Nanta Guangyong

Nanta Guangyong was a Caodong school master who taught at Nanta Temple. He was known for his ability to harmonize the contemplative stillness of the Caodong approach with a lively responsiveness in encounters with students. His dialogues show a teacher who could be both quiet and incisive, reflecting the school's characteristic range.

Nanta's teaching contributed to the Caodong tradition's reputation for balance—neither the extreme stillness that its critics caricatured nor the dramatic encounters of the Linji school, but a middle way that honored both silence and speech, stillness and activity. This balance became one of the Caodong school's most attractive qualities for practitioners seeking a comprehensive approach to practice.