| Zhaozhou Congshen |
| Jap. Joshu Jushin |
| born: 778 died: 897 120 years place: China |
| Chan master: Nanquan (J. Nansen), Huangbo (J. Obaku) Chan disciples: Guangxiao (J., Koko), Yanyang (J., Genyo), ... |
Zhaozhou is considered one of most important
figures in Zen history. Coming off of the Mazu lineage,
he is cited in many famous Zen stories in its literature.
He is fairly unusual in the fact that he did not become
enlightened until he was 80 years old, guiding
disciples for the next 40 years until his death at the
age of 120. His location of Zhaozhou is in northern
China, in modern Hebei Province, just south of Beijing.
In his time the monastery was called Guanyin Yuan,
and had a name change in the Yuan Dynasty
(Mongolian rule) to Bailin Si (Cypress Grove Temple),
which is the name it retains to this day.
figures in Zen history. Coming off of the Mazu lineage,
he is cited in many famous Zen stories in its literature.
He is fairly unusual in the fact that he did not become
enlightened until he was 80 years old, guiding
disciples for the next 40 years until his death at the
age of 120. His location of Zhaozhou is in northern
China, in modern Hebei Province, just south of Beijing.
In his time the monastery was called Guanyin Yuan,
and had a name change in the Yuan Dynasty
(Mongolian rule) to Bailin Si (Cypress Grove Temple),
which is the name it retains to this day.
Zhaozhou (city name) Start Awareness
| stories: Biyan Lu (Blue Cliff Record), Case 2 Wumenguan (Gateless Gate) Jingde Chuandeng Lu (Transmission of the Lamp) Osho Joshu: The Lion's Roar (entire book uses stories of Zhaozhou) Live Zen, ch. 2, ch. 13 This, This, A Thousand Times This: The Very Essence of Zen, ch. 11, ch. 12 Zen: The Solitary Bird, Cuckoo of the Forest, ch. 8, ch. 11, ch. 12, ch. 14 Zen: The Diamond Thunderbolt, ch. 2, ch. 4 Nansen: The Point of Departure, ch. 6, ch. 10 No Mind: The Flowers of Eternity, ch. 7, ch. 11 A Bird on the Wing, ch. 4 Returning to the Source: talks on Zen, ch. 2 The Great Zen Master Ta Hui, ch. 13, ch 18, ch. 25 Dang Dang Doko Dang, ch. 6 A Sudden Clash of Thunder, ch. 1 Ah, This, ch. 3 |
surname: Hao
posthumous name: Zhenji Dashi
posthumous name: Zhenji Dashi
Note:
There are number of different Zen masters with the
Japanese romanization name of "Joshu", though each
one uses different characters, and is usually the name
of a city in China. These other names are not, to add
to the confusion, pronounced "Zhaozhou" in
Chinese(e.g., Dingzhou, Jingzhong, Ruzhou,
Shuzhou, etc.)
There are number of different Zen masters with the
Japanese romanization name of "Joshu", though each
one uses different characters, and is usually the name
of a city in China. These other names are not, to add
to the confusion, pronounced "Zhaozhou" in
Chinese(e.g., Dingzhou, Jingzhong, Ruzhou,
Shuzhou, etc.)
aka: Chao Chou (old Wade-Giles romanization)
| oshobob The Living Workshop |
| Zen Masters |
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| ON FIRST ENTERING NANSEN'S MONASTERY, JOSHU WAS MADE TO SERVE IN THE KITCHEN AS THE STOKER. ONE DAY HE CLOSED ALL THE DOORS AND PILED WOOD ON THE FIRE UNTIL THE WHOLE KITCHEN WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE. THEN HE SHOUTED, "FIRE! FIRE! COME TO MY RESCUE!" WHEN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY HAD FLOCKED TO THE DOOR, HE SAID, "I WILL NOT OPEN THE DOOR UNLESS YOU CAN SAY THE RIGHT WORD." NO ANSWER CAME FROM THE CROWD. BUT NANSEN SILENTLY PASSED THE KEY THROUGH A WINDOW HOLE. THIS WAS THE RIGHT WORD THAT JOSHU HAD IN MIND, AND HE OPENED THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY. Joshu is a very rare case. Joshu had become a priest when he was still a child and experienced his first satori when he was seventeen. He said of this experience: "Suddenly, I was ruined and homeless." This statement, after having the first glimpse of enlightenment, is of tremendous significance. He says, "Suddenly I was ruined. Whatever I was before, is all ruined. I was not that. I had cultivated a personality, a mind, a heart – nothing of that was me. The satori left me suddenly ruined and homeless. The home that I had made for myself according to the rules of the society, amongst the crowd, a cozy place... enlightenment, just the first glimpse of it, has taken away all... --Osho Joshu: The Lion's Roar, ch. 2 |
Chinese simplified: 赵州从谂
The city of Zhaozhou (now called Zhaoxian) is in Hebei Province,
China--see the green asterisk below on the map. Bailin Si, Zen
master's Zhaozhou's temple, is still in existence, and is open for
visitation.
China--see the green asterisk below on the map. Bailin Si, Zen
master's Zhaozhou's temple, is still in existence, and is open for
visitation.
*
The pagoda at Zhaozhou's temple, built in 1330,
hundreds of years after the famous Zen master
lived and taught here:
hundreds of years after the famous Zen master
lived and taught here: