Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195135862
- eISBN:
- 9780199834297
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195135865.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Opening a Mountain is a translation with a commentary of 60 koan cases that feature an important supernatural or ritual element selected from a variety of the major and minor Zen ...
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Opening a Mountain is a translation with a commentary of 60 koan cases that feature an important supernatural or ritual element selected from a variety of the major and minor Zen Buddhist koan collections compiled in Sung China and Kamakura Japan. The koan is a brief, enigmatic anecdote or dialog between two contesting parties that defines the heart. The book demonstrates that the main theme underlying much of the koan literature deals with how Zen masters opened or transformed mountains. The transforming of spiritual forces that had been closing off the mountains into manifestations of sacred space in Zen was referred to as kuai‐shan in Chinese (or kaizan in Japanese). The mountains harbored spirits, demons, and bodhisattvas, as well as hermits, recluses, ascetics, and other irregular practitioners, and were opened using the symbols and rituals of spiritual purification. In contrast with conventional interpretations that view koans as psychological exercises with a purely iconoclastic intention, the approach here highlights the rich component of mythological and marvelous elements that pervade this genre of literature in a way that complements, rather than contradicts, the demythological or iconoclastic perspective. This approach to interpreting Zen literature is distinctive and innovative in several respects. Opening a Mountain includes the selection of koan cases emphasizing supernatural symbols, such as mountains, animals, and other natural imagery, based on a scholarly standard of translation and citation of source materials. The main topics include “Surveying Mountain Landscapes,” “Contesting with Irregular Rivals,” “Encountering Supernatural Forces,” “Wielding Symbols of Authority,” and “Giving Life and Controlling Death as Confessional Experiences.”Less
Opening a Mountain is a translation with a commentary of 60 koan cases that feature an important supernatural or ritual element selected from a variety of the major and minor Zen Buddhist koan collections compiled in Sung China and Kamakura Japan. The koan is a brief, enigmatic anecdote or dialog between two contesting parties that defines the heart. The book demonstrates that the main theme underlying much of the koan literature deals with how Zen masters opened or transformed mountains. The transforming of spiritual forces that had been closing off the mountains into manifestations of sacred space in Zen was referred to as kuai‐shan in Chinese (or kaizan in Japanese). The mountains harbored spirits, demons, and bodhisattvas, as well as hermits, recluses, ascetics, and other irregular practitioners, and were opened using the symbols and rituals of spiritual purification. In contrast with conventional interpretations that view koans as psychological exercises with a purely iconoclastic intention, the approach here highlights the rich component of mythological and marvelous elements that pervade this genre of literature in a way that complements, rather than contradicts, the demythological or iconoclastic perspective. This approach to interpreting Zen literature is distinctive and innovative in several respects. Opening a Mountain includes the selection of koan cases emphasizing supernatural symbols, such as mountains, animals, and other natural imagery, based on a scholarly standard of translation and citation of source materials. The main topics include “Surveying Mountain Landscapes,” “Contesting with Irregular Rivals,” “Encountering Supernatural Forces,” “Wielding Symbols of Authority,” and “Giving Life and Controlling Death as Confessional Experiences.”
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195326772
- eISBN:
- 9780199870363
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326772.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The first issue discussed in Chapter Two is ineffability versus speech, which concerns the role of language and discourse in a tradition that has produced voluminous texts despite an emphasis on ...
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The first issue discussed in Chapter Two is ineffability versus speech, which concerns the role of language and discourse in a tradition that has produced voluminous texts despite an emphasis on being a special transmission without reliance on words and letters. This chapter considers the question of whether Zen literature is primarily used as a heuristic device, as claimed by the traditional view, or represents some kind of gibberish, as charged by critical Buddhism's harshest skeptics, by comparing the wordplay and allusions in Zen commentaries to the “nonsense” writing in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and the free‐floating surrealism of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland. By focusing on several specific kōan case records, the chapter argues that Zen literature is the product of carefully constructed narratives. The narratives are not nonsense in the conventional use of the term, but show the role of bizarre or outrageous personal interactions between masters and disciples that establish the value of radical anti‐structural behavior within the otherwise conservative setting of monastic institutional structure.Less
The first issue discussed in Chapter Two is ineffability versus speech, which concerns the role of language and discourse in a tradition that has produced voluminous texts despite an emphasis on being a special transmission without reliance on words and letters. This chapter considers the question of whether Zen literature is primarily used as a heuristic device, as claimed by the traditional view, or represents some kind of gibberish, as charged by critical Buddhism's harshest skeptics, by comparing the wordplay and allusions in Zen commentaries to the “nonsense” writing in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and the free‐floating surrealism of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland. By focusing on several specific kōan case records, the chapter argues that Zen literature is the product of carefully constructed narratives. The narratives are not nonsense in the conventional use of the term, but show the role of bizarre or outrageous personal interactions between masters and disciples that establish the value of radical anti‐structural behavior within the otherwise conservative setting of monastic institutional structure.
