Zen Zong was started from the meet of Ling Mountain and passed to Master Damo, Damo Donglai, Huike, until Huineng and Shenxiu. There are now over 100 monks living in it who are practicing Buddhist rules every morning and evening with continuous praying in the Zen Hall.

>> Founder Master Yixing

The founder of Tiantong Temple. In the first year of reign of Yongkang of Western Jin Dynasty(A.D.300), he travelled many places and reached Donggu(today's Yin County) and fell for its high mountain and quiet forest, so he built a hut here and devoted himself to Buddhism cultivation. The Great white Planet was moved by his hard work and sent a boy to pay him every day. The descendants named the mountain by this name.

>> Master Xinjing Canghuan(A.D.790-866)

He is the ancestor of Tinatong Temple born in Huating(today's Songjiang, Shanghai). His mother usually smelt fantastic fragrance when she was pregnant with him and borne him. When he was a child, his teacher fell into a well and was saved by some god-man. He became a monk in his childhood and honored Master Daokuang as his teacher. When he was twenty years old, he went to Zhongyue Mountain to be initiated into monkhood. His mother was so sad as to be blind in on eye, but when he came back her eye recovered. After his mother died he guarded the tomb finding evil spirits around, and his teacher told him to abstain from it, then it disappeared.

Pagoda of Founder Master Yixing

Then he became the first abbot of Tiantong Temple. In 858, Qiu Pu led 2,000 people with weapons and rushed into the temple in daylight, and the master sat himself quietly with solemn expression, all the people were frightened and kowtowed and receded orderly. The buddhist yard was changed as Qinxin Temple(today's Qita Temple) in commemoration of contribution of the master. On 3rd Aug. 866, the master passed away at the age of 77, and was cremated three years later still with fantastic fragrance.

>> Master Hongzhi Zhengjue(A.D.1091-1157)

Pagoda of Master Hongzhi Zhengjue

His earthly surname was Li and was born in Xizhou(today's Xixian of Shanxi). His father and ancestor all converted to Zen. When he was born, there was light outside the house, and his right arm hunched up like ring. Every one was stared at this. He studied Confucianism and Five Classics at the age of just seven. As his father's request he went to Jingming Temple at age 11, and took priestly vows from Master Zhiqiong of Cixue Temple of Jinzhou at age 14. When he was 18 years old, he travelled around for learning and said "I will not come back without any achievement!" to his teacher on departure. After then, he ever experienced Ruzhou Xiangshan Temple, Dahong Temple, Yuantong Temple, Sizhou Puzhao Temple, Shuzhou Taiping Temple, Jiangsu Nengren Temple and Zhenzhou Changlu Temple. In 1129, he reached Mingzhou and was invited to be the abbot of Tiantong Temple. At that time, Jin intruded into Mingzhou and most temple there were ransacked and the monks scattered, but only Tiantong stood there still.
The master was strict with himself and others and his works were shining and inerratic. He was not greedy in receipt and generous in benefaction. During famine times, he still saved tens of thousand people. Monks in the temple increased from less than 200 to over 1000 after he reached here. During his being the abbot of Tiantong Temple, all palaces and halls there were rebuilt and took on a new look, and the temple owned field covering area of 13,000 mu.

>> Master Changweng Rujing(A.D.1163-1228)

He was born in Weijiang of Mingzhou and called Jingchang and his earthly surname was Yu. He behaved different from other children when he was young and then he became a monk when he was a little elder. At the age of 19, he began to travel around for learning Buddism and ever experienced Huazhang Baozhong Temple, Jiankang Qingliang Temple, Taizhou Jingtu Temple, Lin'an Jingci Temple and Mingzhou Ruiyan Temple. In 1224, he became the abbot of Tiantong Temple. Japanese monk Daoyuan admired the master so much that he came to the Song Dynasty by shipping in 1223 to study Caodong Zen in Tiantong and established Yongping Temple after he returned to Japan. So he became the founder of Japanese Caodong Zen which honored Tiantong as its ancestor. On 17th July 1228, he passed away at the age of 66. He had three Buddhist offspring: Shilinxiu, Guchanying, and Daoyuan.

Pagoda of Master Changweng Rujing

Pagoda of Master Miyun Yuanwu

>> Master Miyun Yuanwu(A.D.1566-1642)

He was born in Yixing of Jiangsu with surname Jiang. Titled Juechu and called Miyun. He had prayed to Buddha and begun to read Confucian books since he was a child and had the idea of becoming a monk always. When he was 29 years old, he finally realized his long-cherished wish at Longmen Temple. He was tonsured at the age of 33. He ever was the abbot of Longchi Temple and then moved to Tiantai Tongxuan Temple in 1623. Later he ever lived in Jiaxing Jinsu Temple, Fujian Huangbo Temple and Mingzhi Yuwang Temple. He had been the abbot of Tiantong Temple for 11 years since 1631, when the temple suffered from flood and overgrown with weeds, and he furbished it, carried out power of Buddha and attracted over 10,000 monks living here. He was therefore honored as the ancestor of Tiantong's resurgence. On 7th July 1642, he passed away at Tiantai Tongxuan Temple at the age of 77 with many works left and 12 Buddhist offspring.