Tao Te Ching
Yuanwu Keqin 圜悟克勤
(Yuánwù Kèqín)
1063 – 1135 CE
Author of the most famous Zen book, The Blue Cliff Record, Yuanwu became a renowned spokesperson for the non-thought lineages teaching a broad, open approach to religion beyond sectarianism, dogma, emotion and ritual that he saw as enemies to true understanding and realization. He left his Confucian family for a Buddhist monastery at a time when Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism were mingling and rejuvenating each other. His influence helped the spreading of this powerful force throughout the country and culture.
Eras
Chinese
5 Kingdom of Dali 大理国 (937 – 1253 CE)Northern Song (960 – 1127 CE)
Southern Song (1127 – 1279 CE)
Liao dynasty (907 – 1125 CE)
Jin dynasty (1115 – 1234 CE)
Western Xia 西夏 (1038 – 1227 CE)
Western Liao (1124 – 1218 CE)
Sources
Blue Cliff Record, Biyan lu 碧巖錄
Unlisted Sources
Quotes by Yuanwu Keqin (17 quotes)
“If you start seeking, you are unable to see… As soon as you seek, it is like grasping at shadows.”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
10. The Power of Goodness
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“The heat of a candle flame can’t compete with the heat of the sun… When you grasp this, then all things will be your teacher.”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
34. An Unmoored Boat
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“The treasury of teachings of the whole age cannot explain it thoroughly.”
from Blue Cliff Record, Biyan lu 碧巖錄
Chapters:
14. Finding and Following the Formless Form
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“Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha.”
from Blue Cliff Record, Biyan lu 碧巖錄
Chapters:
44. Fame and Fortune
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“The present perception is the Truth, but the Truth is beyond this perception.”
from Zen Letters
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“Only if you can forget the words and embody the meaning will you (have)... the ability to kill people's false selves and conditioned perceptions”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
48. Unlearning
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“things themselves are the true self and the true self itself is things”
from Zen Letters
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“If where you stand is reality, then your actions have power... it is there, pure and naked and full of life.”
from Zen Letters
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“All those who would communicate the message of the source must be able to kill a person's false personality without blinking an eye”
from Zen Letters
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“What is important is to respect the root and extend it to the branches... Those who realize transcendence pass through words and phrases and make them come to life.”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
64. Ordinary Mind
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“the Path is right where you stand... why would you need to search the pages for someone else's dead words?”
from Zen Letters
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“When there is continuous awareness from mind-moment to mind-moment you will naturally meet the Source on all sides.”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
6. The Source
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“Once you discover the original, inherently complete and real mind, no matter what situation you meet, you will understand completely.”
from Zen Letters
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“experience the absence of conditioned mind and observe that all phenomena are like dreams… enter into the uncontrived, uncluttered ocean of true nature.”
from Zen Letters
Chapters:
7. Lose Yourself, Gain Your Soul
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“Intellectually brilliant but shallow… they increase the thorns of arbitrary opinion as they show off their ability and understanding… a great pity!”
from Zen Letters
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“Here is the unsophisticated Self—your original face. Here is the landscape of your birthplace—bare and beautiful.”
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