禅Huangbo Xiyun

proverb

Cold Pierces the Bone

Tang

Traditionally attributed

Text

If the cold did not pierce the bone, how would the plum blossom be so fragrant? Practice without difficulty is fragrance without flower.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

Lineage: Linji

By Huangbo Xiyun

Sources

  • contentEssays in Zen Buddhism, First Series

    D. T. Suzuki

No per-field confidence has been recorded for this teaching yet. Treat individual claims with the caution appropriate to the source list below.

Attribution status: traditional — see editorial policy for what this means.

1 supporting citation on record (see Sources above).

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