Ancestral Hall Guide (祖庭指南)

About 祖庭指南

Qing · by 徐昌治編述

49,739 · about 166 min

Xu Changzhi's "Guide to Patriarchal Monasteries" is a significant work of Buddhist historical biography from the Qing Dynasty. The author, Xu Changzhi, was a lay Buddhist practitioner during the late Ming and early Qing periods, who inherited the Dharma lineage of the Linji school. This book systematically organizes the origins and development of Chan (Zen) patriarchal monasteries, providing detailed records of the practice sites, life stories, and Dharma transmissions of successive patriarchs throughout history. It holds value both as a historical and geographical resource. Not only is it a key text for studying the development of Chinese Chan Buddhism, the culture of patriarchal monasteries, and Buddhist geography, but it also serves as an authoritative guide for later generations of practitioners on pilgrimage. It occupies an important position in Buddhist historiography and is an indispensable classic for understanding Chan patriarchal monasteries.