G. Victor Sōgen Hori
Dale S. Wright (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195175257
- eISBN:
- 9780199784608
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195175255.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Zen phrase books include books of proverbs or wise sayings, handbooks compiled by early Zen monks as aids to composing Chinese poetry, dictionaries of Chinese dialect or colloquial language, and ...
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Zen phrase books include books of proverbs or wise sayings, handbooks compiled by early Zen monks as aids to composing Chinese poetry, dictionaries of Chinese dialect or colloquial language, and guidebooks for reading tea ceremony scrolls. In a narrower sense, the Zen phrase book is the handbook that Japanese Rinzai Zen monks use for the “capping phrase” exercise in the Zen kōan practice. This chapter describes two classic and three modern Zen Phrase Books. The classic ones are Kuzōshi by Tōyō Eichō Zenji and Zenrin Kushūi by Ijōshi. The new collections are: Zudokko Kushō, compiled by Fujita Genro, Shinsan Zengoshō, complied by Tsuchiya Etsudō, and Kunchō Zenrin Kushū, edited and revised by Shibayama Zenkei Roshi. The chapter closes with some reflections on two broader questions: How can Zen, supposedly “not founded on words and letters” have a capping phrase practice? And what are the origins of the capping phrase exercise and how did it get incorporated into Zen meditation practice.Less
Zen phrase books include books of proverbs or wise sayings, handbooks compiled by early Zen monks as aids to composing Chinese poetry, dictionaries of Chinese dialect or colloquial language, and guidebooks for reading tea ceremony scrolls. In a narrower sense, the Zen phrase book is the handbook that Japanese Rinzai Zen monks use for the “capping phrase” exercise in the Zen kōan practice. This chapter describes two classic and three modern Zen Phrase Books. The classic ones are Kuzōshi by Tōyō Eichō Zenji and Zenrin Kushūi by Ijōshi. The new collections are: Zudokko Kushō, compiled by Fujita Genro, Shinsan Zengoshō, complied by Tsuchiya Etsudō, and Kunchō Zenrin Kushū, edited and revised by Shibayama Zenkei Roshi. The chapter closes with some reflections on two broader questions: How can Zen, supposedly “not founded on words and letters” have a capping phrase practice? And what are the origins of the capping phrase exercise and how did it get incorporated into Zen meditation practice.
Ishii Shūdō and Albert Welter
Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195150674
- eISBN:
- 9780199784615
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195150678.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter examines the Wu-men kuan, one of the most widely read Zen texts in the canon. This text offers 48 kung-an or koan cases that have been significant in Zen practice since the late Sung. ...
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This chapter examines the Wu-men kuan, one of the most widely read Zen texts in the canon. This text offers 48 kung-an or koan cases that have been significant in Zen practice since the late Sung. Ishii’s essay seeks to trace the development of this text and its genre to the Tsung-men t’ung-yao chi and other earlier Zen sources. The essay seeks to understand why this text was favored so prominently in Japan, and how its structural features relate to the context of Sung dynasty Chan textual history.Less
This chapter examines the Wu-men kuan, one of the most widely read Zen texts in the canon. This text offers 48 kung-an or koan cases that have been significant in Zen practice since the late Sung. Ishii’s essay seeks to trace the development of this text and its genre to the Tsung-men t’ung-yao chi and other earlier Zen sources. The essay seeks to understand why this text was favored so prominently in Japan, and how its structural features relate to the context of Sung dynasty Chan textual history.
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195135862
- eISBN:
- 9780199834297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195135865.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This section concerns the experiences of the supranormal realm of dreams, visions, and apparitions, in addition to meetings with spirits, gods, demons, and bodhisattvas. It also treats strange, ...
