When the war broke out between the Sung and Jin Dynasties at the end of the Northern Sung,there appeared two groups of the doves and the hawks. The former was represented by Ch'in Kuei,and the latter by civial officials Chao Ting,Hu Chyuan and generals, Chang Chun,Yueh Fei.
Chang Chun,one of the hawks, and Ch'an Master Ta Huei Tsung Kao,the founder of the Kan-hua Ch'an, were both disciples of Ch'an Master Yuan Wuh Keh Ch'in,who was patriach of the Yang-chi branch of the Lin-chi School. They kept close contacts. The high officials Chang Chiu-ch'eng,Li Biing,and Lu Been Jong are the comrades of Chang Chun and also friends or disciples of Tsung Kao.
There are three special features of the Kan-hua Ch'an:easy to practice,engaging in secular affairs, and sycretizing with Confucianism. These features show sharp contrast with the "Mo-chau Ch'an" (Silently Contemplating Ch'an) advocated by Ch'an Master Tien Torng Jeng Jyue of the Tsaur Dong School,who,on the other hand,kept close contacts with the doves.
This article tries to investigate the formation and content of the Kan-hua Ch'an throught the relation between the hawks and Ta Huei Tsung Kao, and the different ch'an teaching between Tsung Kao and Jeng Jyue.