Song · by 志磐撰
454,364 · about 1515 min
The *Comprehensive Records of the Buddhas and Patriarchs* was compiled by the monk Zhipan during the Xianchun era of the Southern Song Dynasty. Consisting of fifty-four volumes, it narrates the history of the spread of Buddhism from the perspective of the Tiantai school, covering the origins of Buddhism from India to China, the transmission of its lineages, the deeds of eminent monks through the ages, and expositions of doctrine. Modeled on the style of historical annals, it systematically integrates earlier Buddhist historical biographies, representing a comprehensive historical work of the Tiantai tradition. This text not only preserves a wealth of precious Buddhist historical materials but also establishes a doctrinal classification system that upholds Tiantai as the orthodox tradition. It has exerted a profound influence on later Buddhist historical studies and is regarded as a landmark work in the comprehensive history of Chinese Buddhism.