Definition
Reading: Igyo shu / Reading (ZH): Guīyǎng zōng
潙仰宗 (The Guiyang school) is one of 五家七宗 (the Five Houses and Seven Schools) of Zen Buddhism. It was the first school to be established. The Guiyang school began when Guishan Lingyou opened the Miyin Temple on Mount Gui in Ningxiang, Hunan Province. Later, his student, 仰山慧寂 (Yangshan Huiji), developed the school at the Taiping Xingguo Zen Temple on Mount Yang in Yichun, Jiangxi Province. The style of the Guiyang school is unique. It features the silent interaction between master and student, where they understand each other’s minds without using words.
Q&A
- Q: Why is the Guiyang school named after both "Guishan" and "Yangshan"?
- A: Because the school was formed through the "unity of master and disciple," in which the founder, Guishan Lingyou’s teachings were systematized and further developed by his disciple, Yangshan Huiji. Their relationship is often described as being like that of a father and son.
