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One Cane vs. Three Canes
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AnaMaster Xuansha Shibei (835–908 CE) was a prominent Chan (Zen) master of the Tang Dynasty. He and Master Xuefeng Yicun were Dharma brothers under the same teacher.
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Advance further from the pole’s summit
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AnaMaster Jingcen, a Tang Dynasty monk revered as “Chan Master Zhaoxian”, “Chan Master Changsha” or “Changsha Monk,” was among the seventeen foremost disciples of Nanquan Puyuan.
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The unobtainable mind
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AnaYulin Tongxiu (1614–1675CE), Dharma name Tongxiu, courtesy name Yulin, commonly known as National Master Yulin, was a renowned Chan master of the Linji (Rinzai) school during the transition period between the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. He once served as abbot of Baoren Temple in Wukang, Zhejiang Province. In 1658, he was summoned…
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The attendant who couldn’t see the Buddha
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AnaNational Teacher Huizhong (675-775CE), widely known as Nanyang Huizhong Guoshi or National Teacher Huizhong of Nanyang, was a revered Tang Dynasty Chan master. He served as imperial preceptor to three emperors (Xuanzong, Suzong, Daizong), earning the title “National Teacher” (imperial preceptor). Born in Zhuji, Yuezhou (modern-day Zhuji, Zhejiang Province), he mastered the sutras and…
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Die Another Day
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AnaPuhua, a Tang Dynasty Chan master (847–859 CE), was renowned for his eccentric ways. A disciple of Panshan Baoji, he roamed streets by day and slept in graveyards by night, ringing a hand bell while singing verses or wailing. Later, he aided Master Linji in propagating the Linji school.
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The tea leaves that taught a soul to dance
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AnaA young man, crushed by repeated failures, came to Puji Temple seeking the advice of Venerable Shi Yuan. He lamented: “What’s the point of living when life is nothing but disappointment?”