Zen Dharma Lineage

"The Lineage of Zen" is a long Buddhist novel based on the historical inheritance of Zen Buddhism, depicting the origin of the lineage spanning thousands of years from Venerable Kasyapa to Zen Master Xuyun. The work is strictly based on Zen historical materials and quotes of the founders, and incorporates reasonable literary imagination. Through vivid stories and wise koans, it shows the journey of seeking enlightenment of twenty-eight generations of Indian founders and six generations of Chinese ancestors. The novel starts with "Lingshan Nianhua" and traces the origin of Zen Buddhism's "external biography". It describes in detail major historical events such as Bodhidharma's eastward journey, Huike's broken arm, Seng Can's "Inscription of Faith", Taoism, Faith, Farming and Zen, Hong Ren's "Keeping the True Heart", Huineng's sudden enlightenment and innovation. Later, it was extended to the two major Dharma systems of Nanyue Huairang and Qingyuan Xingsi, including Mazu's establishment of the jungle, Baizhang's establishment of Qinggui, Zhaozhou's tea drinking, Linji's drinking of Deshan sticks and other flourishing Zen sects in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, until the old monk Xuyun revived the blood inheritance of Zen in modern times. The work pays special attention to the description of the evolution of Zen thoughts and personal experience of practice, turning the Zen method of "no words" into an easy-to-understand literary narrative, allowing readers to understand the essence of Zen in the ups and downs of the plot, which "points directly to the human heart, and becomes a Buddha by seeing one's nature", and witnesses how a lamp of the heart can travel through thousands of years of time and space and remain bright.