Nányuè Huáiràng | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Ch'an master |
| Personal life | |
| Born | May 14, 677 |
| Died | July 21, 744 (aged 67) China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Ch'an |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Dajian Huineng |
| Successor | Mazu Daoyi |
Nanyue Huairang (Chinese:南嶽懐譲;pinyin:Nányuè Huáiràng;Rōmaji:Nangaku Ejõ) (677–744)[1] was a Chinese Chan master. According to the Chan-tradition, he was the foremost student ofDajian Huineng,[1] the 6th Patriarch ofChan (Zen) and teacher of one of hisDharma heirs,Mazu Daoyi.[1]
The ancestor of two of theFive Houses of Ch'an, Huairang is traditionally said to have studied with aVinaya master and became ordained. Dissatisfied with his own progress, Huairang foundDajian Huineng inShaozhou and became his disciple, which is recorded in various traditional biographies. Huairang is traditionally said to have given Dharma transmission to six individuals, the most prominent beingMazu Daoyi.[2]
Based on a critical reading of the textual evidence, the scholar John McRae notes that it is unlikely that Huairang actually practiced with Huineng. In the oldest version of thePlatform Sutra found among theDunhuang manuscripts, which dates to about 850 CE, Nanyue is not listed as a student of Huineng at all. Although Huairang is mentioned in 952 CE in theAnthology of the Patriarchal Hall, he is not discussed in the context of Huineng. The same source records a putative conversation between him and Mazu, but there is no explicit suggestion that Mazu is his student. An even earlier source, theTransmissions of the Treasure Grove of 801, states that Huairang was enlightened under Lao'an, a teacher with connections toShenxiu of the so-called Northern School.[3]
| Buddhist titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | LinjiChan/RinzaiZen patriarch | Succeeded by |
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