Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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There is a scene in The Painted Wall(The Mural), from Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio, sounds ridiculous yet conveys profound meaning.
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Zen Master Lingmo, a prominent Tang Dynasty master, first studied under Mazu Daoyi in Jiangxi without awakening. Later, at Mount Heng, he encountered Master Shitou Xiqian.
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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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Chan Master Dazhu Huihai, a prominent Tang Dynasty monk, was ordained under Master Daozhi at Dayun Temple in Yuezhou. After reading Huihai’s writing (The Essential Gateway to Truth by Sudden Awakening), Master Mazu Daoyi praised him as “Great Pearl” — a Buddhist symbol of awakening and wisdom — hence later generations also referred to…
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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).
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A man sought to attain the “Dao”, so he went to visit a Zen(Chan) master, asking to become his disciple. To test the man’s insight, the master asked: “Right now, I have something and yet have nothing. How do you explain this?”
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In his childhood, Shenhui studied classics and history under a teacher, mastering the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Later, after reading the Book of the Later Han, he encountered Buddhism and devoted himself to its teachings.
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After leaving Nanjing, Bodhidharma, also known as Da Mo in Chinese, crossed the Yangtze River and arrived at the Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain. There, he sat facing a wall all day, concentrating deeply and withdrawing from all worldly concerns.