Hung-chou school

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A line of Chinese Ch'an established by Ma-tsu Tao-i (709–88) named after Hung-chou, the site of Ma-tsu's home temple in what is now southern Kiang-hsi province. This school laid emphasis on seeing Buddha-nature (ultimate reality and the potential to achieve Buddhahood) in everyday activities and objects. In this way it sought to steer a middle course between the teachings of its two main contemporary rivals, the Northern School (which emphasized the delusiveness of everyday activities and things) and the Oxhead school (which taught that all things were like a dream). Later, this line came to be seen as the main trunk of the Ch'an school, and the others as collateral lines.

Subjects: Buddhism.

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