The Zongbao Edition of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch embodies Huineng’s Chan doctrine of “the self-nature being originally pure”, and stands as a landmark document in the Sinicization of Buddhism. Its century-long history of English translations provides a vivid case of Chinese cultural dissemination. This paper constructs a four-element analytical framework medium, kernel, agent, and recipient to trace the intertwined genealogy of translations as the dynamic medium, map the implicit trajectories of conceptual aggregation as the kernel, analyze shifts in translators’ identity capital as the agent, and present the feedback loops generated through segmented audience reception as the recipient. Through this framework, the study uncovers the spiral dynamics of transmission among these four elements. The conclusion returns to practical implications and offers a data-driven model for the iterative retranslation of Chinese canons.