DOCSLIB.ORG

Sitting with Koans: Essential Writings on Zen Koan Introspection

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sitting with Koans: Essential Writings on Zen Koan Introspection WISDOM ACADEMY Buddhist Philosophy in Depth, Part 3 JAY GARFIELD Lessons 5: Dogen and the Formation of Soto Zen Reading: Sitting with Koans: Essential Writings on the Practice of Zen Koan Introspection “Dogen and Koans,” pages 151-162 EASTERNRELIGION/BUDDHISM sitting with koans from the editor of The Art of Just Sitting “Koans are the greatest of the ancient technologies for transforming the mind. This collection of classic writings on koans will get you started and open up the treasure in your own heart.” John Tarrant, author of Bring Me the Rhinoceros (And Other Zen Koans to Bring You Joy) “Whether you are interested in the history of Zen, intrigued by the seeming paradoxes and puzzling stories in koan literature, or Sitting with Koans already engaged in koan practice with a qualified teacher, Sitting with Koans is a valuable resource. By combining scholarly essays with historical and modern Dharma talks by great koan masters, this collection shines light from many angles, illuminating a rich practice that is too often misunderstood.” Melissa Myozen Blacker, Zen teacher and Co-director of Professional Training, Center for Mindfulness, UMass Medical School “Sitting with Koans is the essential collection of koan writings that Zen practitioners have been yearning for.” Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Zen Center of Los Angeles John Daido Loori “A remarkable collection brilliantly put together by a premier modern interpreter of koans.” Steven Heine, author of The Zen Canon: Understanding Classic Texts INCLUDES WRITINGS BY Robert Aitken • William Bodiford • Robert Buswell • Roko Sherry Chayat Francis Dojun Cook • Eihei Dogen • Heinrich Dumoulin • Hakuin Ekaku essential writings Victor Sogen Hori • Keizan Jokin • Philip Kapleau • Chung-fen Ming-pen Taizan Maezumi • Dennis Genpo Merzel • Soen Nakagawa on the practice of zen koan introspection Sokei-an Sasaki • Nyogen Senzaki • Zenkei Shibayama Eido Shimano • Philip Yampolsky • Hakuun Yasutani ISBN 0-86171-369-9 $16.95 EDITEDBYJOHNDAIDOLOORI Wisdom Publications • Boston www.wisdompubs.org WISDOM WITHANINTRODUCTIONBYTHOMASYUHOKIRCHNER Dogen and Koans John Daido Loori Dogen and the Two Shobogenzos Relatively unknown during his lifetime in Kamakura Japan, Eihei Dogen is now considered to be one of the most remarkable religious fig- ures and teachers in the history of Zen, as well as an outstanding philosopher,mystic,and poet.His works have had a tremendous impact, not only in Japan and within the Soto School of Zen Buddhism, but also in the West. Dogen is best known for his monumental work, the Kana or Japan- ese Shobogenzo, a collection of ninety-six essays composed in Japanese between the years 1231 and 1253. Based on Dogen’s profound religious experience and enriched by his philosophical and literary gifts, the Shobogenzo or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye is a unique expression of the Buddhist teachings. Several English translations of and commen- taries on the Shobogenzo are in existence today, and scholars and practi- tioners alike share the ever-increasing body of information on Dogen’s life and work. Not as popular as Dogen’s Kana Shobogenzo is his Mana or Sam- byakusoku Shobogenzo (The Shobogenzo of Three Hundred Koans), a collection of three hundred cases that Dogen collected during his travels in China from 1227 to 1230. This seminal work, which was to influence all of Dogen’s other teachings,remained in obscurity for many centuries. It wasn’t until 1934 that it was rediscovered and made available to the general public by Professor Tokuju Oya, and only recently was its authenticity finally verified. The Mana Shobogenzo, unlike Dogen’s other writings, was written in Chinese. And though these three hundred cases were culled largely from Zen texts of the Song era—The Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku), 151 152 Sitting With Koans and The Book of Equanimity (Shoyoroku, also translated as The Book of Serenity)— unlike the koans in these collections, they are not accompa - nied either by a title or commentary, yet Dogen used them frequently as seeds for his other writings, particularly the Kana Shobogenzo and the Eihei Koroku . However, because Dogen was an outspoken critic of koan study, some people insist that he would never have collected or used koans. What seems closer to the truth is that he opposed the superficial treatment of koans, not koan introspection itself. Legend has it that before he left China to return to Japan, the young Dogen stayed up all night and hand- copied The Blue Cliff Record. Dogen’s early teachers, Eisai and Myozen, both taught koan introspection. In fact, Dogen received Rinzai transmis - sion in the Oryu line from Myozen before leaving for China, and though that lineage died out in both China and Japan, it is preserved within the Soto school to this day. Dogen’s teachings themselves require a solid understanding of Chi - nese koan literature. As William Bodiford points