Descriptions of the early history of the Chan school produced during the Tang and Song Dynasties are filled with the concept of secret transmission, but Chan Buddhism, as an expanding religion, did not need to emphasize its mysticism. In fact, the use of this concept in the Chan school's own historical narratives was not the expression of a historical truth but a method to solve the doubts and controversies surrounding the historical origin, sectarian positioning, and lineage of the Chan school.
