Fayan Wenyi, Xuansha Shibei（玄沙师备）

Summary

Fayan School is the latest Zen school that emerged in response to the new challenges facing Zen Buddhism. In Buddhism and became gradually secularized at the same time. Among the lineage masters of th Fayan Wenyi, Xuansha Shibei（玄沙师备） put great emphasis on ascetic dhuta practices （头陀行） and celibacy（清修）, and was a prime example of "meditation with Dharma texts in embrace" （抱本参禅）. There are considerable differences between his Zen methods and those of the Rinzai school.

Fayan Wenyi inherited Xuansha's unique Zen lineage through the Guichen （桂琛）, and established a new model on this basis. Among the Zen treatises of Fayan Wenyi, the Zongmen Shugui Lun（《宗门十规论》） probably provides the best reflections on the spirit of the times. Its "union of Zen and Doctrine" concept makes it clear: "If one has not studied the doctrine and commentaries, it will be difficult to see through the emotions," and when the time comes, one will still have to "fall into the cycle of birth and death."

The arguments contained in the ten chapters of Zongmen Shigui Lun can well reflect a critique of prajnnaa. Each of the chapters begin with the primary objective of the Zen school and then goes on to analyze the failings of the contemporary Zen schools. The treatise puts forth the view that the different styles of the various Zen schools have their own merits, and do not negate the reality that they all belong to the Zen lineage. The treatise's use of the term "Prajnnaa Student" （学般若人） to describe practitioners is especially noteworthy. In its usage, the treatise also takes references from the Huayan school.