Shenhui and Huineng Dharma transmission
huineng tearing sutras
according tradition, sixth , last ancestral founder, huineng (惠能; 638–713), 1 of giants of chán history, , surviving schools regard him ancestor. dramatic story of huineng s life tells there controversy on claim title of patriarch. after being chosen hongren, fifth ancestral founder, huineng had flee night nanhua temple in south avoid wrath of hongren s jealous senior disciples.
modern scholarship, however, has questioned narrative. historic research reveals story created around middle of 8th century, beginning in 731 shenhui, successor huineng, win influence @ imperial court. claimed huineng successor of hongren s, instead of publicly recognized successor shenxiu. in 745 shen-hui invited take residence in ho-tse temple in lo-yang. in 753 fell out of grace, , had leave capital go exile. prominent of successors of lineage guifeng zongmi according tsung-mi, shen-hui s approach officially sanctioned in 796, when imperial commission determined southern line of ch represented orthodox transmission , established shen-hui seventh patriarch, placing inscription effect in shen-lung temple .
doctrinally southern school associated teaching enlightenment sudden, while northern school associated teaching enlightenment gradual. polemical exaggeration, since both schools derived same tradition, , so-called southern school incorporated many teachings of more influential northern school. both schools died out, influence of shenhui immense later chan schools traced origin huineng, , sudden enlightenment became standard doctrine of chan.
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