Zhanglu Zongze, (Ch’anglu Tsung-tse) died 1107, was a Chinese Ch’an Buddhist abbot noted for writing the Chanyuan Qinggui (Zen’en Shingi),  ‘The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery’. Written in 1103, it is the earliest surviving book of monastic rules for Ch’an Buddhist monasteries, running to some ten volumes in all.

The Kikyomon, ‘The Standard of the Tortoise-Shell Mirror’, formed the eighth book of the Chanyuan Qinggui, and describes in detail the roles of monastery officers and how they should be respected. The Kikyomon is offered here with introduction, commentary and copious notes by kind permission of Rev. Reiho Haasch of Kotaiji Monastery, Nagasaki – the translator.

The short essay Zuochan yi (Tso-Ch’an I), also attributed to Zongze, is the earliest known guide to seated meditation in the Ch’an tradition, and became the model for many later meditation guides. Great Master Dogen’s Fukan Zazen Gi,  ‘Universal Recommendation of Zazen for all people’, written shortly after his return from Tendo Nyojo’s temple in China, owes around a third of its content to Zongze’s Zuochan yi.

As Rev. Haasch’s introduction makes clear, both Dogen and Keizan made reference to this text. In fact, Master Keizan required the Kikyomon to be read aloud for the assembly on the first day of every month at Yokoji monastery.

Kikyomon PDF file for download