For more than a thousand years, the teaching of Mazu Daoyi has shaped Chan Buddhism in China and Zen throughout the world, and his words still hold a refreshing, unpretentious power for modern readers. This edition presents The Record of Mazu and the Hongzhou School in clear, present-day English, faithful to the original's meaning and spirit. In these pages a master meets monks, officials, and householders with warmth, humor, and radical simplicity, reminding them again and again that the awakened mind was never far away. Readers will also meet the famous heirs of the Hongzhou school—Baizhang, Nanquan, and others—whose dialogues fill the closing chapters of this collection. Whether you are new to Chan or have long loved its literature, this book offers a direct encounter with a teacher who points, patiently and playfully, at what is closest. Part of The World Scriptures Library.