Yaoshan Weiyan
Jap., Yakusan Igen
Mt. Yaoshan (Medicine mountain) Alone Respectful
| born: 751 died: 834 83 years place: China |
| Chan master: Shitou (J., Sekito), Mazu (J., Baso) Chan disciples: Daowu (J., Dogo), Yunyan (J., Ungan), Baishu, (J. Haiju), Baiyan (J. Hyakugan), Yaoshan Gao, Xiangguo, Chuanzi, Changshi, Li Ao, ... |
Mt. Yaoshan is in modern Hunan Province, in the
northwest section, just south of Mt. Jiashan.
northwest section, just south of Mt. Jiashan.
| stories: Osho Yakusan: Straight to the Point of Enlightenment (entire book uses stories of Yaoshan) Zen: The Quantum Leap From Mind to No-mind, ch.7, ch. 9 Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, ch. 1, ch. 12 Ma Tzu: The Empty Mirror, ch. 7 Christianity the Deadliest Poison, and Zen the Antidote to all Poisons, ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 3, ch. 4, ch. 5, ch. 6, ch. 7, ch. 8 Communism and Zen Fire, Zen Wind, ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 3 I Celebrate Myself: God is No Where, Life is Now Here, ch. 5 Returning to the Source: talks on Zen, ch. 7 |
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| Zen Masters |
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| Yakusan had not given a discourse for some time when, one day, the head monk came and said, "The congregation of monks are thinking about your preaching a sermon." Yakusan said, "Ring the bell!" The superior banged away at the bell, but when all the monks gathered, Yakusan went back to his room. The head monk followed him and said, "The master was going to give a talk, and the monks are all ready; why didn't you say anything to them?" Yakusan said, "There are sutra priests for the sutras, shastra priests for the shastras; why do you question my goings-on?" Why do you question that I have left the congregation? Neither am I a sutra priest, nor am I a shastra priest. I am myself. I expound my own experience, and I have expounded enough. "I have said the unsayable in as many ways as it was possible to say it. I have expressed the inexpressible in thousands of ways, and so many people have become enlightened. Now all these meditators should sit by the side of those who have become enlightened. I have done my work, now I want to retire. Seeing the utter futility of saying anything, I wanted to retire from the very first day when I became enlightened. But because of my compassion, my love, and thousands of people coming with such thirst, I remained; I did not go into retirement, into silence. I hoped that perhaps their thirst may help them. The deeper their thirst ... I will be able to reach them with my words, with my silences, with my gestures. Perhaps if a thousand people come, one person may become enlightened. For that every effort is worth doing... --Osho Yakusan: Straight to the Point of Enlightenment, ch. 2 |