The Blue Cliff Record is one of the most widely translated Zen texts in the world. Nearly every Zen school who's practice involves koan work uses this books kong an's. The Blue Cliff Record contains 100 koans, 12 of which are of Zen Master Joshu's creation. One of the most famous Zen Masters in history was Won Oh Sunim. One day he received an interesting book, a collection of one hundred Zen stories, with commentaries which were like the legs of a snake. To inspire Zen students he decided to add his own comments to each case. That's how the Blue Cliff Record was born. His number one disciple was Dae Hae Sunim. He was famous for spreading the "Mu" disease throughout China. When he read the Blue Cliff Record he burned it, because by this time the snake legs even had socks on! Unfortunately, somebody already had made a copy of it and the whole collection was passed down through the generations to us. In Kwan Um Zen we emphasize kong-an practice. Sometimes, when we are going to have an interview, we feel like we're taking an exam or even entering an execution site. But actually this is a resurrection time. A time when teacher and student have a job to do: to bring the "dead words" of an old saying back to life. When we read a kong-an in the interview room we might start to think of an answer: "What should I say?" This is only making the situation deader. Zen Master Lin Chi called that kind of person a "third-class student who cannot even save himself." Other times we might be like Hyang Eom Sunim when he left Wi Sahn. We completely put it down. We give up any hope or desire of giving an answer. Without checking anything, we hit the floor [hits] and become clear. Then, at that moment, inside the "dead words" we perceive the "live word," the heart of the kong-an. We can then experience how our clear mind can function without any effort or expectation. Outside the interview room we are surprised: "Wow, what was that?" But back on our cushion we start to think again. It's like being a "second-class student," a person who has experienced a taste of being clear. The "first-class student" is one who, facing the kong-an, not only has a clear answer right away, but this experience becomes part of his life. This is attaining the kong-an. Anytime, in any situation, he can "just do it." When I look back at why I was told to drink "Joshu's tea" so many times, it's only because I wasn't always sincere during my interviews. Do stories like "Hyang Eom's up a tree" have something to do with my life? That kind of checking mind is the very "dead word" itself. "Good" or "bad" answers don't matter. What matters is an experience that can be used in our everyday life. Dae Hae read the Blue Cliff Record and with disgust burned it. Are the flames which burned the Diamond Sutra, Hyang Eom's books and the Blue Cliff Record same or different? The candle is white, the flame is yellow. I do hope you enjoy this site:) hapchang!