out in his Soto Zen in Medieval Japan , Dogen used “more than 580 koans” in his writings. In the Kana Shobogenzo alone, Dogen elaborates on fifty-five koans, quot - ing them in their entirety, and he refers to some of them more than two hundred and eighty times. In the Eihei Koroku, ninety-nine koans are quoted, and one hundred and nine are mentioned at least briefly. Clearly, we can no longer assert Dogen was flatly opposed to koans. Dogen knew about the formulaic method of koan study prevalent in both the Soto and some lineages of the Rinzai School where, instead of having to “see into” a koan, practitioners could simply memorize the answers. He also knew of Dahui’s huatou method (literally, “head- word”; see also Buswell’s essay in this volume) of working with koans. This method emphasized seeing into the main point of a koan, but did not delve into its subtler details. In contrast to these approaches, Dogen’s study and understanding of koans had much more breadth and depth. Using a linguistic style unpar - alleled in the history of koan literature, Dogen addressed both the key phrases of each case, as well as the secondary—yet equally important— points nestled in the dialogues. He frequently examined koans from the perspective of the Five Ranks of Dongshan (J.Tozan). And he pointed out Dogen and Koans 153 the questions that should be addressed in each case, challenging practi - tioners to examine them deeply. These three characteristics of Dogen’s approach to koan introspec - tion—his unique use of language, treatment of the Five Ranks of Dong - shan and meticulous study of all aspects of a koan—set Dogen’s writings on koans far apart from the traditional commentaries available in the Zen literature. They make a careful comparative reading of Dogen’s Kana Shobogenzo and his other writings with the Song-Dynasty collections extremely valuable to modern koan practitioners. To fully appreciate Dogen’s treatment of koans, it is critical to differ - entiate between koan study and formal koan introspection in the context of a vital teacher-student relationship. Koan study tends to rely on the intellect. It aims to shed light on the basic Buddhist teachings communi - cated in the koan in a similar way that a teacher will comment on a case in a teisho or formal discourse, clarifying the koan’s key points. In koan introspection, students sit with the koan in zazen, letting go of trying to solve or understand it. They embody it as a whole body-and-mind expe - rience.The teacher then tests the students’ direct insight in dokusan, pri - vate face-to-face interviews. Dokusan demands that one directly and dynamically present one’s own realization. Because of this, it can be said that there is no one answer to a koan. Seeing into a koan requires the embodiment of a certain state of consciousness. It is this direct seeing into a koan that the teacher looks for and tests to determine the clarity of the student’s insight. And it is this direct insight that is at the heart of realization. In my own training, my first encounter with Dogen’s singular way of dealing with koans happened within that intimate teacher-student relationship. Maezumi Roshi asked me to work with a set of miscella - neous koans I had already passed through with a previous teacher. I refused. Instead of arguing with me, Maezumi Roshi instructed me to sit shikantaza. Soon after, I came across Dogen’s “Genjokoan” (“The Way of Everyday Life”) and brought a few questions about it into face- to-face teachings. Maezumi encouraged me to sit with Dogen’s lines in zazen, treating them as koans. With time, reading other chapters of the Kana Shobogenzo, I began to develop a deepening appreciation of the way Dogen presented koans with an unprecedented degree of depth and 154 Sitting With Koans scope. Later still, as my traditional koan training evolved, it became increasingly clear to me that Dogen was a true master of the koan form, offering an amazing vista of the Buddhadharma through his koan treatment. As a Zen teacher, my chief interests in the two Shobogenzos are Dogen’s unique way of commenting on koans in the Kana Shobogenzo , as well as the choice of koans he collected in the Mana Shobogenzo , espe - cially as they may affect contemporary Western practitioners. Dogen’s Unique Commentary Style Dogen is a master of language. It is impossible to study his writings and not be moved by the poetry and creativity of his words. He brings to each koan his literary sophistication, an extensive familiarity with Buddhism, and an unparalleled appreciation of the dharma. In his teachings, he always communicates on multiple levels: with discursive language, poetic imagery, and with “intimate words,” mitsugo . Intimate words are a direct pointing to the truth, meant to be grasped in an instant and absorbed intuitively rather than in a linear, sequential way.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Buddhism in America
