The Seamless Tower

Text

A government official asked Daowu, "What is the essential teaching of Buddhism?" Daowu said nothing and used his whisk to wipe the official's face. The official said, "Is this all?" Daowu said, "What more did you want?" Later Daowu said to his assembly: "When asked about the essential teaching, use neither words nor silence. Use the whole body. And when you use the whole body, do not think that you are doing something. The Dharma seal does not rest in the palm—it cannot be located."

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Daowu Yuanzhi

Lineage: Qingyuan line

By Daowu Yuanzhi

• The Condolence Visitdialogue

From Blue Cliff Record

• Tianhuang's Bowl Washing
• The Rhinoceros Fan
• Don't Think
• The Condolence Visit
• Alive or Dead in Sitting
• All Sounds Are Buddha-Sound
• All Three Bodies of Buddha
• End-of-Summer Address
• Daguang's Laughing
• The Sound of Raindrops

Sources

• contentZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation

  Zen project editorial

  Jingde Chuandenglu, Vol. 14, Daowu Yuanzhi chapter

  Blue Cliff Record: The Seamless Tower