A B O O K The Philip E. Lilienthal imprint honors special books in commemoration of a man whose work at the University of California Press from 1954 to 1979 was marked by dedication to young authors and to high standards in the field of Asian Studies. Friends, family, authors, and foundations have together endowed the Lilienthal Fund, which enables the Press to publish under this imprint selected books in a way that reflects the taste and judgment of a great and beloved editor. The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution to this book provided by the Philip E. Lilienthal Asian Studies Endowment of the University of California Press Associates, which is supported by a major gift from Sally Lilienthal. Seeing through Zen Seeing through Zen Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism John R. McRae UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley / Los Angeles / London University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2003 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McRae, John R., 1947– Seeing through Zen : encounter, transformation, and genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism / John R. McRae. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0-520-23797-8 (alk. paper)—isbn 0-520-23798-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Zen Buddhism—China—History. I. Title. bq9262.5 .m367 2004 294.3'927'0951—dc21 2003011741 Manufactured in the United States of America 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication is both acid-free and totally chlorine-free (tcf). It meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8 Dedicated to yanagida Seizan, with inexpressible gratitude Contents List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Conventions xvii McRae’s Rules of Zen Studies xix 1. Looking at Lineage: A Fresh Perspective on Chan Buddhism 1 2. Beginnings: Diªerentiating/Connecting Bodhidharma and the East Mountain Teaching 22 3. Metropolitan Chan: Imperial Patronage and the Chan Style 45 4. The Riddle of Encounter Dialogue: Who, What, When, and Where? 74 5. Zen and the Art of Fund-Raising: Religious Vitality and Institutional Dominance in the Song Dynasty 101 6. Climax Paradigm: Cultural Polarities and Patterns of Self-Cultivation in Song-Dynasty Chan 119 Notes 155 Character Glossary 177 Bibliography 183 Index 195