Yuanwu Keqin

Yuanwu Keqin
School Chan Buddhism
Personal
Nationality Han Chinese
Born 1063
China
Died 1135
Senior posting
Title monk
Successor Dahui Zonggao

Yuanwu Keqin (Chinese: 圜悟克勤; pinyin: Yuánwù Kèqín; Wade–Giles: Yuan-wu K'e-ch'in; Japanese: Engo Kokugon) (1063–1135) was a Han Chinese Chan monk who compiled the Blue Cliff Record.[1]

Biography

Yuanwu Keqin was born into the Le family of Pengzhou, Sichuan, in 1063. His family was well educated in Confucianism, a sign of acquaintance with the Chinese civil service.[2] Nevertheless, Yuanwu Keqin choose a Buddhist career and entered Miaoji Monastery (Chinese: 妙濟禪院; pinyin: Miàojì Chányuàn. He ended his formal studies under Wuzu Fayan (1047-1104) when he was in his forties.[2] Yuanwu Keqin was closely involved in the literati circles.[3]

Blue Cliff Record

Main article: Blue Cliff Record

Yuanwu Keqin belonged to the Linji school. He was the teacher of Dahui Zonggao, who introduced the Hua Tou practice.[4]

Starting from the year 1112 on, Yuan-wu started to lecture on the One Hundred Old Cases and Verses [to the Cases][5] compiled by Xuedou Zhongxian (980–1052). These lectures resulted in the Blue Cliff Record.[6][1]

The Blue Cliff Record gives clear instructions about the correct approach to kōan. Yuanwu went as far as to annotate the poems line by line[7] to make clear the correct reading of Xuedou's appended verses,[6] which are complex, because of the rich use of symbolism and the allusions to Chinese secular literature and to Chan history.[7]

According to the Chán-tradition, the Blue Cliff Record gained such a popularity, that Dahui Zonggao burned all the copies he could lay hands on, and the wooden printing blocks.[4]

References

Sources

  • Cleary, J. C.; Cleary, Thomas (1994), Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu, Shambhala Publications 
  • Hsieh, Ding-Hwa Evely (1994), "Yuan-wu K'o-ch'in's (1063-1135) Teaching of Ch'an Kung-an Practice: A Transition from the Literary Study of Ch'an Kung-an to the Practical K'an-hua Ch'an", Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. Volume 17, Number 1, Summer 1994 
  • Schlütter, Morten (2008), How Zen became Zen. The Dispute over Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, ISBN 978-0-8248-3508-8 

Further reading


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.