Zhaozhou Congshen
Zhàozhōu Cōngshěn | |
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Ch'an |
Zhaozhou Congshen | |||||
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Chinese name | |||||
Hán-Nôm | 趙州從諗 | ||||
Korean name | |||||
Hangul | 조주종심 | ||||
Hanja | 趙州從諗 | ||||
Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 趙州従諗 | ||||
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Zhaozhou Congshen (Chinese: 趙州從諗; pinyin: Zhàozhōu Cōngshěn; Wade–Giles: Chao-chou Ts'ung-shen'; Japanese: 趙州従諗, romanized: Jōshū Jūshin) (778–897) was a Chán (Zen) Buddhist master especially known for his "paradoxical statements and strange deeds".[1]
Zhaozhou became ordained as a
Subsequently, Zhaozhou began to travel throughout
Zhaozhou is sometimes touted as the greatest Chan master of Tang dynasty China during a time when its hegemony was disintegrating as more and more regional military governors (jiédùshǐ) began to assert their power. Zhaozhou's lineage died out quickly due to the many wars and frequent purges of Buddhism in China at the time, and cannot be documented beyond the year 1000.
Zhaozhou is remembered for his verbal inventiveness and sense of humor.[5] One of his recorded sayings is:[5]
A monk asked the Master, "What is a true statement?" Zhaozhou replied, "Your mother is ugly."
Many koans in both the
A monk asked Chao-chou, "Has the dog
Wu."[6]Japanese Zen monk Shunryū Suzuki refers to Zhaozhou (as Jōshū) in his book Zen Mind, Beginner's mind. He uses the following saying from Zhaozhou to illustrate the point that Zen practice should not have a particular purpose or goal: "A clay Buddha cannot cross water; a bronze Buddha cannot get through a furnace; a wooden Buddha cannot get through fire".[7]
References
- ^ Dumoulin 167
- ^ Green xx
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Caifang Zhu (2003), Buddhism in China Today: The Example of the Bai Lin Chan Monastery
- ^
ISBN 9781948626491.- ^ Dumoulin 167
- ^ Suzuki, Shunryu (1973). Dixon, Trudy (ed.). Zen mind, beginner's mind. New York: Weatherhill. p. 75.
Sources
- Dumoulin, Heinrich. Zen Buddhism: A History. Volume 1: India and China. Tr. Heisig, James W. and Knitter, Paul. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom, 2005.
- Green, James; ed. and tr. The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Joshu. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1998.
ISBN 1-57062-870-X.- Hoffmann, Yoel, ed. and tr., Radical Zen: The Sayings of Joshu. Bantam press, 1978.
External links
- Yang, Fenggang; Wei, Dedong, THE BAILIN BUDDHIST TEMPLE: THRIVING UNDER COMMUNISM (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2010
- Zhu, Caifang (2003), Buddhism in China Today: The Example of the Bai Lin Chan Monastery. In: Perspectives, Volume 4, No.2, June 2003 (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-29