The Lineage of the Vinaya School

The Lineage of the Vinaya is an epic account of the spread of the Dharma across a thousand years. The story begins in distant India, where the Venerable Dharmaguptaka compiles the Vinaya Canon. It then transmigrates through the Western Regions, reaching China for the first time during the turbulent Three Kingdoms period through the efforts of Dharmakala. After taking root during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the tradition flourishes under the Tang. The Master Daoxuan establishes a school and spreads its teachings at Mount Zhongnan, while the parallel Sibu school of Falì and the debates of the Dongta school of Huaixu together paint a picture of the Vinaya’s golden age. The novel follows Jianzhen’s fervent vow to travel east, traces the lineage through the rises and falls of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and ends with Master Hongyi rekindling the lamp of precepts in modern times. With both grandeur and subtlety, the story depicts how generations of eminent masters sought, persevered, debated, and passed on the spiritual flame of “taking the precepts as one’s teacher,” revealing an imperishable lineage shining across time and space.