Tan-hsia - Burning of a Buddha Statue for Warmth

Serene Boy in Meditative Pose with Shadowy Figure
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More about Tan-hsia - Burning of a Buddha Statue for Warmth

There are many stories about Tan-hsia, who was a close friend of the Ch'an layman P'ang-yun, telling of his unconventional behavior.

The most famous of these stories tells that once during his wandering years he spent the night in a Ch'an temple. The night being cold, he took a buddha image off the shrine, made a fire with it, and warmed himself. When the temple priest took him to task for having violated a sacred statue, Tan-hsia said: "I was only looking for the `sariira (sacred relic) of the Buddha." "How can you expect to find `sariira in a piece of wood?" said the temple priest. "Well," said Tan-hsia, "then, I am only burning a piece of wood after all."

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