Touzi Datong

Touzi Datong was a master of the Qingyuan line who taught on Mount Touzi for many decades, attracting students from across Tang dynasty China. He was visited by Xuefeng Yicun, who reportedly came to him nine times before going to study with Deshan. Touzi's teaching was marked by patience and economy—he said little but what he said cut deep.

In one famous exchange, a monk asked Touzi about "the ancient Buddha hall." Touzi answered, "Ancient Buddha, ancient Buddha." The monk asked what was inside the hall. Touzi said, "The grass has not been cut." Such responses point to the ordinary and unkempt as the expression of the timeless—a teaching that anticipates the Caodong tradition's emphasis on the sacred within the mundane. Touzi's mountain became a significant pilgrimage site and his name was later given to Touzi Yiqing of the Caodong revival.