    Buddhism in America The Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series The United States is the birthplace of religious pluralism, and the spiritual landscape of contemporary America is as varied and complex as that of any country in the world. The books in this new series, written by leading scholars for students and general readers alike, fall into two categories: some of these well-crafted, thought-provoking portraits of the country’s major religious groups describe and explain particular religious practices and rituals, beliefs, and major challenges facing a given community today. Others explore current themes and topics in American religion that cut across denominational lines. The texts are supplemented with care- fully selected photographs and artwork, annotated bibliographies, con- cise profiles of important individuals, and chronologies of major events. — Roman Catholicism in America Islam in America . B UDDHISM in America Richard Hughes Seager C C Publishers Since New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © Columbia University Press All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Seager, Richard Hughes. Buddhism in America / Richard Hughes Seager. p. cm. — (Columbia contemporary American religion series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN ‒‒‒ — ISBN ‒‒‒ (pbk.) . Buddhism—United States. I. Title. II. Series. BQ.S .'—dc – Casebound editions of Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper.
    [Show full text]
  • A Departure for Returning to Sabha: a Study of Koan Practice of Silence Jea Sophia Oh West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
    West Chester University Digital Commons @ West Chester University Philosophy College of Arts & Humanities 12-2017 A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence Jea Sophia Oh West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/phil_facpub Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons Recommended Citation Oh, J. S. (2017). A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence. International Journal of Dharma Studies, 5(12) http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40613-017-0059-7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Humanities at Digital Commons @ West Chester University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ West Chester University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Oh International Journal of Dharma Studies (2017) 5:12 International Journal of DOI 10.1186/s40613-017-0059-7 Dharma Studies RESEARCH Open Access A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence Jea Sophia Oh Correspondence: [email protected] West Chester University of Abstract Pennsylvania, 700 S High St. AND 108D, West Chester, PA 19383, USA This paper deals with koan practice of silence through analyzing the Korean Zen Buddhist film, Why Has Boddhidharma Left for the East? (Bae, Yong-Kyun, Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the East? 1989). This paper follows Kibong's path along with the Buddha's journey of 1) departure, 2) journey in the middle way, and 3) returning with a particular focus on koan practice of silence as the transformative element of enlightenment.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dogen Canon D 6 G E N ，S Fre-Shobogenzo Writings and the Question of Change in His Later Works
    Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1997 24/1-2 The Dogen Canon D 6 g e n ，s Fre-Shobogenzo Writings and the Question of Change in His Later Works Steven H eine Recent scholarship has focused on the question of whether, and to what extent, Dogen underwent a significant change in thought and attitudes in nis Later years. Two main theories have emerged which agree that there was a decisive change although they disagree about its timing and meaning. One view, which I refer to as the Decline Theory, argues that Dogen entered into a prolonged period of deterioration after he moved from Kyoto to Echizen in 1243 and became increasingly strident in his attacks on rival lineages. The second view, which I refer to as the Renewal Theory, maintains that Dogen had a spiritual rebirth after returning from a trip to Kamakura in 1248 and emphasized the priority of karmic causality. Both theories, however, tend to ignore or misrepresent the early writings and their relation to the late period. I will propose an alternative Three Periods Theory suggesting that the main change, which occurred with the opening of Daibutsu-ji/Eihei-ji in 1245, was a matter of altering the style of instruc­ tion rather than the content of ideology. At that point, Dogen shifted from the informal lectures (jishu) of the Shdbdgenzd，which he stopped deliver­ ing, to the formal sermons (jodo) in the Eihei koroku, a crucial later text which the other theories overlook. I will also point out that the diversity in literary production as well as the complexity and ambiguity of historical events makes it problematic for the Decline and Renewal theories to con­ struct a view that Dogen had a single, decisive break with his previous writings.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Bibio
