Huìnán 慧南
Línjì-school Chán master of the Northern Sòng, founder of the Huánglóng 黃龍 branch (Huánglóng pài 黃龍派) of the Línjì line. Styled Huánglóng Huìnán 黃龍慧南 after his long residence at Huánglóng shān 黃龍山 in Hóngzhōu 洪州 (Jiāngxī); also called Jīcuì Huìnán 積翠南 after the Jīcuì retreat, and Biǎntóu Dàorén 匾頭道人 (“the flat-headed man of the way”). Posthumous title Pǔjué Chánshī 普覺禪師 (conferred in Dàguān 4 = 1110). Lifedates per DILA A003921 and the Jiātài pǔdēng lù: 1002 – Xīníng 2.3.17 (17 April 1069), shì 68, xià 50.
Native of Yùshān 玉山 in Xìnzhōu 信州 (Jiāngxī), lay surname Zhāng 章. Left home aged eleven under Zhìluán 智鑾 of Dìngshuǐ yuàn 定水院 at Huáiyù 懷玉; tonsured and ordained at nineteen. Studied with a succession of masters — Bǎo 寶 of Guīzōng sì 歸宗寺, Shì 諟 of Qīxián sì 棲賢寺 at Lúshān, Chéng 澄 at Sānjiǎo shān 三角山, and Chéngshì 澄湜 of Qīxián yuàn — before being directed by Yúnfēng Wényuè 雲峰文悅 to 楚圓 Shíshuāng Chǔyuán, under whom he attained awakening at age thirty-five. Taught successively at Tóng’ān 同安, Guīzōng 歸宗, Huángbò 黃檗, and Huánglóng 黃龍.
Instituted the celebrated Huánglóng sānguān 黃龍三關 (“Huánglóng’s three gates”) — a triad of standing Chán questions used to assess students — alongside other pedagogic devices that became signatures of the Huánglóng line. His recorded sayings in one juan are preserved as the Huánglóng Huìnán chánshī yǔlù (KR6q0055), compiled by his disciple 惠泉 Huìquán. Principal dharma-heirs included Huìtáng Zǔxīn 晦堂祖心 and Bǎofēng Kèwén 寶峰克文, through whom the Huánglóng line flourished in the late Northern Sòng before declining by the Southern Sòng; the sister Yángqí line (descending from 楚圓 via Yángqí Fānghuì) ultimately absorbed or replaced most Huánglóng transmission, but Huánglóng teaching passed actively to Kamakura Japan, where Eisai 榮西 received transmission in a Huánglóng sub-line in the late twelfth century.