The Fangxin Stone: When the Heart Is Set Down, All Becomes Clear
YuanKevinEven if the heart carries a thousand kinds of suffering,
once it is set down, everything becomes empty and free.
At Quanzhou’s ancient Kaiyuan Temple, there lies a quiet stone carved with a single character — 心, the Heart.
Its dot is deliberately placed below the character, not above.
This subtle shift carries a profound message: peace does not come from holding on, but from letting go.
Known locally as the Fangxin Stone — the Stone of Setting the Heart Down — it has become a silent teacher for generations of visitors seeking calm in a restless world.
A Temple of Stillness on the Maritime Silk Road
Founded in the Tang Dynasty (686 CE), Kaiyuan Temple stands at the spiritual heart of Quanzhou, once one of the world’s greatest ports along the Maritime Silk Road.
Merchants, monks, and travelers from across Asia passed through its gates, bringing not only goods, but ideas, beliefs, and quiet moments of reflection.
Among its grand towers and ancient halls, the Fangxin Stone remains modest — almost easy to overlook. Yet those who pause before it often feel its meaning immediately.
The general and correct character of “心” Heart
One Dot, One Teaching
In traditional Chinese writing, the dot of “心” belongs inside the character.
On the Fangxin Stone, it is placed below.
This is not a mistake.
It is a teaching carved in stone.
To set the heart down means to release fixation, worry, and excess desire.
When the heart is no longer burdened, clarity arises naturally.
This idea echoes a long-held Buddhist understanding: when nothing is grasped, nothing binds.
The Spirit of Master Hongyi
In the early 20th century, Master Hongyi (Li Shutong) — one of China’s most influential Buddhist figures — spent significant time in Quanzhou, teaching at Kaiyuan Temple.
Renowned for his discipline, humility, and emphasis on inner cultivation, Hongyi taught that true practice must return to everyday life.
Not escape, but presence.
Not perfection, but acceptance.
Though the Fangxin Stone predates him, its spirit aligns closely with his teaching: calm is not found by adding more, but by gently removing what weighs the heart down.
From Stone to Teacup
This philosophy inspired the design of our blue-and-white Dehua porcelain teacup.
The character “心” appears once more — with its dot intentionally lowered, echoing the Fangxin Stone.
Each time the cup is held, the gesture becomes a reminder: set the heart down, and let the moment be enough.
Warm, luminous, and quietly balanced, the cup transforms a simple act of drinking tea into a pause — a return to stillness.
A Practice You Can Hold
The Fangxin Stone does not promise to remove suffering.
It offers something more enduring: a way to meet life with less resistance.
In stone.
In porcelain.
In the space between breaths.
