His styled name is derived from the region where he lived and taught, Zhaozhou in Hebei 河北. He was in the lineage of Nanyue Huairang and the direct disciple of Nanquan Puyan 南泉普願. He also studied with Huangbo 黃檗, Baoshou 寶壽 and Yanguan 鹽官, before becoming the abbot of Guanyinyuan temple. Congshen 從諗 was the name he received at his ordainment, which took place at Hutongyuan. The most often-cited of his attributed teachings is the gong'an of the dog and the Buddha-nature 狗子佛性, or wu 無 gong'an, as well at the teaching 'the great way is not difficult'  至道無難. Also known as 趙州和尙, with his teaching style known as 趙州門風. He was posthumously named Zhenji Dashi 眞際大師. The record of his teachings is contained in the Zhenji dashi yulu 眞際大師語錄 (3 fasc.). There are also records and biographies concerning Zhaozhou in the Jingde chuandeng lu 景德傳燈錄 and the Song gaoseng chuan 宋高僧傳. 〔佛祖歷代通載 T 2036.49.481c28〕