Zǐchún 子淳
Northern-Sòng Cáodòng 曹洞 Chán master, hào Dānxiá 丹霞 (from his first abbacy at Nányáng Dānxiáshān 丹霞山; also written 德淳 in some sources). 1066 – spring of Xuānhé 1 / 1119, shìshòu 54. Native of Zǐtóng 梓潼 (Jiànzhōu, in Shǔ), lay surname Jiǎ 賈. Principal dharma-heir of 道楷 Fúróng Dàokǎi (1043–1118), and the hinge figure through whom the restored Cáodòng line passed from Dàokǎi to the Southern-Sòng establishment of Hóngzhì Zhèngjué 宏智正覺 (1091–1157) and 清了 Zhēnxiē Qīngliǎo 真歇清了 (1089–1151).
Entered religion as a child at Dàānsì 大安寺 of his home prefecture; took the full precepts only at twenty-seven, under Dàoníng 道凝. Breadth of canonical study led him to Dàyángshān to consult Dàokǎi on the “great matter”; he attained awakening “at a single word” and thereafter served Dàokǎi for several years, during which Dàokǎi is said to have recognised him as the one to whom “the solitary Cáodòng line could be entrusted.” In the Chóngníng era (1102–1106) was installed at Dānxiáshān 丹霞山 through the patronage of Wáng Xìnyù 王信玉, the xíngbù 刑部 commissioner for Jīngyòu; retired to Tángzhōu Dàchéngshān Xīān 唐州大乘山西菴 on grounds of illness; was recalled to Suízhōu Dàhóngshān Bǎoshòu 隨州大洪山保壽 by the Suízhōu prefect Xiànggōng 向公. Installed at Dàhóng on the 25th of the 9th month of Zhènghé 5 (17 October 1115); died there four years later; stupa on the south slope.
Named dharma-heirs (seven): Hóngzhì Zhèngjué 宏智正覺, 清了 Zhēnxiē Qīngliǎo (see KR6q0359 for Qīngliǎo’s own yǔlù), 慶預 Huìzhào Qìngyù 慧照慶預 (editor of his own yǔlù), Zhìpíng Yú 治平湡, and three others. Own works surviving: the yǔlù in two juan (KR6q0358; X71 n1425, collated by Qìngyù) and the 100-case sònggǔ collection Xūtáng jí 虛堂集 (KR6q0252; X67 n1304, preserved with the Yuán commentary of Línquán Cónglún 林泉從倫) — both central Cáodòng lineage documents.
He also composed the closing bá 跋 of KR6q0357 (his shīzǔ 義青 Yìqīng’s short yǔlù recension), which identifies him as “zhù Dānxiáshān sān shì sūn shāmén Zǐchún 住丹霞山三世孫沙門子淳” — a rare first-person self-identification as third-generation descendant in the Yìqīng–Dàokǎi–Zǐchún succession. Hóngzhì’s own sònggǔ — later the basis of Wànsōng Xíngxiù’s 萬松行秀 famous Cóngróng lù KR6q0114 — emerged directly from Zǐchún’s tutelage.