For those walking the Chan path, textual study serves as a support for direct realization rather than an end in itself, yet certain works have become enduring touchstones. Among the Mahāyāna scriptures, the *Lankavatara Sutra* is closely associated with early Chan, emphasizing “mind-only” and the direct realization of consciousness. The *Diamond Sutra* and the *Heart Sutra*, both from the Prajñāpāramitā tradition, are also central: they articulate the insight into emptiness and non-duality that undergirds Chan’s approach to meditation and everyday conduct. These sutras provide the philosophical and contemplative backdrop against which Chan’s distinctive methods unfold.

Within the specifically Chan corpus, the *Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch* stands out as a foundational text. Attributed to Huineng, it sets forth themes such as sudden enlightenment, inherent Buddha-nature, and the critique of clinging to words and forms, all of which shape the ethos of Chan practice. Alongside it stand the “record” literatures and collections of kōans, which function less as doctrinal treatises and more as living demonstrations of awakened activity. The *Blue Cliff Record* and the *Gateless Gate* gather classic encounters and paradoxical dialogues, using commentary and cases to unsettle habitual thinking and point directly to mind-nature.

Historical and lineage texts also play a significant role in orienting practitioners within the Chan tradition. Works such as the *Transmission of the Lamp* preserve stories of patriarchs and masters, tracing how the Dharma is said to have been handed down from teacher to disciple. Records of individual masters—such as the *Record of Linji* and other collections of sayings—offer vivid examples of Chan’s unconventional methods: shouts, abrupt questions, and everyday images used to reveal what cannot be grasped conceptually. Taken together, these texts are approached not merely as objects of study, but as mirrors and catalysts, inviting the practitioner to verify in personal experience the truths they point toward.