The Book of Serenity One Hundred Zen Dialogues

by CLEARY, THOMAS

• ISBN13: 9781590302491
• ISBN10: 1590302494
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-22
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

Book of Serenity is a translation of Shoyo Roku, a collection of one hundred Zen koans with commentaries that stands as a companion to the other great Chinese koan collection, the Blue Cliff Record (Pi Yen Lu). A classic of Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism, Book of Serenity has been skillfully rendered into English by the renowned translator Thomas Cleary. Compiled in China in the twelfth century, the Book of Serenity is, in the words of Zen teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson, "an auspicious peak in the mountain range of Zen literature, a subtle flowing stream in the deep valleys of our teaching, a treasure house of inspiration and guidance in studying the ocean of Buddhist teachings." Each one of its one hundred chapters begins with an introduction, along with a main case, or koan, taken from Zen lore or Buddhist scripture. This is followed by commentary on the main case, verses inspired by it, and, finally, further commentary on all of these. The book contains a glossary of Zen/Chan terms and metaphors.

Author Biography

Thomas Cleary holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.

Table of Contents

TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION	ix
A Note on the Translation	xxxix
CASE 1 The World Honored One Ascends the Seat	3	(3)
CASE 2 Bodhidharma's "Emptiness"	6	(5)
CASE 3 The Invitation of the Patriarch to Eastern India	11	(6)
CASE 4 The World Honored One Points to the Ground	17	(3)
CASE 5 Qingyuan and the Price of Rice	20	(3)
CASE 6 Mazu's "White and Black"	23	(5)
CASE 7 Yaoshan Ascends the Seat	28	(4)
CASE 8 Baizhang's "Fox"	32	(5)
CASE 9 Nanquan Kills a Cat	37	(5)
CASE 10 The Woman of Taishan	42	(4)
CASE 11 Yunmen's "Two Sicknesses"	46	(5)
CASE 12 Dizang Planting the Fields	51	(5)
CASE 13 Linji's "Blind Ass"	56	(4)
CASE 14 Attendant Huo Passes Tea	60	(3)
CASE 15 Yangshan Plants His Hoe	63	(3)
CASE 16 Magu Shakes His Staff	66	(6)
CASE 17 Fayan's "Hairsbreadth"	72	(4)
CASE 18 Zhaozhou's "Dog"	76	(5)
CASE 19 Yunmen's "Sumeru"	81	(5)
CASE 20 Dizang's "Nearness"	86	(5)
CASE 21 Yunyan Sweeps the Ground	91	(4)
CASE 22 Yantou's "Bow and Shout"	95	(5)
CASE 23 Luzu Faces the Wall	100	(4)
CASE 24 Xuefeng's "Look out for the Snake"	104	(4)
CASE 25 Yanguan's "Rhinoceros Fan"	108	(4)
CASE 26 Yangshan Points to Snow	112	(4)
CASE 27 Fayan Points to a Blind	116	(4)
CASE 28 Huguo's "Three Embarrassments"	120	(5)
CASE 29 Fengxue's "Iron Ox"	125	(6)
CASE 30 Dasui's "Aeonic Fire"	131	(6)
CASE 31 Yunmen's "Pillars"	137	(3)
CASE 32 Yangshan's "Mind and Environment"	140	(7)
CASE 33 Sansheng's "Golden Fish"	147	(4)
