Chan Master Wu De refers to Master Fenyang Shanzhao, a renowned Chan master of the Song Dynasty and a monk of the Linji school. In Chan practice, Shanzhao pioneered innovative forms such as Dai-Bie (substitute phrases and critical amendments—revising interpretations of koan dialogues) and Song-Gu (eulogizing antiquity—praising ancient koans through poetic verses). He compiled 100 dialogues of ancestral enlightenment encounters, expounding each with a gatha verse. This marked Chan’s transition from ‘not establishing words’ to ‘literary Chan’, pioneering a new path for Chan’s evolution in the Song era.”
A devoted Buddhist practitioner picked fresh flowers from her garden daily to offer at the temple. One morning, as she placed them before the Buddha statue, she met Chan Master Wu De.
He praised: “Your devout flower offerings, according to sutras, will bring dignified appearance in future lives.”
The practitioner replied: “It’s my duty. When here, my mind feels cleansed — but at home in the noisy city, it grows restless. How can a homemaker keep a pure heart?”
Chan Master Wu De asked: “You tend flowers — how do you keep them fresh?”
She answered: “Change water daily and trim the stems. Rotting stems block water, causing wilting.”
The master said:
“A pure heart is like those flowers.
Our environment is the vase’s water;
We are the flowers.
Only by constantly purifying ourselves — reflecting, repenting, improving flaws — can we absorb life’s nourishment.”
Grateful, she said: “I long to live in this temple — to find peace in bells, drums, and chants.”
Master Wu De declared:
“Your breath is the chant.
Your pulse is the temple bell.
Your body is the shrine.
Your ears hear enlightenment.
Peace is everywhere — why wait?”
Cultural & Philosophical Notes
His name itself
“Wu De” means “no-virtue” or “virtue-emptiness”—a paradox hinting at his teaching: “True virtue leaves no trace.” It aligns with Zen’s emphasis on humility, non-attachment, and the transcendence of conventional morality towards a more direct and pure understanding of reality.
Purification as daily practice:
The flower analogy teaches: spiritual freshness or continuous self-renewal requires continuous effort — like trimming stems (self-reflection) and changing water (releasing toxins of urban life).
The temple within (Body as Shrine):
Wu De’s final revelation shatters the monastery/city duality:
Breath = Chants
Pulse = Bells
Body = Shrine
Cutting attachments (e.g., craving “ideal” conditions).
Urban Enlightenment (Anti-Ritual Radical):
Rejecting rigid practices. Ordinary acts as liturgy. The homemaker’s struggle embodies Zen’s core: awakening blooms in chaos. True purity isn’t escape — it’s clarity amid noise.
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