    Recommended Books Revised March 30, 2013 The books listed below represent a small selection of some of the key texts in each category. The name(s) provided below each title designate either the primary author, editor, or translator. Introductions Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown Taking the Path of Zen !!!!!!!! Robert Aitken Everyday Zen !!!!!!!!! Charlotte Joko Beck Start Where You Are !!!!!!!! Pema Chodron The Eight Gates of Zen !!!!!!!! John Daido Loori Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind !!!!!!! Shunryu Suzuki Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening ! Stephen Batchelor The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation!!!!!!!!! Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism For Beginners !!!!!!! Thubten Chodron The Buddha and His Teachings !!!!!! Sherab Chödzin Kohn and Samuel Bercholz The Spirit of the Buddha !!!!!!! Martine Batchelor 1 Meditation and Zen Practice Mindfulness in Plain English ! ! ! ! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English !!! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Change Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation ! Paramananda Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice !!!! Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of Buddhist Meditation !!!!!! Thera Nyanaponika Meditation for Beginners !!!!!!! Jack Kornfield Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path !! Ayya Khema The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Meditation in Plain English !!!!!!! John Daishin Buksbazen and Peter
    [Show full text]
  • Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit Name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit Dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist Influences (C
    7/11/2014 Zen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism[note 1] that Zen developed in China during the 6th century as Chán. From China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and Chinese name east to Japan.[2] Simplified Chinese 禅 Traditional Chinese 禪 The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (dʑjen) (pinyin: Chán), which in Transcriptions turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna,[3] which can Mandarin be approximately translated as "absorption" or "meditative Hanyu Pinyin Chán state".[4] Cantonese Zen emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature and the personal Jyutping Sim4 expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit Middle Chinese [5][6] of others. As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of Middle Chinese dʑjen sutras and doctrine[7][8] and favors direct understanding Vietnamese name through zazen and interaction with an accomplished Vietnamese Thiền teacher.[9] Korean name The teachings of Zen include various sources of Mahāyāna Hangul 선 thought, especially Yogācāra, the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras and Huayan, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, Hanja 禪 and the Bodhisattva-ideal.[10][11] The Prajñāpāramitā Transcriptions literature[12] and, to a lesser extent, Madhyamaka have also Revised Romanization Seon been influential. Japanese name Kanji 禅 Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist influences (c. 200- 500) 1.3 Legendary or Proto-Chán - Six Patriarchs (c. 500-600) 1.4 Early Chán - Tang Dynasty (c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Zen Koan; Its History and Use in Rinzai
    NUNC COCNOSCO EX PARTE TRENT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/zenkoanitshistorOOOOmiur THE ZEN KOAN THE ZEN KOAN ITS HISTORY AND USE IN RINZAI ZEN ISSHU MIURA RUTH FULLER SASAKI With Reproductions of Ten Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku A HELEN AND KURT WOLFF BOOK HARCOURT, BRACE & WORLD, INC., NEW YORK V ArS) ' Copyright © 1965 by Ruth Fuller Sasaki All rights reserved First edition Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 65-19104 Printed in Japan CONTENTS f Foreword . PART ONE The History of the Koan in Rinzai (Un-chi) Zen by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Koan in Chinese Zen. 3 II. The Koan in Japanese Zen. 17 PART TWO Koan Study in Rinzai Zen by Isshu Miura Roshi, translated from the Japanese by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Four Vows. 35 II. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (i) . 37 vii 8S988 III. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (2) . 41 IV. The Hosshin and Kikan Koans. 46 V. The Gonsen Koans . 52 VI. The Nanto Koans. 57 VII. The Goi Koans. 62 VIII. The Commandments. 73 PART THREE Selections from A Zen Phrase Anthology translated by Ruth F. Sasaki. 79 Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku.123 Index.147 viii FOREWORD The First Zen Institute of America, founded in New York City in 1930 by the late Sasaki Sokei-an Roshi for the purpose of instructing American students of Zen in the traditional manner, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary on February 15, 1955. To commemorate that event it invited Miura Isshu Roshi of the Koon-ji, a monastery belonging to the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen and situated not far from Tokyo, to come to New York and give a series of talks at the Institute on the subject of koan study, the study which is basic for monks and laymen in traditional, transmitted Rinzai Zen.
