The Records of Mazu and the Making of Classical Chan Literature

Abstract

The book explores the historical growth, makeup, and transformation of Chan (Zen) Buddhist literature in late medieval China. It also surveys the distinctive features and the contents of particular types of texts and analyzes the forces, milieus, and concerns that shaped key processes of textual production. While the main emphasis is on a range of written sources that deal with a celebrated Chan tradition that developed and rose to prominence during the Tang era (618–907), the coverage extends to the Five Dynasties (907–960) and Song (960–1279) periods, when many of the best-known Chan collections were compiled. The book also presents a range of primary materials that are important for the historical study of Chan Buddhism, some of them translated for the first time into English. At a basic level, the book’s primary focus is on the earliest extant records about the life, teachings, and legacy of Mazu Daoyi (709–788), one of the principal figures in Chan history. Some of these texts are well known and form a central part of classical Chan (or more broadly Buddhist) literature in China, but until fairly recently other texts have been largely ignored, forgotten, or glossed over. At the same time, the book is also concerned with the Chan School’s creative adaptation of classical literary forms and experimentation with novel narrative styles, which led to the creation of several distinctive Chan genres that exerted notable influences on the subsequent development of Buddhism in China and the rest of East Asia.

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