Within contemporary Chinese Chan communities, Sosan (Sengcan), the Third Patriarch, continues to be regarded as an important figure, though his presence is often more implicit than overtly celebrated. He is acknowledged in the traditional patriarchal lineages that trace the transmission from Bodhidharma and Huike onward, and his name appears in genealogies and formal recitations that honor the early Chan ancestors. This places him firmly within the living memory of the tradition, even if he is not always at the center of popular devotion or temple iconography. His role is thus that of a foundational ancestor whose authority undergirds the tradition’s self-understanding.

The text attributed to him, the *Xinxin Ming* (“Faith in Mind” or “Verses on the Faith-Mind”), remains a key conduit through which his influence is felt. It continues to be studied, quoted, and recited in Chinese Zen circles, and is treated as part of the classical core of Chan literature. In some settings it is taken up in lectures, study groups, and meditation contexts, where its teachings on non-duality and mental equanimity are explored in depth. Through this ongoing engagement with the *Xinxin Ming*, Sosan’s voice persists less as that of a distant historical figure and more as a quiet but steady presence within the practice.

At the same time, his veneration tends to be more subdued than that accorded to figures such as Bodhidharma or the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. Commemorative acts may appear in the form of memorial services, lineage recitations, or focused study, rather than large-scale public celebrations. In this sense, Sosan’s significance is often carried in the bloodstream of the tradition rather than displayed on its surface. His legacy lives on wherever practitioners turn to the early patriarchs for orientation and draw upon the *Xinxin Ming* as a guide to the Chan way of seeing and living.