Jianyuan Zhongxing
Jap. Zengen Chuko
born:  c. 800
died:  c. 870

place:  China
Chan master:  Daowu (J. Dogo)
Chan disciples:  none recorded
stories:

Osho
And the Flowers Showered, ch. 5

At the death of a parishioner, Master Dogo,
accompanied by his disciple Zengen, visited
the bereaved family.

Without taking time to express a word of
sympathy, Zengen went up to the coffin,
rapped on it, and asked Dogo: 'Is he really
dead?'
'I won't say,' said Dogo.
'Well?' insisted Zengen.
'I'm not saying, and that's final,' said Dogo.

On their way back to the temple the furious
Zengen turned on Dogo and threatened: 'By
God, if you don't answer my question, why I'll
beat you.'
'All right,' said Dogo, 'beat away.'
A man of his word, Zengen slapped his
master a good one.

Some time later Dogo died, and Zengen, still
anxious to have his question answered, went
to the master Sekiso, and, after relating what
had happened, asked the same question of
him. Sekiso, as if conspiring with the dead
Dogo, would not answer.
'By God!' cried Zengen. 'You too?'
'I'm not saying,' said Sekiso, 'and that's final.'

At that very instant Zengen experienced an
awakening.


This disciple Zengen was in trouble,
because his master Dogo died. He never
expected that this was going to happen so
soon. Disciples always feel in great difficulty
when masters die. When masters are there,
they fool around and waste time. When
masters are dead, then they are in a real fix
and difficulty – what to do? So Zengen's
question remained, the problem remained,
the puzzle was as it was before. The disciple
had not yet come to know what death is, and
Dogo had died...

--Osho
And the Flowers Showered, ch. 5
               oshobob  The Living Workshop                                         
                                                      Zen Masters

At the death of a parishioner, Master Daowu,
accompanied by his disciple Jianyuan, visited
the bereaved family.

Without taking time to express a word of
sympathy, Jianyuan went up to the coffin,
rapped on it, and asked Daowu : 'Is he really
dead?'
'I won't say,' said Daowu.
'Well?' insisted Jianyuan.
'I'm not saying, and that's final,' said Daowu.

On their way back to the temple the furious
Jianyuan turned on Daowu and threatened: 'By
God, if you don't answer my question, why I'll
beat you.'
'All right,' said Daowu, 'beat away.'
A man of his word, Jianyuan slapped his
master a good one.

Some time later Daowu died, and Jianyuan, still
anxious to have his question answered, went to
the master Shishuang, and, after relating what
had happened, asked the same question of
him. Shishuang, as if conspiring with the dead
Daowu, would not answer.
'By God!' cried Jianyuan. 'You too?'
'I'm not saying,' said Shishuang, 'and that's
final.'

At that very instant Jianyuan experienced an
awakening.

This disciple Jianyuan was in trouble, because
his master Daowu died. He never expected
that this was going to happen so soon.
Disciples always feel in great difficulty when
masters die. When masters are there, they fool
around and waste time. When masters are
dead, then they are in a real fix and difficulty –
what to do? So Jianyuan's question remained,
the problem remained, the puzzle was as it was
before. The disciple had not yet come to know
what death is, and Daowu had died...

--Osho
And the Flowers Showered, ch. 5
                oshobob  The Living Workshop                                         
                                                      Zen Masters
         oshobob  The Living Workshop                                         
                                                      Zen Masters
story and Osho commentary as it appears in
Osho's talk and book, with the Japanese
pronunciation of the Chinese people's names:
the same text, with the original Chinese names
of the people involved substituted:
Soaked  River-source      Second Rising