Chan Master Chongxian (980–1052), also known as Xuedou Chongxian, was a prominent Chinese Chan (Zen) master of the Song Dynasty. He is best known for his “Collection of Gathas on the Blue Cliff Record” (Biyan Lu), a classic Chan text that became one of the most influential works in Zen literature.
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Nanquan Slays the Cat
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).
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Eating and Sleeping with Awareness
One day, Zen Master Yuanlu asked Great Pearl Huihai(Dazhu Huihai): “Venerable, do you also exert effort in practicing the Chan?”
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Follow the Current
Fachang, a disciple of the Chan master Mazu Daoyi and a renowned Tang dynasty monk, resided as abbot on Great Plum Mountain (Daimei Shan) in Yuyao, earning him the name “Great Plum Fachang.”
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How to avoid cold and heat?
Dongshan Liangjie was a seminal Chinese Zen master of the Tang Dynasty. He established the Caodong lineage/school with his disciple Caoshan Benji, emphasizing silent illumination (默照禅) — a meditation practice integrating stillness and innate wisdom without forced effort.
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Is That So?
There was a renowned Chan(Zen) master revered by his neighbors as a man of pure and virtuous life.
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The Legend of Huike’s Enlightenment
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.
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Wukong – the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven
In Journey to the West, the names and titles of the characters often carry specific symbolic meanings.
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