Chan Master Wuxiang was originally a prince of the Silla Kingdom (modern-day Korean Peninsula). He later took monastic vows at Gyeongnam Temple in Silla. In 728 CE, he journeyed across the sea to Tang China to seek Buddhist teachings. At Dechun Temple in Zizhou (present-day Ningguo Temple in Zizhong County, Sichuan Province), he became a disciple of Chan Master Chuji. After studying Zen under Chuji for two years, he undertook rigorous ascetic practice beneath a cliff on Tiangu Mountain. Master Wuxiang disseminated Zen teachings throughout Sichuan, establishing Chengdu’s Jingzhong Temple as his central dharma seat for over two decades, ultimately founding the Jingzhong Zen school. His lineage profoundly influenced the development of Chan Buddhism in the Ba-Shu region (Sichuan Basin).
A new Buddhist practitioner, puzzled by the phrase “Vajra isn’t hardest; vows are hardest” from Encouraging the Bodhi Mind, asked Master Wuxiang:
“Why are vows the firmest?”
Master Wuxiang explained:
“On the path to enlightenment, laziness, obstacles, and demons may weaken your resolve. Only vows sustain you. All great masters achieved awakening through unwavering vows — like Samantabhadra’s Ten Vows, Avalokiteśvara’s Twelve Vows, Amitābha’s Forty-Eight Vows, and Ksitigarbha’s pledge: ‘Till hells are emptied, I’ll not become Buddha.’”
Still confused, the practitioner asked:
“Why must one vow to save all beings to become a Buddha?”
Wuxiang replied with a metaphor:
“Sentient beings are a tree’s roots, bodhisattvas its flowers, Buddhas its fruits. To bear fruit, you must nourish the roots. Harm the roots, and the tree dies — how then can flowers bloom? As the Avatamsaka Sūtra says: ‘To be a Buddha’s dragon-elephant, first be an ox-horse for sentient beings!’”
Inspired, the practitioner asked:
“Master, what is your vow?”
Wuxiang retorted:
“My vow is not for you.”
The practitioner protested:
“Why hide it?”
Wuxiang thundered:
“My vow is mine! Why not forge yours?”
Cultural & Philosophical Notes:
Vajra vs vows:
Earthly power (vajra) breaks; spiritual resolve (vows) endures
Vows as Spiritual Spine:
Vows combat spiritual laziness and karmic obstacles. Like Ksitigarbha’s hell-empty pledge, they turn intention into unbreakable resolve.
Roots Before Fruits:
The tree metaphor reveals:
Roots (beings) >> Foundation of enlightenment
Flowers (bodhisattvas) >> Wisdom in action
Fruits (Buddhas) >> Awakening achieved through nurturing roots
Serving beings isn’t altruism — it’s self-cultivation.
The Unshareable Vow:
Wuxiang’s refusal to share his vow exposes Zen’s core: Awakening demands personal commitment. Borrowed vows are dead wood; self-forged vows breathe fire.
Chan Essence:
“To be a Buddha’s dragon-elephant (supreme being), first be an ox-horse (humble servant)” means:
Enlightenment grows from the mud of selfless service — not the ivory tower of “personal liberation.”
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