Ming · by 智旭著
97,151 · about 324 min
The Chan Interpretation of the Zhouyi is a Buddhist scholarly work by the late Ming dynasty eminent monk Zhixu. This text emerged against the intellectual backdrop of the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in the late Ming period. Grounded in the doctrines of the Buddhist Consciousness-Only and Tiantai schools, the author systematically elucidates the Confucian classic, the Zhouyi. The work integrates the hexagram and line images and numerological systems of Yijing studies with Buddhist methods of mental cultivation—for instance, interpreting the Qian hexagram through Consciousness-Only theory and explaining the Gen hexagram through the practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā. Its purpose is to harmonize worldly and transcendental teachings, guiding readers to enter Chan through the Yijing. Regarded as the pinnacle of Buddhist exegesis on the Yijing in China, this work holds a significant position in both the history of Buddhist studies and Yijing studies, serving as an authoritative text for researching the interaction among the three teachings.