禅Shitou Xiqian

proverb

Do Not Think About the Roof

Tang

Traditionally attributed

Text

When sitting in your hut, do not think about whether the roof will leak. If it leaks, you will know. The thought beforehand only takes the place of the seat.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

Lineage: Qingyuan line

By Shitou Xiqian

Sources

  • contentCultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi

    Taigen Dan Leighton (trans.)

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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