Chan Master Nanquan Puyuan (748–834 CE) was a respected disciple of Mazu Daoyi, one of the great figures in Tang Dynasty Chan Buddhism. Master Zhaozhou Congshen) was a highly influential Chinese Chan Buddhist master of the Tang Dynasty. A key disciple of Master Nanquan Puyuan, he is celebrated for his profound yet unconventional wisdom expressed through paradoxical actions and dialogues (koans).
One day, the monks from the east and west halls in the monastery were arguing fiercely over the ownership of a small cat. Master Nanquan Puyuan grabbed the cat and declared to the assembly:
“If any of you can express enlightenment, this cat will be spared. If not, it will be cut down.”
No one could respond.
So Nanquan killed the cat on the spot.
Later that day, when another monk named Zhaozhou Congshen returned to the monastery and heard what had happened, he simply took off his sandals, put them on his head, and walked out.
Seeing this, Nanquan said:
“If you had been here earlier, the cat would have been saved.”
Philosophical Notes
This koan critiques intellectual rigidity and attachment to dualities (ownership, right/wrong, save/kill). The monks’ silence reflects spiritual stagnation, while Zhaozhou’s absurd gesture embodies Zen transcendence: truth lies beyond words, logic, and conventional responses.
By placing sandals on his head, Zhaozhou:
- Shatters linear thinking – rejecting the “save/kill” dichotomy;
- Demonstrates emptiness – actions need no justification;
- Exposes futility – arguments over possessions are illusions. The cat’s death signifies the cost of delusion, while Puyuan’s lament underscores that awakening in the moment alone brings liberation.
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