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August 07, 2008

Zhaozhou Asks A Woman to Drown

BodyAn old woman asked, "I have a body with the five hindrances. How can I escape them?"

The master [Zhaozhou] said, "Pray that all people are born in Heaven and pray that you yourself drown eternally in a sea of hardships."

Commentary
Each of us has a body with the five hindrances. If we can't escape them, what should we do? Zhaozhou gives excellent advice. And, anyway, can we ever avoid the sea of hardships?

Source: The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Joshu, translated by James Green
Photo by n3wjack.

Posted at 08:08 AM in Learning from All Beings |

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  • The role of women in the development of Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism is poorly known. There have been imaginative attempts to construct a female lineage during the Tang Dynasty, but documentary records are quite limited. While reading through the case records over the past decade, I've noted stories involving female practitioners. This weblog compiles those stories in a single location.
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