Four Masters Record (四家錄)

About 四家錄

Yuan · by 釋海島編

36,058 · about 120 min

The *Record of Four Masters*, compiled by the monk Haidao of the Yuan Dynasty, is a significant Chan Buddhist text. Completed during the Yuan period, this work anthologizes the recorded sayings and teachings of four eminent monks from the Yangqi branch of the Linji school of Chinese Chan Buddhism: Songyuan Chongyue, Po'an Zuxian, Caoyuan Daosheng, and Chijue Daochong. Its content encompasses the core philosophies of Chan, methods of practice, and the dynamic dialogues between masters and disciples, reflecting the developmental trajectory and intellectual characteristics of Chan during the Song-Yuan transition. This text is not only an important document for the study of Chan history and philosophy but also serves as a crucial guide for later practitioners in their study and realization of the Way. It occupies a pivotal position within the corpus of Buddhist Chan literature, linking the past with the future.