Changlu Zongze ( ) (died c. 1107) was a Chinese
Chan
Chan may refer to:
Places
*Chan (commune), Cambodia
* Chan Lake, by Chan Lake Territorial Park in Northwest Territories, Canada
People
*Chan (surname), romanization of various Chinese surnames (including 陳, 曾, 詹, 戰, and 田)
* Chan Cald ...
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monk noted for writing the ''
Chanyuan Qinggui
The ''Chanyuan qinggui'' (; ) or ''The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery'', is a highly influential set of rules for Zen monasteries compiled by the Chinese monk Changlu Zongze in 1103. Although many other monastic codes aimed at the Zen school ...
'', or ''The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery''. Written in 1103, it was the earliest comprehensive book of monastic rules for Chan Buddhist monasteries.
[ The short essay ''Zuochan yi,'' also attributed to Zongze, is the earliest guide to seated ]meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
in the Chan tradition.
Little is known about him, but the influence of his work was significant and he is exalted in the Pure Land
A pure land is the celestial realm of a buddha or bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. The term "pure land" is particular to East Asian Buddhism () and related traditions; in Sanskrit the equivalent concept is called a buddha-field (Sanskrit ). T ...
documents as one of the patriarchs of the Pure Land lineage. He was raised by his mother, having lost his father (whose surname was Sun) at an early age.
After studying Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
at an early age he turned to Buddhism. He was ordained at the age of 29 by Fayun Faxiu
Fǎyún Fǎxiù () or Fǎyún Yuántōng ( ) was a Chan Buddhist monk of Song Dynasty China. A follower of the Yunmen School, Faxiu had many friends among the educated elite, including scholars, writers, and painters, such as Huang Tingjian, Su Sh ...
, but later studied with Changlu Yingfu. Years later, he experienced a sudden awakening which he recorded in a poem, after which he was declared a Cijue Dashi (Master of Compassion and Enlightenment).
References
{{Reflist
12th-century Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism
Buddhist ethics
1107 deaths