One day, Zen Master Yuanlu asked Great Pearl Huihai(Dazhu Huihai): “Venerable, do you also exert effort in practicing the Chan?”
(more…)Tag: non-duality
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The Precious Treasure Within
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 him as “Great Pearl Monk” or “Dazhu Huihai.”
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The Demon of Words
Yangshan Huiji was a renowned Tang Dynasty Zen master and co-founder of the Weiyang school, one of the Five Houses of Zen. A principal disciple of Weishan Lingyou, he was celebrated for his poetic Zen dialogues and “circular symbols” — abstract drawings used to provoke awakening.
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What the heart holds, the eye beholds
Su Dongpo, the famed poet, shared a close yet playful rivalry with the Buddhist monk Foyin, often trading barbs—though Su usually lost.
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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 Silent Dialogue
There was a monastery overseen by two brothers. The elder brother was highly learned, while the younger brother was simple-minded and had only one eye.
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The Foolish Question
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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