Dahui Zonggao was a 12th-century Chinese Chan (Zen) master. Dahui was a student of Yuanwu Keqin and was the 12th generation of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. He was the dominant figure of the Linji school during the Song dynasty.
Dahui introduced the practice of kan huatou, or "inspecting the critical phrase", of a kōan story. This method was called the "Chan of gongan (kōan) introspection" (Kanhua Chan). Although he believed that kōans were the best way to achieve enlightenment, he also recognized the teaching of Confucius and Lao Tzu as valuable.
