Yuanwu Keqin

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Yuanwu Keqin bigraphy, stories - Chinese writer

Yuanwu Keqin : biography

1063 – 1135

Yuanwu Keqin ( Japanese: Engo Kokugon) (1063–1135) was a Chinese Chán Buddhist monk who compiled the Blue Cliff Record (Wade–Giles: Pi-yen Lu; Japanese: Hekiganroku).

Sources

Biography

Yuanwu Keqin was born into the Lo family of P’eng-chou, Szechuan, in 1063. His family was well-educated in Confucianism, a sign of acquaintance with the Chinese civil service. Nevertheless, Yuanwu Keqin choose a Buddhist career and entered Miao-chi monastery. He ended his formal studies under Wu-tsu Fa-yen (10247-1104) when he was in his forties.

Yuanwu Keqin was closely involved in the literati circles.

Blue Cliff Record

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

Starting from the year 1112 on, Yuan-wu started to lecture on the Pai-tse sung-ku ("One Hundred Old Cases and Verses [to the Cases]"), compiled by Xuedou Zhongxian (Wade–Giles: Hsueh-tou Chung-hsien; Japanese: Setcho Juken) (980–1052). These lectures resulted in the Pi-yen lu, the "Blue Cliff Record".

The Blue Cliff Record gives clear instructions about the correct approach to Ch’an kung-an. Yuan-wu went as far as to annotate the poems line by line, to make clear the correct reading of Hsueh-tou’s appended verses, which are complex, because of the rich use of symbolism, and the allusions to Chinese secular literature and to Ch’an history.

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.