Xianglin Chengyuan

Xianglin Chengyuan was a Guiyang school master known for his long and patient practice. According to tradition, he served as attendant to his teacher Yunmen Wenyan for eighteen years before completing his understanding, exemplifying the sustained devotion that the tradition considers essential for deep realization.

Xianglin is associated with a number of important encounters in the koan literature. When asked, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?" he replied, "Sitting for a long time becomes tiring." This seemingly casual response, pointing to the most ordinary physical sensation as the answer to the most profound question, embodies the Guiyang school's characteristic subtlety—the ability to express the deepest truth through the simplest gesture.