Northern Song Buddhist Flourishing and Chan Development (1070s)

Timeline

1. 1071–1075Chan monasteries of Jiangnan · JiangnanChan schools such as Linji and Caodong expanded through dharma transmission and monastery networks in Jiangnan and the Liangzhe region. Chan masters' recorded sayings and koan collections were compiled and printed, and literati participation in Chan inquiry became fashionable, with Buddhism and literati aesthetics and academy culture mutually permeating.
2. 1072–1080Kaifeng, Hangzhou, and other printing centers · Central PlainsWoodblock printing matured in the Northern Song, and monasteries and official institutions printed Buddhist texts, Vinaya, and Chan literature. Famous monasteries such as Tiantong and Jingshan held rich collections, with frequent scriptural study and ordination activities, spreading Buddhist knowledge through printed texts to broader social strata.
3. 1074–1080Kaifeng, capital of the Northern Song · Central PlainsDuring Wang Anshi's New Policies, the court took measures to regulate the number of monks and nuns, monastery land, and corvée and taxes, sparking debates between the sangha and literati of differing views. Despite policy tightening, imperial and literati support for Buddhism overall kept Buddhism flourishing in the 1070s.