Prof. Xu Xingqing's 徐興慶 book on Duli Xingyi 獨立性易

Last October when I attended the conference on Obaku Culture in Taibei, the conference organizer Prof. Xu Xingqing 徐興慶 kindly presented his new book about Duli Xingyi 獨立性易 to me. Duli became Yinyuan's disciple in Japan but he never received dharma transmission. It is a great book and I am honored to receive a copy.

Dr. Lewis Lancaster lecture on Buddhist Studies at the University of Arizona

Dr. Lewis Lancaster, a Professor Emeritus in the Department of East Asian Languages at the University of California, Berkeley spoke at the University of Arizona on April 6, 2016. His lecture, "Buddhist Studies: Past, Present, and Future" featured a talk on the origins of Buddhism and its significance throughout human history, followed by a question-and-answer session. Lew is always a great supporter of our projects and we appreciate it deeply. We dedicated our Buddhist canon volume Spreading Buddha's Word in East Asia to him.

Chinese painter Kuncan 髡残 as Juelang Daosheng's 觉浪道盛 Dharma Heir

Recently, Prof. Lynn Struve asked me about the painter monk Kuncan's 髡残 (1612-1673) sectarian identity. He was renowned as one of the four great painters during the late Ming and early Qing. But people rarely noticed he was also a certified dharma heir of the Caodong lineage.

I mentioned him in page 103  of my Enlightenment in Dispute and gave his dharma name as Zutang Dagao 祖堂大杲. He was indeed listed as the official dharma heir in Juelang Daosheng's 觉浪道盛 record. (Note: all names were listed by the temple name first.) See the link below to the end of Vol. 12. Donggao Xinyue 东皋心越 once studied with Daosheng and received dharma transmission from Kuotang Dawen 阔堂大文 who is recorded below as Shangtang Dawen 上塔大文. Linshan Dazhi 廩山大智 is Wuke Dazhi 無可大智, namely Fang Yizhi 方以智, who was one of the most famous intellectual in seventeenth century China. I didn't notice before that Chen Danzhong 陳丹衷, a famous painter, was listed among his dharma heir. Qingyuan Daran 青原大然 is Xiafeng Daran 笑峰大然, namely the late Ming high official Ni Jiaqing 倪嘉慶.

http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/mobile/index.php?index=J25nB174_012

諸山嗣法門人併記莂居士
青原大然　虎跑大璸　壽昌大存
　　大峻　壽昌大浩　廩山大智
崇先大奇　天目大聞　弘濟大健
洞庭大燈　仰山大英　福山大寧
　　大別　興國大忍　枝山大選
明招大補　蒲澗大韶　青原大權
天界大璽　報恩大麟　大量
普濟大龍　祖堂大杲　黃檗大嵩
上塔大文　　　大玉　安隱大充
李公長庚　陳公丹衷　凌公世韶
毛公大斧
天界覺浪盛禪師語錄卷十二(終)

Japanese Translation of Records of The Obaku Study Tour 黃檗參學記

Recently, I received the no. 135 issue of Obaku Bunka 黃檗文華. I am so grateful to Yang Kuei Hsiang 楊桂香,  Hayashi Masako 林正子, and Tanaka Shōzō 田中昭三 who translated my travelogue "Records of The Obaku Study Tour" 黃檗參學記 into Japanese. The Chinese version was already published in Obaku Bunka a year ago.
http://iss.ndl.go.jp/books/R100000002-I000000100891-00