The notion of the five Tang Dynasty Huayan patriarchs is broadly accepted by historians. However, there remain important questions regarding the establishment and development of the patriarch lineage. The identity of Dushun 杜順 as the first patriarch of this lineage has been a subject of debate in the Japanese scholarly community. Sakaino Kōyō 境野黄洋 suggested that the first patriarch was actually Zhizheng 智正, whereas Tokiwa Daijō 常盤大定 maintained the view that it was Dushun. When discussing the development of the Huayan School during the early Tang Dynasty, it is essential to consider both the sectarian accounts from that period and the doctrinal disagreements between Huayan masters. When a Buddhist school is established, orthodoxy naturally forms in its wake. The heritage of the tradition as well as the patriarchal lineage is constructed subsequently on the basis of this orthodoxy.
Consequently, the figure of Dushun should be examined along two lines of inquire. On the one hand, it is necessary to investigate his doctrinal influence on later Huayan masters. Secondly, one must determine the period at which his influence and status as the first patriarch were established. While these two issues can be easily mixed up, they are actually two distinct topics, each requiring their own investigation.
