SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

liberation

  • The Unbound Boy

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    Ana

    Sengcan (510–606 CE) was the Third Patriarch of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism. In his early forties, Sengcan, then a lay follower, visited Master Huike, the Second Patriarch, and attained awakening under Huike’s guidance. Huike then ordained him as a monk and passed on to him the robe and bowl — the symbolic transmission of…

  • Oven-Breaker Monk

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    Ana

    A Chan master of the Tang Dynasty, disciple of National Teacher Hui’an, was unknown in name and origin. His enigmatic conduct defied understanding as he dwelt in seclusion on Songshan Mountain.

  • Six Inches Off Ground

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    Ana

    A famous Zen teaching states:“Before practicing Zen, mountains are mountains, rivers are rivers.While practicing Zen, mountains are no longer mountains, rivers no longer rivers. After mastering Zen, mountains are again mountains, rivers again rivers.”

  • The Six-Windowed Room

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    Ana

    Chan Master Xuelang Hong’en （1548 – 1608CE）was a notable Chinese Chan (Zen) master whose teachings contributed significantly to the development and spread of Chan Buddhism in China. He used the vivid metaphors “a monkey in a six-windowed room” to illustrate the interplay between perception and intrinsic Buddha-nature and inspired chan master Yangshan Huiji.

  • Nanquan Slays the Cat

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    Ana

    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…

  • The woman on his back (but not in his mind)

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    Ana

    Danxia Tianran was a famous Chan master in Tang Dynasty. Once he was traveling with a fellow practitioner. They encountered a muddy path after heavy rain, and the river had risen, making it difficult to pass.

  • [Journey to the West]Historical Prototype of King of the Black Rooster Kingdom

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    Juan

    The Kingdom of Black Rooster does not appear in any real historical records and is a fictional nation created by the author of Journey to the West. However, the story and certain plot elements in the Black Rooster Kingdom evoke associations with the Liang Dynasty during Emperor Wu’s reign.

  • The Mind-Control Spell in Journey to the West

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    Juan

    In Journey to the West, Guanyin Bodhisattva grants Tang Sanzang the ‌Tightening Curse‌ (Tight-Fillet Spell) and its accompanying ‌golden fillet‌ to subdue Sun Wukong.