Hongzhi Zhengjue Biography

Hongzhi Zhengjue (Chinese: 宏智正覺; pinyin: Hóngzhì Zhēngjué; Wade–Giles: Hung-chih Cheng-chueh, Japanese: Wanshi Shōgaku), also sometimes called Tiantong Zhengjue (Chinese: 天童正覺; Japanese: Tendo Shōgaku) (1091–1157), was a Chinese Chan (Japanese: Zen) Buddhist monk who authored or compiled several influential Buddhist texts. Hongzhi's conception of silent illumination is of particular importance to the Chinese Caodong Chan and Japanese Sōtō Zen schools; however, Hongzhi was also the author of an important collection of kōans, although kōans are now usually associated with the Chinese Linji or Japanese Rinzai schools.