Yantou Quanhuo
Jap., Ganto Zenkatsu
Mt. Yantou (Cliff head)   Complete Life
born:  827
died:  887   60 years

place:  China
Chan master:  Deshan (J., Tokusan)
Chan fellow student:  Xuefeng (J., Seppo)
Chan disciples:  Luoshan, Ruiyan, ...
stories:

Blue Cliff Record (Biyan Lu), Case 51, What is it?

Gateless Gate (Wumenguan), Case 13

Osho
This. This. A Thousand Times This: The Very
Essence of Zen, ch. 2

Zen: The Solitary Bird, Cuckoo of the Forest, ch.
11

Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, ch. 7

The Great Zen Master Ta Hui, ch. 19, ch. 35
Yantou met an untimely and violent death, related
in Zen literature.  Bandits and looters entered the
monastery in a time of political upheaval--all the
monks fled to the forest, but Yantou stayed sitting
in zazen meditation. When a bandit stabbed him to
death, Yantou let out a roar that could be heard for
10 miles.
aka: Yen T'ou (old W.G.)
          oshobob  The Living Workshop                                            
                                                      Zen Masters
When Ganto took leave of Tokusan, Tokusan
said, "Where are you going?"

Ganto said, "For now I am taking leave of you,
master, and going down the mountain."

Tokusan said, "After that, then what?"

Ganto said, "I won't forget you, master."

"By virtue of what do you say this?" inquired
Tokusan.

Ganto said, "Haven't you heard that when a
monk's knowledge is equal to his teacher's he has
less than half his teacher's virtue; when his
knowledge surpasses the teacher's only then is he
qualified for the transmission?"

Tokusan said, "So it is, so it is. Guard it well on
your own."


You cannot surpass the master's knowing because
the master in the ultimate sense knows nothing.
How can you surpass nothing – do you think there
is any possibility? Something can be surpassed,
but nothing cannot be surpassed. Nothing is vast
and limitless, how can you surpass it?

But Tokusan is one of the great compassionate
teachers. Rather than hitting Ganto, out of
compassion he simply says, "Yes. It is so, So it is.
Guard it well on your own. I take back my
responsibility for you, now you are on your own, be
on guard." In fact what he is saying is, "Now I am
no more concerned with you. You are breaking all
the bridges between you and me. Whatever you
think, whatever you have understood, guard it well
and be on your own..."

                                                      --Osho
                 Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, ch. 7