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This section concerns the experiences of the supranormal realm of dreams, visions, and apparitions, in addition to meetings with spirits, gods, demons, and bodhisattvas. It also treats strange, anomalous, or magical entities like the snake and fox, which have the power to shift shape into human form in order to deceive or to bless. Zen masters apply some form of purification to transform the energy of the shape‐shifting spirits.Less
This section concerns the experiences of the supranormal realm of dreams, visions, and apparitions, in addition to meetings with spirits, gods, demons, and bodhisattvas. It also treats strange, anomalous, or magical entities like the snake and fox, which have the power to shift shape into human form in order to deceive or to bless. Zen masters apply some form of purification to transform the energy of the shape‐shifting spirits.
Steven Heine (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199324859
- eISBN:
- 9780190218690
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199324859.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This volume explores diverse aspects of the life and teachings of Zen master Dōgen (1200–1253), the founder of the Sōtō Zen sect (or Sōtōshū) in early Kamakura-era Japan. In addition chapters examine ...
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This volume explores diverse aspects of the life and teachings of Zen master Dōgen (1200–1253), the founder of the Sōtō Zen sect (or Sōtōshū) in early Kamakura-era Japan. In addition chapters examine the ritual and institutional history of the Sōtō school, such as the role of Eiheiji monastery, established by Dōgen, as well as various kinds of rites and precepts performed there and at other temples during various periods of history. All of the contributors to this volume studied at or maintain strong scholarly connections with Komazawa University, known as the Sōtōshū Daigaku until the name was officially changed in 1925. Koma-dai, as it is also referred, houses the largest faculty of Buddhist studies in Japan that focuses its research on both the thought and institutional development of Dōgen and Sōtō Zen, along with numerous additional topics in the history of Buddhist studies.Less
This volume explores diverse aspects of the life and teachings of Zen master Dōgen (1200–1253), the founder of the Sōtō Zen sect (or Sōtōshū) in early Kamakura-era Japan. In addition chapters examine the ritual and institutional history of the Sōtō school, such as the role of Eiheiji monastery, established by Dōgen, as well as various kinds of rites and precepts performed there and at other temples during various periods of history. All of the contributors to this volume studied at or maintain strong scholarly connections with Komazawa University, known as the Sōtōshū Daigaku until the name was officially changed in 1925. Koma-dai, as it is also referred, houses the largest faculty of Buddhist studies in Japan that focuses its research on both the thought and institutional development of Dōgen and Sōtō Zen, along with numerous additional topics in the history of Buddhist studies.
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780190637491
- eISBN:
- 9780190637538
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190637491.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This work provides a survey and critical investigation of the remarkable century from 1225 to 1325, during which the transformation of the Chinese Chan school into the Japanese Zen sect was ...
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This work provides a survey and critical investigation of the remarkable century from 1225 to 1325, during which the transformation of the Chinese Chan school into the Japanese Zen sect was successfully completed. The cycle of transfer began with a handful of Japanese pilgrims traveling to China, including Eisai, Dōgen, and Enni, in order to discover authentic Buddhism. They quickly learned that Chan, with the strong support of the secular elite, was well organized in terms of the intricate teaching techniques of various temple lineages. After receiving Dharma transmission through face-to-face meetings with prominent Chinese teachers, the Japanese monks returned with many spiritual resources. However, foreign rituals and customs met with resistance, so by the end of the thirteenth century it was difficult to imagine the success Zen would soon achieve. Following the arrival of a series of émigré monks, who gained the strong support of the shoguns for their continental teachings, Zen became the mainstream religious tradition in Japan. The transmission culminated in the 1320s when prominent leaders Daitō and Musō learned enough Chinese to overcome challenges from other sects with their Zen methods. The book examines the transcultural conundrum: how did Zen, which started half a millennium earlier as a mystical utopian cult primarily for reclusive monks who withdrew from society, gain a broad following among influential lay followers in both countries? It answers this question by developing a focus on the main mythical elements that contributed to the overall effectiveness of this transition, especially the Legend of Living Buddhas.Less
This work provides a survey and critical investigation of the remarkable century from 1225 to 1325, during which the transformation of the Chinese Chan school into the Japanese Zen sect was successfully completed. The cycle of transfer began with a handful of Japanese pilgrims traveling to China, including Eisai, Dōgen, and Enni, in order to discover authentic Buddhism. They quickly learned that Chan, with the strong support of the secular elite, was well organized in terms of the intricate teaching techniques of various temple lineages. After receiving Dharma transmission through face-to-face meetings with prominent Chinese teachers, the Japanese monks returned with many spiritual resources. However, foreign rituals and customs met with resistance, so by the end of the thirteenth century it was difficult to imagine the success Zen would soon achieve. Following the arrival of a series of émigré monks, who gained the strong support of the shoguns for their continental teachings, Zen became the mainstream religious tradition in Japan. The transmission culminated in the 1320s when prominent leaders Daitō and Musō learned enough Chinese to overcome challenges from other sects with their Zen methods. The book examines the transcultural conundrum: how did Zen, which started half a millennium earlier as a mystical utopian cult primarily for reclusive monks who withdrew from society, gain a broad following among influential lay followers in both countries? It answers this question by developing a focus on the main mythical elements that contributed to the overall effectiveness of this transition, especially the Legend of Living Buddhas.
