Definition
Reading: Baso Dōitsu / Reading (ZH): Mǎzǔ Dàoyī
馬祖道一 (Mazu Daoyi) is a Chinese Zen monk of the Tang Dynasty and the practical founder of Chinese Zen. As a disciple of Nanyue Huairang, he produced many outstanding successors and expanded the Zen sect throughout China. The core of his teaching is "即心是仏" (Your mind itself is the Buddha), which is also expressed as "作用即性" (Function is nature)—the idea that the essence of reality is found within its active manifestation. In Japanese, the name is read as "Baso Doitsu."
Q&A
- Q: Why did Mazu Daoyi preach that "Ordinary Mind is the Way" (平常心是道)
- A: Because truth is not found in some distant, sacred place, but within the "mind as it is" that feels and acts in this very moment.
While many practitioners lost their way trying to become "someone special," Mazu taught that the Buddha’s function exists within natural mental workings—eating when hungry and sleeping when tired.