CASE 34 Fengxue's "Single Atom"	151	(3)
CASE 35 Luopu's Acquiescence	154	(6)
CASE 36 Master Ma Is Unwell	160	(3)
CASE 37 Guishan's "Active Consciousness"	163	(4)
CASE 38 Linji's "True Man"	167	(4)
CASE 39 Zhaozhou's "Wash your Bowl"	171	(2)
CASE 40 Yunmen, Houbai, and Houhei	173	(3)
CASE 41 Luopu About to Die	176	(4)
CASE 42 Nanyang's "Water Pitcher"	180	(3)
CASE 43 Luoshan's "Arising and Vanishing"	183	(4)
CASE 44 Xingyang's "Garuda"	187	(4)
CASE 45 Four Sections of the Enlightenment Scripture	191	(3)
CASE 46 Deshan's "Completion of Study"	194	(3)
CASE 47 Zhaozhou's "Cypress Tree"	197	(4)
CASE 48 Vimalakirti's "Nonduality"	201	(5)
CASE 49 Dongshan Presents Offerings Before the Image	206	(4)
CASE 50 Xuefeng's "What?"	210	(5)
CASE 51 Fayan's "Boat or Land"	215	(4)
CASE 52 Caoshan's "Reality Body"	219	(4)
CASE 53 Huangbo's "Dreg Slurpers"	223	(6)
CASE 54 Yunyan's "Great Compassion"	229	(4)
CASE 55 Xuefeng, the Rice Cook	233	(4)
CASE 56 Spiritual Uncle Mi and the Rabbit	237	(4)
CASE 57 Yanyang's "Thing"	241	(3)
CASE 58 The Diamond Scripture's "Revilement"	244	(4)
CASE 59 Qinglin's "Dead Snake"	248	(5)
CASE 60 Iron Grinder, the Cow	253	(2)
CASE 61 Jianfeng's "One"	255	(4)
CASE 62 Mi Hu's "Enlightenment or Not?"	259	(5)
CASE 63 Zhaozhou Asks About Death	264	(4)
CASE 64 Zizhao's Succession	268	(5)
CASE 65 Shoushan's "New Bride"	273	(3)
CASE 66 Jiufeng's "Head and Tail"	276	(5)
CASE 67 The Flower Ornament Scripture's "Wisdom"	281	(5)
CASE 68 Jiashan "Swinging the Sword"	286	(4)
CASE 69 Nanquan's "Cows"	290	(5)
CASE 70 Jinshan Asks About Nature	295	(4)
CASE 71 Cuiyan's Eyebrows	299	(4)
CASE 72 Zhongyi's "Monkey"	303	(4)
CASE 73 Caoshan's Fulfillment of Filial Piety	307	(4)
CASE 74 Fayan's "Substance and Name"	311	(5)
CASE 75 Ruiyan's "Constant Principle"	316	(3)
CASE 76 Shoushan's Three Phrases	319	(5)
CASE 77 Yangshan's "Enough"	324	(8)
CASE 78 Yunmen's "Sesame Cake"	332	(3)
CASE 79 Changsha Advancing a Step	335	(5)
CASE 80 Longya Passes the Brace	340	(6)
CASE 81 Xuansha Comes to the District	346	(4)
CASE 82 Yunmen's Sound and Form	350	(2)
CASE 83 Daowu Tends the Sick	352	(4)
CASE 84 Judi's "One Finger"	356	(5)
CASE 85 The Appearance of the National Teacher's Monument	361	(6)
CASE 86 Linji's Great Enlightment	367	(5)
CASE 87 Sushan's "Existence and Nonexistence"	372	(5)
CASE 88 The Surangama's "Not Seeing"	377	(5)
CASE 89 Dongshan's "No Grass"	382	(3)
CASE 90 Yangshan's Declaration	385	(5)
CASE 91 Nanquan's "Peony"	390	(4)
CASE 92 Yunmen's "Jewel"	394	(4)
CASE 93 Luzu's Not Understanding	398	(4)
CASE 94 Dongshan is Unwell	402	(6)
CASE 95 Linji's One Stroke	408	(4)
CASE 96 Jiufeng's Disagreement	412	(5)
CASE 97 Emperor Tongguang's Hat	417	(5)
CASE 98 Dongshan's "Always Close"	422	(3)
CASE 99 Yunmen's "Bowl and Bucket"	425	(3)
CASE 100 Langya's "Mountains and Rivers"	428	(3)
NOTES	431	(15)
GLOSSARY	446