Two Arrows Zen

Among the great figures of Chinese Chan Buddhism, few have exercised as much influence on the Zen tradition as Zhaozhou Congshen (Japanese: Joshu, 778–897). His recorded dialogues appear throughout the principal collections of Zen literature, including The Blue Cliff Record, The Gateless Gate, and The Book of Serenity. More than a millennium after his death, his teachings continue to occupy a central place in kōan practice within both the Rinzai and Sanbō Zen traditions, while remaining an important part of the broader literary heritage of Zen.

Unlike some of the earliest patriarchs of Chan, whose biographies contain substantial legendary material, Zhaozhou is generally regarded by modern historians as a historical figure. Information about his life derives primarily from the Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde Chuandeng Lu), compiled in 1004 during the Song dynasty, together with The Record of Zhaozhou (Zhaozhou Lu), a collection of dialogues and encounters that circulated independently before being incorporated into later Chan literature. Although scholars recognize that these texts underwent editorial development over time, they regard them as preserving the memory of an influential Tang dynasty teacher whose instruction shaped subsequent generations of Chan Buddhism.

According to these sources, Zhaozhou entered monastic life as a child and later became a disciple of the Chan master Nanquan Puyuan (748–835), one of the principal heirs of Mazu Daoyi. Their dialogue concerning “ordinary mind” became one of the foundational texts of the Zen tradition. When Zhaozhou asked, “What is the Way?” Nanquan replied, “Ordinary mind is the Way.” The exchange appears in several classical collections and has remained an object of study for centuries.

Following Nanquan’s death in 835, Zhaozhou did not immediately assume the role of teacher. Traditional biographies describe an extended period of pilgrimage during which he visited other Chan communities throughout China. Only later in life—traditionally around the age of eighty—did he settle at Guanyin Monastery in Zhaozhou, in present-day Hebei Province, where he taught until his death in 897.

Many of the dialogues now associated with Zhaozhou derive from this period. Among the best known are his response “Mu” to the question of whether a dog possesses Buddha-nature; “The cypress tree in the courtyard” in response to a question concerning Bodhidharma’s coming from the West; and the exchange commonly known as “Wash Your Bowl.” These dialogues were preserved in later kōan anthologies and have served for centuries as objects of meditation, commentary, and instruction.

The historical significance of Zhaozhou lies not in the establishment of a large institutional lineage but in the enduring influence of his recorded teachings. His dialogues became part of the standard curriculum of Chan and Zen training in China, Korea, Japan, and, more recently, the West. Through translations by scholars and practitioners including James Green, Thomas Cleary, Robert Aitken, and others, Zhaozhou’s teachings have become accessible to English-speaking students and remain among the most frequently studied texts in contemporary Zen communities.

More than eleven centuries after his death, Zhaozhou occupies a distinctive place in Buddhist history. His life is documented in the principal historical records of the Chan tradition, while his recorded sayings continue to be transmitted as part of one of the world’s longest continuous religious lineages. Whether approached as historical documents, literary texts, or aids to contemplative practice, the dialogues attributed to Zhaozhou remain among the most studied works in the history of Zen Buddhism.

Selected Sources

Green, James. The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Joshu. Boston: Shambhala Publications.

Cleary, Thomas, and J. C. Cleary, trans. The Blue Cliff Record. Shambhala Publications.

Aitken, Robert, trans. The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-men Kuan (Mumonkan). North Point Press.

Welter, Albert. The Linji Lu and the Creation of Chan Orthodoxy. Oxford University Press.

Heine, Steven. Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. Oxford University Press.

Jingde Chuandeng Lu (The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp), compiled 1004 CE.

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