Tianhuang Daowu

Tianhuang Daowu was a student of Shitou Xiqian who established a teaching center on Mount Tianhuang. He was known for his gentle and compassionate manner, in contrast to the sharp and confrontational style of some Tang dynasty Chan masters. His dialogues with Shitou illustrate a student whose deepening was gradual and thorough.

Tianhuang is particularly associated with the transmission of teaching to Longtan Chongxin, who would in turn become the teacher of Deshan Xuanjian. This makes Tianhuang an essential link between Shitou's lineage and the later Deshan-Xuefeng tradition that produced the Yunmen and Fayan schools. The transmission records describe him as a master of quiet depth, one who carried the Dharma without fanfare and planted the seeds of a vast lineage.