Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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The grandsons of Cai Jing, the notorious prime minister, who grew up in riches, could not tell wheat from rice.
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In Yongzhou there were many good swimmers. One day, the river swelled suddenly. Braving the danger, about half a dozen people started across in a small boat.
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One day a learned scholar was buying a donkey on the market. A deed had to be filled out recording the transaction.
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Chan Master Wuzhu (714–774 CE), founder of the Baotang School — one of Tang Dynasty’s ten great Chan lineages — studied under Master Wuxiang at Chengdu’s Jingzhong Temple and became his Dharma heir. Master Wuzhu taught “no-thought” Zen, guiding seekers beyond dogma. His school’s essence lay in “Any arising thought is delusion; cease the…
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Master Wude (947–1024 CE), also known as Master Shan Zhao, was a prominent Chan (Zen) master of the Song Dynasty and a key figure in the Lingji (Rinzai) lineage. Born in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, he became a disciple of Master Shoushan Xingnian and played a crucial role in shaping Chinese Chan Buddhism during the…
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A man journeyed through mountains and rivers, enduring great hardship. While crossing a steep cliff, he slipped and fell into a deep ravine. As he plummeted, he desperately grabbed an old branch growing from the cliffside — saving himself but left dangling mid-air.
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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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Once, Sakyamuni Buddha was frequently targeted by a man who spewed jealousy and insults at him. Yet the Buddha remained calm and silent.
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Chan Master Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769 CE) was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhism, renowned for revitalizing the tradition during the Edo period. His teachings and practices have profoundly impacted Zen Buddhism, not only in Japan but also around the world.