“Still Embroidering the Mountain”: Hu Shih and the Creation of Modern “History of Zen Buddhism” Studies

Hu Shih searched for new materials for the History of Zen Buddhism” with “problem consciousness” and reconstructed a new genealogy of Zen Buddhism based on his historical knowledge, which finally led to the birth of the history of Zen Buddhism with modern significance in the Chinese context. The article outlines Hu Shih’s ancient-skeptical attitude in conducting research on the History of Zen Buddhism in modern times, and preserves Hu Shih’s methodology for researching the History of Zen Buddhism. It explores the formation of Hu Shi’s cultural view of Zen Buddhism and its echo with the research methodology of the History of Zen Buddhism, and also evaluates the research situation of Hu Shi’s History of Zen Buddhism, acquires Hu Shi’s research literature related to the History of Zen Buddhism based on a variety of databases, analyzes the external characteristics of Hu Shi’s literature related to the History of Zen Buddhism in modern times through bibliometrics, and investigates the trend of the thematic hotspots of the field of History of Zen Buddhism by combining with the method of social network analysis. Between 1955 and 2024, the number of articles in the field of Hu Shi’s History of Zen Buddhism research showed a steady upward and downward trend, the length and intensity of the emergence of “History of Zen Buddhism” reached 69 years and 3.428 years, respectively, and the average centrality of Hu Shi’s History of Zen Buddhism social network decreased from 1.953 to 1.729. The current research field of Hu Shih’s History of Zen Buddhism shows a diversified trend of research perspectives, focuses, and academic backgrounds, which provides new data support for the creation of a study on Hu Shih and the “History of Zen Buddhism” in modern times.