Yanguan Qian

Yanguan Qi'an was a student of Mazu Daoyi known for his encounter dialogues that became important koan material. He taught at Yanguan (Salt Office) and his exchanges with monks display the vivid, direct style characteristic of Mazu's lineage. His most famous encounter involves the rhinoceros fan, which appears in the Blue Cliff Record.

A monk asked Yanguan to show him the rhinoceros fan. Yanguan said, "The rhinoceros fan is broken." The monk said, "Then show me the rhinoceros itself." Yanguan was silent. This exchange became a celebrated koan exploring the relationship between the symbol and what it points to—when the conventional teaching device is exhausted, can the student meet the reality directly? Yanguan's silence in response to the demand was itself the most eloquent teaching he could have offered.