Song · by 惠洪撰
87,377 · about 291 min
The *Biographies of Eminent Monks from the Chan Forests* was compiled by the eminent monk Huihong of the Northern Song Dynasty and stands as a significant historical and biographical work on Buddhism from the Song period. The book records the biographies of eighty-one eminent Chan masters from the Tang Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty, detailing their lives, circumstances of enlightenment, and deeds in spreading the Dharma. Not only does it preserve invaluable historical materials of the Chan tradition, but it also vividly portrays the demeanor and wisdom of Chan monks through its literary style. Occupying a pivotal role in Buddhist history, it serves as a core text for studying the development of Chan Buddhism during the Tang and Song dynasties, the transmission of lineages, and the conduct of eminent monks, exerting a profound influence on the writing of later biographical works in the Chan tradition.