    [Show full text]
  • A Beginner's Guide to Meditation
    ABOUT THE BOOK As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Judy Lief, and many others. Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more. ROD MEADE SPERRY is an editor and writer for the Shambhala Sun magazine. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Meditation Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers Edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2014 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2014 by Shambhala Sun Cover art: André Slob Cover design: Liza Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • To Transmit Dogen Zenji's Dharma
    http://www.stanford.edu/group/scbs/Dogen/Dogen_Zen_papers/%20Otani. html [03.10.03] To Transmit Dogen Zenji's Dharma Otani Tetsuo Introduction It is my pleasure to address the distinguished guests who have gathered today at Stanford University to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of Dogen Zenji. In my talk today, I will discuss the topic of "Dharma transmission," first by reflecting on Dogen Zenji's interpretation of the idea. Second, I will examine the so-called "lineage- restoration" movement (shuto fukko) of the early modern period which had the issue of Dharma transmission at its core. And finally, I will conclude with a reflection on the significance of receiving and transmitting the Dharma today. I. Dogen Zenji's Dharma Transmission and Buddha Dharma While practicing in the assembly of Musai Ryoha at Tendozan Monastery right after he went to China at the age of 24, Dogen initially had an interest in the genealogy document (shisho), a certificate authenticating the transmission of the Dharma. Dogen was clearly moved when he actually had opportunities to see "transmission documents" (shisho) and wrote about it in the "Shisho" chapter of his Shobogenzo. In this chapter, he recorded a total of five occasions when he was able to look at a "transmission document" including that of Musai Ryoha. Let us look at these five ocassions in historical sequence: 1] The fall of 1223 when he traveled to China, he was introduced to Den (a monk who was in charge of the temple library), a Dharma descendent of Butsugen Sei'on of the Rinzai Yogi lineage.
    [Show full text]
  • The Koan : Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism
    Introduction Koan Tradition: Self-Narrative an d Contemporary Perspective s STEVEN HEINE AND DALE S. WRIGHT Aims The term koa n (C . kung-an, literall y "public cases" ) refer s t o enigmati c an d often shockin g spiritual expressions based o n dialogica l encounters between masters and disciples that were used as pedagogical tools for religious training in th e Ze n (C . Ch'an) Buddhist tradition . Thi s innovative practic e i s one of the best-known and most distinctive elements of Zen Buddhism. Originating in T'ang/Sung China, the use of koans spread t o Vietnam, Korea, an d Japa n and now attracts international attention. What is unique about the koan is the way i n whic h i t i s thought t o embod y th e enlightenmen t experienc e o f th e Buddha an d Ze n masters through a n unbroken lin e of succession. Th e koan was conceived as both the tool by which enlightenment is brought abou t an d an expression of the enlightened mind itself. Koans ar e generally appreciate d today as pithy, epigrammatic, elusiv e utterances that see m to hav e a psycho- therapeutic effec t i n liberatin g practitioner s fro m bondag e t o ignorance , a s well a s fo r th e wa y they ar e containe d i n th e complex , multilevele d literary form o f koan collectio n commentaries . Perhap s n o dimensio n o f Asian reli - gions has attracted s o much interest and attention i n the West, from psycho - logical interpretations and comparative mystical theology to appropriations i n beat poetry and deconstractive literary criticism.
