Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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Master Wude (947–1024 CE), also known as Master Shan Zhao, was a prominent Chan (Zen) master of the Song Dynasty and a key figure in the Lingji (Rinzai) lineage. Born in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, he became a disciple of Master Shoushan Xingnian and played a crucial role in shaping Chinese Chan Buddhism during the…
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A seeker sheltering from rain under an eave saw a Zen master passing with an umbrella and called out:“Master! Ferry all beings to deliverance — take me with you!”
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Chan Master Wuxiang was originally a prince of the Silla Kingdom (modern-day Korean Peninsula). He later took monastic vows at Gyeongnam Temple in Silla. In 728 CE, he journeyed across the sea to Tang China to seek Buddhist teachings. At Dechun Temple in Zizhou (present-day Ningguo Temple in Zizhong County, Sichuan Province), he became…
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Chan Master Yuanguan was a prominent monk in the early Song Dynasty. Posthumously known as Liangshan Yuanguan for his residence at Mount Liang in Dingzhou (modern-day Changde, Hunan), he served as the ninth-generation dharma successor of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and studied under Chan Master Tong’an Guanzhi. His lineage played a pivotal role in…
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Master 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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Master 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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Yulin 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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National 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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Puhua, 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.