The Wanling record of Chan Master Huangbo Duanji: A history and translation of a Tang dynasty text

Abstract

The Wanling lu is an important text in the history of Chan and Zen Buddhism. The text contains the teachings of a Chan Master in the lineage that would become the orthodox in China during the Song dynasty, and later spread to Japan and Korea. According to traditional accounts, the text originated from the notes taken by the government official, Pei Xiu, during a visit with Chan Master Huangbo in 849 C.E. Recent scholarship has called the traditional accounts of the origins of this text into question, though the text can still be reliably dated to the Tang dynasty. The Wanling lu was first translated into English in 1958. In this thesis, I summarize the history of the text and include biographical material concerning the text's central figure, Huangbo. I also provide my own translation of the Wanling lu with annotation, replacing the outdated 1958 edition.