    [Show full text]
  • Zen Masters at Play and on Play: a Take on Koans and Koan Practice
    ZEN MASTERS AT PLAY AND ON PLAY: A TAKE ON KOANS AND KOAN PRACTICE A thesis submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Brian Peshek August, 2009 Thesis written by Brian Peshek B.Music, University of Cincinnati, 1994 M.A., Kent State University, 2009 Approved by Jeffrey Wattles, Advisor David Odell-Scott, Chair, Department of Philosophy John R.D. Stalvey, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv Chapter 1. Introduction and the Question “What is Play?” 1 Chapter 2. The Koan Tradition and Koan Training 14 Chapter 3. Zen Masters At Play in the Koan Tradition 21 Chapter 4. Zen Doctrine 36 Chapter 5. Zen Masters On Play 45 Note on the Layout of Appendixes 79 APPENDIX 1. Seventy-fourth Koan of the Blue Cliff Record: 80 “Jinniu’s Rice Pail” APPENDIX 2. Ninty-third Koan of the Blue Cliff Record: 85 “Daguang Does a Dance” BIBLIOGRAPHY 89 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are times in one’s life when it is appropriate to make one’s gratitude explicit. Sometimes this task is made difficult not by lack of gratitude nor lack of reason for it. Rather, we are occasionally fortunate enough to have more gratitude than words can contain. Such is the case when I consider the contributions of my advisor, Jeffrey Wattles, who went far beyond his obligations in the preparation of this document. From the beginning, his nurturing presence has fueled the process of exploration, allowing me to follow my truth, rather than persuading me to support his.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Live Performance in the Gongan Commentary Of
    The Role of Live Performance in the Gongan Commentary of the Blue Cliff Record: Reflections on John McRae’s Remarks about a Seminal Chan Buddhist Text Steven Heine Florida International University MCRAE’S REMARKS ON THE TEXT It is widely acknowledged that the Blue Cliff Record 碧巖錄 (Ch. Biyanlu, Jpn. Hekiganroku), a collection in which Yuanwu Keqin (1063–1135) provides various kinds of prose remarks regarding one hundred cases that were originally selected and given poetic comments by Xuedou Chongxian (980–1052), is the seminal Chan Buddhist gongan/kōan 公案 commentary. The text’s innovative discursive structure in relation to its fun- damental religious message concerning the spontaneous yet funda- mentally ambiguous or uncertain quality of Chan enlightenment was a highlight of Song dynasty Chinese cultural and intellectual histori- cal trends. The Blue Cliff Record has long been celebrated for its use of intricate and articulate interpretative devices as the masterpiece or “premier work of the Chan school” 禪門第一書 (or 宗門第一書) that has greatly influenced the development of the tradition for nearly a thousand years since its original publication in 1128. As instrumental and influential as it is regarded, however, theBlue Cliff Record has been shrouded in contention in regard to the value of its approach to the role of language evoked in pursuit of awakening, and it is also clouded by controversy because of legends often accepted uncritically that obscure the origins and significance of the text. This collection is probably best known today for having apparently been destroyed in 1140 by Dahui, Yuanwu’s main disciple yet harshest critic; it is confirmed the collection was left out of circulation before being re- vived and partially reconstructed in the early 1300s.
    [Show full text]
  • Dogen Zenji Goroku Record of Sayings of Zen Master Dogen
    Dogen Zenji Goroku Record of Sayings of Zen Master Dogen Introduction Zen is traditionally called “a separate transmission outside doctrine, pointing directly to the human mind to see its essential nature and realize enlightenment.” The distinction between experience and doctrine is emphasize in the Lankavatara sutra, a scripture associated with the founding of Zen in China, which says that Buddhism is not a set of doctrines, but doctrines are expedients of Buddhism, like specific remedies for particular ailments. The essential nature of mind, the central initiatory experience of Zen, refers to the mind untrammeled by acquired mental habits, opinions, and prejudices ingrained by personal history and cultural conditioning. A classic illustration of this likens mind and essential nature to ice and water; the ice represents mind “frozen” into habitual patterns of thought and feeling molded by circumstances, water represents the original fluid nature of the essence of awareness. The initial disentanglement and awakening of pristine awareness is followed by what is called “nurturing the sacred embryo,” maturing the ability to remain unfettered while mastering deliberate use of mind, so that one becomes “free to go or stay,” able to “let go or hold fast,” to “go against the current or go along,” adapting to conditions independently. Zen arose in China (where it is pronounced Chan) several centuries after the introduction of Buddhist scriptures from India and Central Asia, but Zen lore envisions its “special transmission outside doctrine” continuing from the time of the historical Buddha a thousand years before its introduction to China. Zen was likewise established in Japan as an independent movement hundreds of years after the introduction of the scriptural Buddhist teachings from Korea and China.
    [Show full text]