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禪關策進

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Encouragement Through the Chan Barrier

Senses:

  • Changuan cejin. Two volumes (T 2024). Compiled by Yunqi Zhuhong 雲棲袾宏 (1535–1615), and published in 1600. A collection of excerpts of sermons and encounter records of Zen masters. The purpose of the text is to encourage diligent practice of Chan, and especially gong'an 公案 meditation. The text is comprised of two parts. The first part contains 39 chapters of teachings by famous Chan patriarchs, including Huangbo Xiyun 黃檗希運 (d. 850), Zhaozhou Congshen 趙州從諗 (d. 897), Xuansha 玄沙 (d. 908), and others. The second part contains 24 chapters of stories and anecdotes from the Chan records 語錄. Although the text valorizes phrase-observing meditation 看話禪 over silent illumination meditation 默照禪, it also reflects the widespread tendency in Ming China 明代 (1368–1644) to synthesize Chan 禪宗 and Pure Land 淨土宗 teaching, as it incorporates the practice of nianfo 念佛 alongside gong'an practice.

    The text had great influence on later developments of Buddhism in China and Japan. Most notably this text is said to have influenced the famous Japanese Rinzai 臨濟宗 master Hakuin Ekaku 白隱慧鶴 (1686–1769); who is said to have treasured the text and constantly relied on it to stimulate his Zen practice. The text was first published in Japan in 1762 by Hakuinʼs disciple Tōrei Enji 東嶺圓慈 (1721–1792), who also wrote an epilogue for this edition.

    [Chinese Buddhist Canonical Attributions Database]

    [Erez Joskovich; source(s): ZGD, Ui, Inagaki, Yokoi, Sasaki]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Chūgoku bukkyōshi jiten (Kamata) 195

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 646

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 676c

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 434

    Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 841

    Zen Dust (Sasaki) 341

    Fo Guang Dictionary 6482

    Ding Fubao {Digital Version}

    Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono) ⑥391c*

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)2952a

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1057-3

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2014-01-24

    Updated: 2018-10-13