A Literature Review of Research on the Principle—Phenomena Relationship in Caodong School

Abstract

The principle-phenomena (li-shi) relationship is a core proposition of the Caodong School's dharma system, as well as a key theoretical expression of ontology in Chinese Chan Buddhism. This paper systematically sorts out representative domestic research findings on the
Caodong School's principle-phenomena relationship since the 1970s, and conducts a review from three dimensions: connotation definition,
ideological origin, and diversified interpretation. Studies show that scholars generally agree that the Caodong School takes "interpenetration"
as its core method to interpret the harmony of principle and phenomena, and adheres to the basic structure of "principle as dominant, phenomena as subordinate". In terms of ideological origin, the traditional theory of inheritance from the Qingyuan lineage has been challenged, while
the influence of tathÄgatagarbha thought from Mazu's lineage has gained wider scholarly support. Meanwhile, the theory of the interpenetration of principle and phenomena has gradually been extended to diverse research fields such as Chan poetry aesthetics and social culture. This
paper summarizes the consensus and divergences of existing research, so as to provide a literature foundation and theoretical reference for
subsequent studies on Caodong School philosophy.