德山 (Déshān) · Deshan (Tang-dynasty Chan master Deshan Xuanjian)

Meanings

1 Deshan (Tang-dynasty Chan master Deshan Xuanjian)
2 Deshan (place name in Hunan, also Japanese surname Tokuyama)

About Deshan Xuanjian

782–865 · 宗教人物 religious figure

Tang-dynasty Chan (Zen) master who struck his students with a staff to break their habits of thought. Paired with 临济's shout, his stick gave Chinese the idiom 当头棒喝, a sudden wake-up call.

Also called 德山宣鉴、周金刚

Characters

Examples

HSK 5

湖南常德有一个叫德山的地方。

Húnán Chángdé yǒu yí ge jiào Déshān de dìfang.

There is a place called Deshan in Changde, Hunan.

HSK 7-9

德山禅师以棒喝闻名于世。

Déshān chánshī yǐ bànghè wénmíng yú shì.

Master Deshan was famous for the 'shout-and-stick' teaching method.

Tips

history

An old woman selling snacks once stumped him with a pun on 点心 'snack', literally 'dot the mind': the 金刚经 he lectured on says past, present and future mind cannot be grasped, so which mind would he dot? After his awakening he burned his commentaries on it.