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199837281
- eISBN:
- 9780199369577
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199837281.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The Mu Kōan 無公案 (or Wu Gongan in its original Chinese pronunciation) consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks master Zhaozhou Congshen whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature, and the ...
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The Mu Kōan 無公案 (or Wu Gongan in its original Chinese pronunciation) consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks master Zhaozhou Congshen whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature, and the reply is Mu (Ch. Wu), literally “No.” This case, the first kōan in the Gateless Gate, is surely the single best-known and most widely circulated and transmitted kōan record of the Zen (Ch. Chan, Kr. Seon) school of Buddhism. It is recognized as “the kōan of kōans,” according to Japanese authority Akizuki Ryūmin, or as the first and foremost example among thousands of cases. In the other major version in the Record of Serenity and additional collections, however, there are both “Yes” (Ch. You, Jp. U) and “No” replies extended by Zhaozhou with a follow-up question-and-answer in each instance. This results in a total of four mini-dialogues that frequently lead to multilayered interlinear commentaries expressing a view of ambiguity and relativism. A primary area of significance of this study is to explain and come to terms with the basis and implications of longstanding sectarian disputes derived from situating the two different versions in terms of underlying areas of cohesion between feuding sectarian factions. Ideological discrepancies exist but perhaps in different ways than what is presented in stereotypical depictions of the case derived from the self-presentation of only one of the parties engaged in debate.Less
The Mu Kōan 無公案 (or Wu Gongan in its original Chinese pronunciation) consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks master Zhaozhou Congshen whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature, and the reply is Mu (Ch. Wu), literally “No.” This case, the first kōan in the Gateless Gate, is surely the single best-known and most widely circulated and transmitted kōan record of the Zen (Ch. Chan, Kr. Seon) school of Buddhism. It is recognized as “the kōan of kōans,” according to Japanese authority Akizuki Ryūmin, or as the first and foremost example among thousands of cases. In the other major version in the Record of Serenity and additional collections, however, there are both “Yes” (Ch. You, Jp. U) and “No” replies extended by Zhaozhou with a follow-up question-and-answer in each instance. This results in a total of four mini-dialogues that frequently lead to multilayered interlinear commentaries expressing a view of ambiguity and relativism. A primary area of significance of this study is to explain and come to terms with the basis and implications of longstanding sectarian disputes derived from situating the two different versions in terms of underlying areas of cohesion between feuding sectarian factions. Ideological discrepancies exist but perhaps in different ways than what is presented in stereotypical depictions of the case derived from the self-presentation of only one of the parties engaged in debate.
Ishii Shūdō and Albert Welter
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199754465
- eISBN:
- 9780199932801
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199754465.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter explores the relationship between Dōgen's thought and that of leading Song Chan thinkers of the Caodong (Sōtō) and Linji (Rinzai) lineages, particularly the intense rivalry between the ...
