Words on
the way of Zen
Reflections on practice, tradition, and the everyday path of Zen.
First Exposition of the Core Principle
When Patriarch Bodhidharma arrived in the Eastern Land, Emperor Wu of Liang welcomed him with an invitation. The Emperor asked:
ReadNever Cling to Conditions
De Shan, the Chan Master of Dingzhou, told his attendant to call for Yi Cun (Xuefeng). Cun stepped forward.
ReadChan Meditation | Deep Faith in Cause and Effect
Chan meditation is the proper practice and the direct path for those who cultivate the Way. Yet speaking of it is easy: it only takes a single pure thought, constant self-reflection and inner illumination, and keeping a clear, luminous a...
ReadDharma Master Gangxiao: The Profound Mystery of the I Ching — Psychology, Chapter 2: The Psychological Principle of "The Benevolent See Benevolence, the Wise See Wisdom": "Selecting the Information One Needs"
The Psychological Principle of "The Benevolent See Benevolence, the Wise See Wisdom": "Selecting the Information One Needs"
ReadThree Three Before, Three Three After
Wuzhu Wenxi was a disciple of Yangshan Huiji. While on his way to Mount Wutai, he came to a wild and remote place. Manjushri Bodhisattva transformed the place into a monastery for him, and Manjushri himself appeared as an old man.
ReadUnmoved by the Eight Winds, But Rushed Across the River for a Fart
The Yangtze ran between them. On the near bank lived the eminent Chan Master Foyin; on the far bank, the celebrated Buddhist scholar Su Dongpo. The two admired each other deeply and often visited.
ReadScraping the Gold to Save Lives
A beggar in tattered rags came before Chan Master Ryōsai, weeping as he made his plea: “My family hasn’t had a meal in days. I have elders to support above me, and children to care for below me. The whole household is on the brink of sta...
ReadOthers Are Not You
Others are not you.
ReadVenerable Master Gangxiao: The Mystery of the I Ching — Psychology, Chapter 1: The Enigmatic I Ching Divination
The Enigmatic I Ching Divination
ReadGaining Nothing, Only a Soft Heart
When the Japanese Zen master Dōgen returned from studying Chan in China, someone asked him what he had gained through his practice.
ReadProfessor Lin Chong-an: Collected Buddhist Works of Lin Chong-an
Collected Buddhist Works of Lin Chong-an
ReadAppreciating a Chan Poem — The Mind Already Free of Dust, Why Wash It? The Body Without Illness, Why Seek a Doctor?
Chan Master Zhizhen of Guishan [Tang Dynasty]
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