Jōshū Jūshin
Chan Buddhism · 778–897
“Every day is a good day.”
Jōshū Jūshin was a Chinese Chan master of the Tang dynasty whose teachings shaped the entire koan tradition. He is said to have begun teaching at sixty and continued until his death at 119.
His most famous exchange — “Does a dog have Buddha-nature?” answered with the single word Mu — became Case 1 of the Gateless Gate and the foundational koan of Zen practice.
His teaching was direct, intimate, and often funny. “Have you eaten your rice porridge? Then wash your bowl.”
Key teachings
Mu
The single word that breaks open conceptual mind. Not a riddle to solve. A barrier that is also a gate.
Ordinary Mind
Practice and awakening are not separate from sweeping the floor and washing the bowl.
Notable works
The Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Jōshū
Collected dialogues — the source for many of the most-quoted moments in Zen history.
One teaching like this each morning — and Mu, a companion who remembers your path.
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