Muzhou Daoming

Muzhou Daoming (睦州道明, 780–877), also known as Chen Zunsu (陳尊宿) after the sandal-weaving lay-name he kept on after monastic retirement, was a Dharma heir of Huangbo Xiyun and one of the most demanding teachers of the late-Tang generation^[1]. After many years at Kaiyuan Temple in Muzhou (modern Zhejiang) and a period of teaching activity, he retired into the city to weave straw sandals which he distributed anonymously to the poor — the practice from which his "Sandalweaver" nickname derives^[2].

Muzhou is best remembered as the master who broke open Yunmen Wenyan's training. The lamp records preserve the celebrated three-visits episode: when Yunmen came seeking instruction, Muzhou shut the gate on him on the first two visits; on the third Muzhou caught Yunmen's leg in the gate as he shut it, and in the shock of pain Yunmen had his decisive opening, after which Muzhou sent him on to Xuefeng Yicun to complete his training^[3]. The episode is preserved in the *Yunmen Yulu*, Urs App's *Master Yunmen* anthology, and the lamp records^[4].