Mahasattva Fu

Mahasattva Fu, also known as Fu Dashi (Great Master Fu), was a legendary Chinese Buddhist figure of the Liang dynasty who is considered a precursor of the Chan tradition. He was a layman who was recognized by Emperor Wu of Liang as a living bodhisattva. He is credited with inventing the revolving sutra case (the rotating bookshelf used in Buddhist temples) and with teaching a form of direct pointing that anticipated Chan methods.

Mahasattva Fu's most famous encounter occurred when Emperor Wu invited him to lecture on the Diamond Sutra. He ascended the lecture platform, struck the table once, and descended without saying a word. The emperor was bewildered, but his adviser Zhi Gong said, "The Great Teacher has finished his discourse." This wordless lecture became an early model for the Chan style of teaching through action rather than explanation.