法如神秀与北宗禅的肇始

Fa-ru and Shen - xiu and the Initiation of the Northern School of Chan

法如与神秀俱为弘忍的弟子。弘忍灭度后，法如成为东山法门的领袖，并且以观心从外观等主张，开创了禅宗北家的先河。法如卒后，未付嘱传人，神秀便成为北宗实际上的领袖。法如禅及其代表作《导凡趣圣心决》；不仅影响了北宗禅的建立和发扬，而且影响了南宗顿悟说的成立。

Both Fain 法如 and Shenxiu 神秀 were disciples of the Fifth Chan Patriarch Hongren 弘忍. After Hongren died, Faru the the leader of the Chan while he advocated that rill mentality should be the external world first, and then initiated the Northern School of Chan. Faru hadn' t decided his law heir before he died, but Shenxiu served as the real leader. Both Faru's actions and his representative work, i. e. Daofan qusheng xinjue 导凡趣圣心决 affected not only the initiation and development of the Northern School of Chan Buddhism, but also to the formation of the Southern School of Chan..