In the course of its formation and development, Shitou Sect extensively absorbs Chinese traditional culture, traditional Buddhism doctrines and the doctrines of various Buddhism sects and uses the absorption as an important ideological source to build Chan Sect doctrine. In this course, Huayan doctrine becomes one of its important source, which is mainly embodied in" Xing Zong" of ontology, which in turn emphasizes the relation between essence and phenomenon. The Shitou sect’s attempt at aesthetic source and search for aesthetic realm generally have this relation as its theoretical basis.
