Marking a complete break with previous scholarship in the field,
this book rewrites the history of early Chan (Zen) Buddhism,
focusing on the genealogy and doctrine of one of its dominant
strains, the so-called Northern school that flourished at the turn
of the eighth century.
The traditional interpretation of the Northern school was heavily
influenced by the polemics of one of its opponents, the monk
Shenhiu, who characterized the Northern school's teaching as
propounding the belief that enlightenment occurred gradually, was
measurable, and could be expressed in conventional language. To all
this, Shenhiu and his teaching of "sudden enlightenment" were
opposed, and Shenhiu's school and its version of history would
later prevail. On the basis of documents found at Dunhuang, this
book shows how the traditional view is incorrect, that Shenhiu's
imposition of a debate between gradual and sudden conceals the
doctrinal continuity between the two schools and the diversity of
Chan thought in the period. The author buttresses his conclusions
by placing the evolution of early Chan in the intellectual,
political, social, and economic context of the mid-Tang.
The book is in three parts. The first part treats the biography and
thought of the "founder" of the Northern school, Shenxiu, the
nature of his followers, and his affinities for Buddhistic
scholasticism. The second part studies the way in which the
Northern school, after Shenxiu, adapted to new circumstances:
changes in imperial policies, the rise of rival schools, and
changes in the nature of its followers. The third part focuses on
the internecine struggles around the genealogy of Chan as reflected
in the "Lengqie shizi ji" (Record of the Masters and Disciples of
the Lankavatara School]) by the monk Jingjue. A close reading of
this work reveals that it foreshadowed many of the themes and
issues that would later come to the forefront in Zen, and
contributes significantly to our reassessment of the teachings and
practices of "pre-classical" Chan.
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