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This chapter explores the relationship between Dōgen's thought and that of leading Song Chan thinkers of the Caodong (Sōtō) and Linji (Rinzai) lineages, particularly the intense rivalry between the approaches of “silent illumination” and “introspecting the kōan.”. When considering the concept of silent illumination, Chan refers to the Chan style of Hongzhi, a fellow disciple with Zhenxie of Danxia and a member of the same Caodong order as Dōgen's teacher, Rujing. Although not necessarily aligning himself with this view, it is clear that the style Dōgen disagreed with most strongly was introspecting the kōan Zen, represented by the illustrious Linji master Dahui (1089–1163), whom Dōgen both praised and excoriated in various writings. The chapter addresses the following questions that are critical to Dōgen studies: What kind of attributes characterized the paths of silent illumination and introspecting-the-kōan during the Song Dynasty? What connection does Dōgen Zen, which resulted from his importation of Song Chan to Kamakura Japan, have with the various Song schools and approaches? In short, it considers the characteristics of Dōgen Zen against the currents of Chinese Chan history and ideology in order to understand and explicates the influences Dōgen received, as well as the unique features of religious practice he formulated and promulgated.Less
This chapter explores the relationship between Dōgen's thought and that of leading Song Chan thinkers of the Caodong (Sōtō) and Linji (Rinzai) lineages, particularly the intense rivalry between the approaches of “silent illumination” and “introspecting the kōan.”. When considering the concept of silent illumination, Chan refers to the Chan style of Hongzhi, a fellow disciple with Zhenxie of Danxia and a member of the same Caodong order as Dōgen's teacher, Rujing. Although not necessarily aligning himself with this view, it is clear that the style Dōgen disagreed with most strongly was introspecting the kōan Zen, represented by the illustrious Linji master Dahui (1089–1163), whom Dōgen both praised and excoriated in various writings. The chapter addresses the following questions that are critical to Dōgen studies: What kind of attributes characterized the paths of silent illumination and introspecting-the-kōan during the Song Dynasty? What connection does Dōgen Zen, which resulted from his importation of Song Chan to Kamakura Japan, have with the various Song schools and approaches? In short, it considers the characteristics of Dōgen Zen against the currents of Chinese Chan history and ideology in order to understand and explicates the influences Dōgen received, as well as the unique features of religious practice he formulated and promulgated.
Graham Zanker (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780856688836
- eISBN:
- 9781800342705
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780856688836.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Poetry and Poets: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter focuses on the fourth Mimiamb, in which Herodas give hints of the scene as the Koan Asklêpieion, and constructs a precise picture of women's movements within the precincts of the ...
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This chapter focuses on the fourth Mimiamb, in which Herodas give hints of the scene as the Koan Asklêpieion, and constructs a precise picture of women's movements within the precincts of the early-third century temple. It looks at the kind of supplementation that is quite characteristic of Hellenistic poetry and art. It also locates Herodas's poem in a known Asklêpieion that could help his contemporary Hellenistic audiences fill in the gaps in their mental images of the works of art that the women see and react to in the precincts. The chapter looks into the knowledge of the art-holdings of the temple that would help visualise the works of art to which the women refer without actually giving a description. It envisages the first 26 lines of Mimiamb 4, which describes the women facing the altar of Asklêpios and Hygieia.Less
This chapter focuses on the fourth Mimiamb, in which Herodas give hints of the scene as the Koan Asklêpieion, and constructs a precise picture of women's movements within the precincts of the early-third century temple. It looks at the kind of supplementation that is quite characteristic of Hellenistic poetry and art. It also locates Herodas's poem in a known Asklêpieion that could help his contemporary Hellenistic audiences fill in the gaps in their mental images of the works of art that the women see and react to in the precincts. The chapter looks into the knowledge of the art-holdings of the temple that would help visualise the works of art to which the women refer without actually giving a description. It envisages the first 26 lines of Mimiamb 4, which describes the women facing the altar of Asklêpios and Hygieia.
Yasuo Deguchi, Jay L. Garfield, Graham Priest, and Robert H. Sharf
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197526187
- eISBN:
- 9780197526217
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197526187.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Paradox drives a good deal of philosophy in every tradition. In the Indian and Western traditions, there is a tendency among many (but not all) philosophers to run from contradiction and paradox. If ...
