Dayang Jingxuan

Dayang Jingxuan was one of the last Caodong masters before the lineage faced the crisis of near-extinction during the Song dynasty. He was unable to find a suitable dharma heir within his own school and made the extraordinary decision to entrust his Caodong transmission to a Linji master, Fushan Fayuan, asking him to find an appropriate student to continue the Caodong line.

This unprecedented cross-school transmission saved the Caodong lineage from extinction. Fushan later recognized Touzi Yiqing as the student who could carry the Caodong tradition forward. Dayang's willingness to trust a rival school's master with his most precious possession—the living transmission—demonstrates a remarkable selflessness and a commitment to the Dharma that transcended sectarian boundaries.