This article examines the fundamental differences in the Zen teachings and methods of the Linji School between the 31st generation patriarch, Sanfeng Fazang, and his disciples, Tangji Hongren and Juede Hongli, and their predecessor, Miyun Yuanwu. It elaborates on the Sanfeng School's advocacy for the revival of the five schools of Zen, which can restore the Linji School's vitality, while the Miyun School, representing the conservative faction, only recognizes the existing methods of self-realization and denies the existence of other Zen teachings and the decline of Zen Buddhism since the late Ming Dynasty. Both sides have a significant number of supporters, and they have written numerous articles to refute each other, accusing each other of neglecting the teachings and being irreconcilable. The debate was eventually terminated by the state, but the impact of this debate on Zen Buddhism and even Chinese Buddhism in modern times was profound.
