Cuiwei Wuxue

Cuiwei Wuxue was a student of Danxia Tianran known for his direct and unadorned teaching style. He lived on Mount Cuiwei and is recorded in the transmission of the lamp literature as a teacher who cut through conceptual elaboration with abrupt precision. His exchanges with students emphasized the impossibility of grasping awakening through intellectual effort.

In one well-known exchange, a monk asked Cuiwei about the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West. Cuiwei said, "Wait until there is no one around, and I will tell you." When the monk came closer, Cuiwei led him into the bamboo garden and pointed to a bamboo plant. This gesture—pointing to the ordinary world as the Dharma itself—encapsulates the Qingyuan line's emphasis on the truth being immediately present, requiring not explanation but direct seeing.