About the author

Ju Ding's biographical information is very limited in publicly available sources: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. The only work currently confirmed is Xu Chuan Deng Lu (A Continuation of the Record of the Transmission of the Lamp). This book belongs to the genre of Chan Buddhist lamp records (denglu), continuing earlier works of the same kind. It records the lineage of masters and disciples in the Chan tradition and the words, deeds, and encounter dialogues of successive Chan masters, making it an important historical source for the study of Chan genealogy and thought. Lamp records center on the transmission lineage, incorporating masters' questions and answers, karmic encounter sayings, and the circumstances of their passing; their language is often concise and archaic, with a distinct flavor of monastic discourse. In compiling this work, Ju Ding followed this format, emphasizing the coherence of the dharma lineage and the clarification of master-disciple succession, giving the historical material a clear genealogical structure. Given the scarcity of relevant materials, details of his life, the background of his writing, and his editorial intentions are difficult to examine in depth. Readers and researchers using Xu Chuan Deng Lu should therefore consult it alongside other Chan historical works and lamp-record literature for a more accurate understanding of its content and value.

Written (1)

Publishers

Qunyan Publishing House