After his parents passed away, he moved to Chengdu seeking the spiritual guidance of master Renxian (仁銑) in the temple of Puan Yuan (普安院).
Under Zhimen, Chongxian was able to deepen his study and inherited the philosophy of the school which was created by Yunmen Wenyan (雲門文偃).
[3] According to this inscription, Xuedou asked his teacher Zhimen, "The ancient masters didn't produce a single thought, so what's the problem?
[3] Even the imperial court was not able to neglect his fame and consequently bestowed the title "Zen Master Mingjue" (明覺禪師) on him.
Although Japanese Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku is credited with inventing the koan regarding the sound of one hand clapping, The Blue Cliff Record includes Xuedou's poetic commentary that "a single hand makes no clapping sound" appears 700 years earlier.