Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings
The history of Zen can be almost as perplexing as its cryptic koan. In many accounts of Zen history, it is hard to tell who is Chinese and who is Japanese, who lived in the 6th century and who in the 16th. Andy Ferguson attempts to clear the air once and for all. InZen's Chinese  Heritage, he organizes all of the Chinese Zen masters from Bodhidharma at  the turn of the 5th century to Huikai in the 13th century, presenting their core  records and writings in chronological order by generation--25 generations in  all. Drawing fromWudeng Huiyan(Compendium of Five Lamps) and  other records, Ferguson translates the classic Zen teachings (including  dialogues, anecdotes, and koan) in spare, straightforward language. He also  presents an expertly arranged foldout lineage chart of the Zen ancestors, with  cross-referencing by Japanese, Chinesepinyin, and Chinese Wade-Giles  transcriptions. Ferguson's work is not only a priceless treasury of Zen  literature but also a road map to the history of Zen.--Brian Bruya--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.