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Paradox drives a good deal of philosophy in every tradition. In the Indian and Western traditions, there is a tendency among many (but not all) philosophers to run from contradiction and paradox. If and when a contradiction appears in a theory, it is regarded as a sure sign that something has gone amiss. This aversion to paradox commits them, knowingly or not, to the view that reality must be consistent. In East Asia, however, philosophers have reacted to paradox differently. Many East Asian philosophers—both in the Daoist and the Buddhist traditions—have openly embraced paradox. They have taken compelling arguments for contradictory positions to suggest that the world is—at least in some respects, and often in very deep respects—inconsistent, and that our best theories of the world will therefore be inconsistent. This book is an initial survey of the writings of some influential East Asian thinkers who were committed to paradox, and for good reason. Their acceptance of contradiction allowed them to develop important insights that evaded those who consider paradox out of bounds.Less
Paradox drives a good deal of philosophy in every tradition. In the Indian and Western traditions, there is a tendency among many (but not all) philosophers to run from contradiction and paradox. If and when a contradiction appears in a theory, it is regarded as a sure sign that something has gone amiss. This aversion to paradox commits them, knowingly or not, to the view that reality must be consistent. In East Asia, however, philosophers have reacted to paradox differently. Many East Asian philosophers—both in the Daoist and the Buddhist traditions—have openly embraced paradox. They have taken compelling arguments for contradictory positions to suggest that the world is—at least in some respects, and often in very deep respects—inconsistent, and that our best theories of the world will therefore be inconsistent. This book is an initial survey of the writings of some influential East Asian thinkers who were committed to paradox, and for good reason. Their acceptance of contradiction allowed them to develop important insights that evaded those who consider paradox out of bounds.
Edith Wyschogrod
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823226061
- eISBN:
- 9780823235148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823226061.003.0025
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
The inclusion of an autobiographical element extrinsic to the fictional text is particularly vexing in both Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet, since their lives pose serious ...
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The inclusion of an autobiographical element extrinsic to the fictional text is particularly vexing in both Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet, since their lives pose serious moral questions for a reader forced to rub her nose in such matters as Genet's thefts and equivocal conduct during the Nazi occupation of France and Mishima's postwar creation of a Fascistic private army, as well as his ritual suicide. This chapter focuses on the sacrificial immolation of a cat in Genet's Funeral Rites and the killing of a cat in the Zen koan “Nansen Kills a Cat” in Mishima's Temple of the Golden Pavilion. The episodes highlight the importance in both texts of the link between sacred immolation and the theme of beauty. Although the cat killing is an entering wedge into each work's account of negative transcendence, each incident is expanded in terms of widely divergent strategies. Genet's work fastens on totemic cannibalism in such a way that the text itself acquires liturgical force. Mishima, by contrast, uses a traditional Zen koan to propound a nihilistic aesthetic.Less
The inclusion of an autobiographical element extrinsic to the fictional text is particularly vexing in both Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet, since their lives pose serious moral questions for a reader forced to rub her nose in such matters as Genet's thefts and equivocal conduct during the Nazi occupation of France and Mishima's postwar creation of a Fascistic private army, as well as his ritual suicide. This chapter focuses on the sacrificial immolation of a cat in Genet's Funeral Rites and the killing of a cat in the Zen koan “Nansen Kills a Cat” in Mishima's Temple of the Golden Pavilion. The episodes highlight the importance in both texts of the link between sacred immolation and the theme of beauty. Although the cat killing is an entering wedge into each work's account of negative transcendence, each incident is expanded in terms of widely divergent strategies. Genet's work fastens on totemic cannibalism in such a way that the text itself acquires liturgical force. Mishima, by contrast, uses a traditional Zen koan to propound a nihilistic aesthetic.
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804754897
- eISBN:
- 9780804779494
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804754897.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter introduces seven practitioners of Western-style medicine who played important roles in the introduction of Jennerian vaccination to Japan: Hino Teisai, Itō Genboku, Ōtsuki Shunsai, Satō ...
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This chapter introduces seven practitioners of Western-style medicine who played important roles in the introduction of Jennerian vaccination to Japan: Hino Teisai, Itō Genboku, Ōtsuki Shunsai, Satō Taizen, Ogata Kōan, Kuwata Ryūsai, and Kasahara Hakuō. These men were newcomers to medicine who relied on well-established Japanese social practices—personal referrals, adult adoptions, and marriage alliances—to build successful careers in Western-style medicine. The chapter assesses the available and generally accepted information pertaining to the lives of these physicians, and reconstructs and integrates the contexts in which they acted with respect to the reception and transmission of vaccination in Japan.Less
This chapter introduces seven practitioners of Western-style medicine who played important roles in the introduction of Jennerian vaccination to Japan: Hino Teisai, Itō Genboku, Ōtsuki Shunsai, Satō Taizen, Ogata Kōan, Kuwata Ryūsai, and Kasahara Hakuō. These men were newcomers to medicine who relied on well-established Japanese social practices—personal referrals, adult adoptions, and marriage alliances—to build successful careers in Western-style medicine. The chapter assesses the available and generally accepted information pertaining to the lives of these physicians, and reconstructs and integrates the contexts in which they acted with respect to the reception and transmission of vaccination in Japan.
