Yunyan Tansheng

Yunyan Tansheng was a student of Baizhang Huaihai and the teacher of Dongshan Liangjie, the founder of the Caodong/Soto school^[1]. He is particularly famous for one crucial exchange with Dongshan that planted the seed of Dongshan's awakening. Dongshan asked him what a non-sentient being preaches the Dharma with. Yunyan said: "Non-sentient beings always preach the Dharma." When Dongshan asked who hears this, Yunyan said: "The non-sentient beings hear." Dongshan asked: "And do you hear?" Yunyan said: "If I heard, you could not hear my teaching." Dongshan asked what scripture this teaching came from, and Yunyan said: "Have you not seen? In the Amitabha Sutra it says: 'Water birds, tree groves, all without exception proclaim the Buddha and the Dharma.'" This exchange led Dongshan to his famous awakening when crossing the stream^[2].

Yunyan was known for making straw sandals, a simple craft that he employed as a teaching vehicle. His responses were often enigmatic, pointing to the Dharma-preaching of mountains and rivers and the non-sentient world—a teaching that resonates deeply with the Caodong emphasis on the pervasion of Buddha nature throughout all of reality^[1].