GUIFENG ZONGMI, 圭峰宗密, 780-841. A self-claimed Dharma Heir of Heze Shenhui.
But he states that it was the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment (Yüan-chüeh ching) which led him to enlightenment, when his "mind-ground opened thoroughly." At that time he was with Suizhou Daoyuan, 遂州道圓, who through
(Sichuan Model no-thought as the exclusive doctrine of their teachings. )
Zizhou Zhishen (609-702)
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| |_ Zizhou Chuji. (648-734)
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| |_Jing-zhong Wu-xiang (684-762)
Jing-zhong Wu-xiang reduced all of Ch’an teachings to the three phrases of “not remembering,” which he equated with morality, “not thinking,” with samādhi, and “not forgetting,” with wisdom. All sentient beings are originally markless (wu-hsiang, 寂揹). All marks (揹) are false minds (退慌). If mind becomes markless (寂揹), it is immediately the Buddha's mind.
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| |_ Jing-zhong Shên-hui (720-794)
Although Shen-hui advanced the concept of no-thought in his teachings, the concept only remained as one of the principal doctrines. There are still a number of other ideas that are equally important in his way.
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| |_Wei-chung Nan-yin (704-782)
Also briefly studied Hui-neng's teachings and not understanding may have had contact with Hotse Shen-hui in Chiang-Ling. Although he might make a
claim for connection also through the common concept of no thought his teachings really reflected that of Jing-zhong Shên-hui.
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| |_ Sui-zhou Dao-yüan (780-841)
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| |Zongmi (780-841) also a Huayan Patriarch)
Zongmi 圭峰宗密 met the Chan master Sui-zhou Dao-yüan and one of the questions which we must then address is whether the "One-Word Awareness" model of the Master Zongmi best represents the Path of Huineng, considering his claim and reverence for Huineng.
However the thread of "No-thought", which generates the necessity for some other operation, which points to Awareness of Sensing, suggests that Zongmi, although with great respect and reverence for Huineng, did not actually use Master Hui-neng's full system. Perhaps because he did not understand it at an experiential level.