Guizong Kills a Snake

Text

Guizong was hoeing in the garden when he killed a snake with his hoe. A monk who was watching was horrified and said, "Master, you preach compassion and yet you kill living beings." Guizong held up the hoe and said, "Speak—did I kill it or not?" The monk had no reply. Guizong said: "The compassion that avoids all contact with the world is not the compassion of the Buddhas. The compassion of the Buddhas does not flinch from contact."

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Speaker
  Guizong Zhichang

Lineage: Nanyue line

By Guizong Zhichang

• The Forest of Bramblesdialogue

From Jingde Chuandenglu

• On Gradual Cultivation
• Watch the Mind
• On Sudden Enlightenment
• The Debate at Huatai
• Before Thinking Arises
• The One Who Has No Rank
• The Arrow on High
• Meeting the Poet Li Ji
• Just This Is It
• Cold Ashes, Dead Tree

Sources

• contentZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation

  Zen project editorial

  Jingde Chuandenglu, Vol. 7, Guizong Zhichang chapter

  Jingde Chuandenglu: Guizong Kills a Snake