In the 6th century, those who practiced Chan were called “Chanzhong 禅衆 （Chan Practioners）,” but gradually they came to be referred to as “Chanzong 禅宗 （Chan School）.” Seizan Yanagida argued that “Chanzong” as the name of a school was established around the end of the 8th century. However, the term is also visible in earlier writings: several collections of exemplars for memorials written before the mid-8th century praise an excellent male and female practitioner of “Chan” saying he/she led “Chanzong.” This very period can be seen as the time when the so-called “Chanzong” was established.
