This paper discusses Master Chuan’ao 伝奥 and his Huayan thought. Although we can not identify the year of his death, we are able to recognize that he was active in the Late Tang or the Five Dynasties period. He is the author of seven works including the Fanwangjing ji梵網経記 (Notes on the Brahmajāla Sūtra) and the Huayanjing jinguan chao 華厳経錦冠鈔 (Jingguan Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra). These were quite influential on Zixuan長水子璿(965–1038) in the Song Dynasty. His works were not only widely circulated in China, but also spread to Japan and the Korean Peninsula. He is a critical transitional figure linking Zongmi 圭峰宗密(780–841) and Zixuan, as he wrote several commentaries on Zongmi’s works. One of the most important questions about Chuan’ao is whether he, as a disciple of Zongmi, is the Xuangui Zhen’ao 玄珪真奥who was the sixth patriarch of the Huayan School. This paper aims to settle this debate. It will review Chuan’ao’s lifetime, the inheritance between Zongmi and Zixuan in the Huayan School, and the disciples of Zongmi. Based on the discussion, this paper clarifies the status of Chuan’ao in the history of Huayan thought.
