Definition
A Zen master who illuminates with words, radiating light from his mouth
Reading: Jōshū Jūshin / Reading (ZH): Zhàozhōu Cóngshěn
趙州従諗 (Zhaozhou Congshen) is a Chinese monk from the Tang Dynasty. In Japanese, the name is read as "Joshu Jushin." He practiced Zen under Nanquan Puyuan for 30 years and did not become the abbot of Guanyin-in until he was 80 years old, eventually living to the age of 120. Alongside his contemporary Xuefeng Yizun, he was highly acclaimed in the saying, "Xuefeng in the South, Zhaozhou in the North." His Zen style is known as "口唇皮禅" (Kushinpi-zen,Zen on the Lips), as he excelled in expressing Zen through words rather than through violence or physical force.
Q&A
- Q: Why was Zhaozhou Congshen's Zen style called "口唇皮禅" (Kushinpi-zen, Zen on the Lips)?
- A: Because while his master, Nanquan, demonstrated the truth through radical actions like "cutting the cat," Zhaozhou excelled in a more refined linguistic expression—a "Zen of words" that pierced through to the truth with every syllable. His sharp verbal exchanges, such as "柏樹子" (Hakujushi, The Cypress Tree in the Courtyard) and "喫茶去" (Kissako, Go Drink Some Tea), continue to be passed down by Zen practitioners today.
