Liu Tiemo
Liu (surname) Iron Grinder
| born: c. 800 died: c. 880 place: China |
| Chan master: Guishan (J. Isan) Chan disciples: |
Jap. Ryu Tetsuma
Iron Grinder Liu is one of the few women who is
mentioned in Chan literature as a Zen adept. As
Chinese monasteries were off limits for women, she
lived at the base of Mt. Guishan, and had
interactions with Chan monks and students as they
traveled in and out of Guishan's monastery. She
probably had meetings with Guishan himself, as
she is mentioned by him in some stories (as "the
old cow"--laonu). She got her nickname of "Iron
Grinder" from the fact that she used to grind the
young monks minds to dust with her responses to
them. Iron Grinder Liu has carved a unique niche
for herself in the annals of Zen.
mentioned in Chan literature as a Zen adept. As
Chinese monasteries were off limits for women, she
lived at the base of Mt. Guishan, and had
interactions with Chan monks and students as they
traveled in and out of Guishan's monastery. She
probably had meetings with Guishan himself, as
she is mentioned by him in some stories (as "the
old cow"--laonu). She got her nickname of "Iron
Grinder" from the fact that she used to grind the
young monks minds to dust with her responses to
them. Iron Grinder Liu has carved a unique niche
for herself in the annals of Zen.
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