How the Mount Wutai cult stimulated the development of Chinese Chan in southern China at Qingliang monasteries

A study challenges the traditional perception of Chinese Chan Buddhism's origins, revealing that Mount Wutai, a northern sacred site, played a significant but often overlooked role in shaping southern Chan practices. The research examines four Qingliang monasteries in southern China, demonstrating how they preserved and disseminated a distinct 'Qingliang cult' lineage with unique teachings and practices. This contradicts longstanding assumptions about the separation between Chan and other Buddhist teachings, suggesting a more complex interplay between northern and southern influences than previously recognized. The study combines textual analysis of Chan sources with historical examination of monastery records to uncover this understudied dimension.

Keyworth, G. A. (2019). How the Mount Wutai cult stimulated the development of Chinese Chan in southern China at Qingliang monasteries. Studies in Chinese Religions, 5(3-4), 353–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/23729988.2019.1686872