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520269194
- eISBN:
- 9780520959613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269194.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
In this classic essay, D. T. Suzuki sets forth his views on the crucial importance of satori (awakening) as the crucial experience in Rinzai Zen and in Buddhism more generally. Suzuki’s perspective ...
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In this classic essay, D. T. Suzuki sets forth his views on the crucial importance of satori (awakening) as the crucial experience in Rinzai Zen and in Buddhism more generally. Suzuki’s perspective helped shape twentieth-century Buddhism around the world.Less
In this classic essay, D. T. Suzuki sets forth his views on the crucial importance of satori (awakening) as the crucial experience in Rinzai Zen and in Buddhism more generally. Suzuki’s perspective helped shape twentieth-century Buddhism around the world.
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520269194
- eISBN:
- 9780520959613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269194.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
In this essay, D. T. Suzuki examines a wide range of koan concerning the question, “Why did Bodhidharma come from the West.” Suzuki sees this question as central for understanding Zen Buddhism and ...
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In this essay, D. T. Suzuki examines a wide range of koan concerning the question, “Why did Bodhidharma come from the West.” Suzuki sees this question as central for understanding Zen Buddhism and presents his view on the way to approach Zen literature.Less
In this essay, D. T. Suzuki examines a wide range of koan concerning the question, “Why did Bodhidharma come from the West.” Suzuki sees this question as central for understanding Zen Buddhism and presents his view on the way to approach Zen literature.
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520269194
- eISBN:
- 9780520959613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269194.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
In this essay, translated from Japanese, D. T. Suzuki presents his evaluation of three pivotal figures in the history of Japanese Zen. The essay provides a valuable look at the approach to zazen ...
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In this essay, translated from Japanese, D. T. Suzuki presents his evaluation of three pivotal figures in the history of Japanese Zen. The essay provides a valuable look at the approach to zazen taken by Dōgen, Hakuin, and Bankei, while comparing their views of awakening. The essay also reveals much about Suzuki’s views concerning Japanese spirituality (reisei).Less
In this essay, translated from Japanese, D. T. Suzuki presents his evaluation of three pivotal figures in the history of Japanese Zen. The essay provides a valuable look at the approach to zazen taken by Dōgen, Hakuin, and Bankei, while comparing their views of awakening. The essay also reveals much about Suzuki’s views concerning Japanese spirituality (reisei).
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520269194
- eISBN:
- 9780520959613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269194.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
In this essay, D. T. Suzuki analyzes the koan from the Blue Cliff Record in which Unmon (Yunmen) states, “every day is a fine day.” This is one of the most extended analyses of a classic case from ...
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In this essay, D. T. Suzuki analyzes the koan from the Blue Cliff Record in which Unmon (Yunmen) states, “every day is a fine day.” This is one of the most extended analyses of a classic case from one of the major koan collections.Less
In this essay, D. T. Suzuki analyzes the koan from the Blue Cliff Record in which Unmon (Yunmen) states, “every day is a fine day.” This is one of the most extended analyses of a classic case from one of the major koan collections.
Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780520269194
- eISBN:
- 9780520959613
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520269194.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Presented at a conference on Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis held by Eric Fromm, in this essay, D. T. Suzuki interprets the nature of Rinzai Zen practice using the language of 1950s psychoanalysis ...
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Presented at a conference on Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis held by Eric Fromm, in this essay, D. T. Suzuki interprets the nature of Rinzai Zen practice using the language of 1950s psychoanalysis and points out the differences between Zen practice and psychoanalysis. Suzuki also uses the famous “Five Steps/Five Positions” (goi) to clarify the nature of awakening in Zen Buddhism.Less
Presented at a conference on Zen Buddhism and psychoanalysis held by Eric Fromm, in this essay, D. T. Suzuki interprets the nature of Rinzai Zen practice using the language of 1950s psychoanalysis and points out the differences between Zen practice and psychoanalysis. Suzuki also uses the famous “Five Steps/Five Positions” (goi) to clarify the nature of awakening in Zen Buddhism.
