Muzhou Daoming

Muzhou Daoming, also known as Chen Zunsu, was a student of Huangbo Xiyun who spent his days making straw sandals for the poor while serving as one of the most demanding teachers of his generation. He combined radical compassion—his sandals were left anonymously at the city gate for anyone who needed them—with an almost ferocious teaching manner that tolerated no hesitation or pretense.

Muzhou is most famous for his encounter with the young Yunmen Wenyan. When Yunmen came seeking instruction, Muzhou three times slammed the gate on him. The third time, the gate caught Yunmen's leg and broke it, and in that moment of extreme pain, Yunmen experienced a deep awakening. Muzhou then sent him to Xuefeng Yicun to complete his training. This violent encounter, through which one of the greatest Chan masters was catalyzed into realization, exemplifies the tradition's conviction that true compassion can take whatever form the student's condition demands.