Morten Schlütter
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780824855680
- eISBN:
- 9780824873028
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824855680.003.0009
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This paper discusses the kànhuà technique developed by the Chinese Línjì (Jpn.: Rinzai) master Dàhuì Zōnggǎo (1089-1163) that became a widespread form of meditation in East Asian Zen. Kànhuà ...
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This paper discusses the kànhuà technique developed by the Chinese Línjì (Jpn.: Rinzai) master Dàhuì Zōnggǎo (1089-1163) that became a widespread form of meditation in East Asian Zen. Kànhuà meditation focuses on the keyword or “punch line” (Ch.: huàtóu, Jpn.: watō, Kor.: hwadu) of puzzling Chán “encounter dialogues” (or kōan stories) associated with past Chán (Zen) masters. Dàhuì insisted on a sudden breakthrough enlightenment and considered kànhuà meditation an alternative to a dead-end, no-enlightenment, seated meditation that he associated with the rival Cáodòng (Jpn.: Sōtō) tradition of Chán. The paper further explores four innovations in kànhuà meditation during the centuries after Dàhuì: the use of kànhuà meditation to calm the mind; a greater emphasis on doubt; the integration of Pure Land practice into the kànhuà technique; and the notion that the huàtóu could be called out aloud. However, in spite of such changes kànhuà Chán stayed close to Dàhuì’s vision.Less
This paper discusses the kànhuà technique developed by the Chinese Línjì (Jpn.: Rinzai) master Dàhuì Zōnggǎo (1089-1163) that became a widespread form of meditation in East Asian Zen. Kànhuà meditation focuses on the keyword or “punch line” (Ch.: huàtóu, Jpn.: watō, Kor.: hwadu) of puzzling Chán “encounter dialogues” (or kōan stories) associated with past Chán (Zen) masters. Dàhuì insisted on a sudden breakthrough enlightenment and considered kànhuà meditation an alternative to a dead-end, no-enlightenment, seated meditation that he associated with the rival Cáodòng (Jpn.: Sōtō) tradition of Chán. The paper further explores four innovations in kànhuà meditation during the centuries after Dàhuì: the use of kànhuà meditation to calm the mind; a greater emphasis on doubt; the integration of Pure Land practice into the kànhuà technique; and the notion that the huàtóu could be called out aloud. However, in spite of such changes kànhuà Chán stayed close to Dàhuì’s vision.
Steven Heine
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199324859
- eISBN:
- 9780190218690
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199324859.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
This chapter provides an examination of Dōgen’s considerable production of Chinese poems (kanshi) primarily contained in the last two fascicles of the ten-volume Eihei Kōroku, a compendium of his ...
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This chapter provides an examination of Dōgen’s considerable production of Chinese poems (kanshi) primarily contained in the last two fascicles of the ten-volume Eihei Kōroku, a compendium of his kanbun writings in prose and verse. Dōgen returned from China with an immense knowledge of and appreciation for the Chinese literary tradition and its multifarious expressions in various forms of Chan writings, including poetry, which he both emulated and transformed via engagement and integration with rhetorical styles of Japanese Buddhist literature and discourse. His ability to recall the details of particular passages while also challenging and changing their implications to suit his own conceptual needs is probably the main key to explaining the greatness of his two major writings, the vernacular Shōbōgenzō and the Eihei Kōroku in Sino-Japanese.Less
This chapter provides an examination of Dōgen’s considerable production of Chinese poems (kanshi) primarily contained in the last two fascicles of the ten-volume Eihei Kōroku, a compendium of his kanbun writings in prose and verse. Dōgen returned from China with an immense knowledge of and appreciation for the Chinese literary tradition and its multifarious expressions in various forms of Chan writings, including poetry, which he both emulated and transformed via engagement and integration with rhetorical styles of Japanese Buddhist literature and discourse. His ability to recall the details of particular passages while also challenging and changing their implications to suit his own conceptual needs is probably the main key to explaining the greatness of his two major writings, the vernacular Shōbōgenzō and the Eihei Kōroku in Sino-Japanese.
