A collection of koans from ancient China features Zen stories, commentaries, and verses from the teachings of the Zen masters, compiled in the twelfth century and considered an essential study manual for the students of Zen. Reprint. The Blue Cliff Record is a translation of the Pi Yen Lu , a collection of one hundred famous Zen koans accompanied by commentaries and verses from the teachings of Chinese Zen masters. Compiled in the twelfth century, it is considered one of the great treasures of Zen literature and an essential study manual for students of Zen. Foreword xi Taizan Maezumi Roshi Preface xv Introduction xvii Guide to Chinese Pronunciation xxxi Original Preface to the Blue Cliff Record xxxiii The Blue Cliff Record The Highest Meaning of the Holy Truths 1(9) The Ultimate Path is Without Difficulty 10(8) Master Ma Is Unwell 18(4) Te Shan Carrying His Bundle 22(9) Hsueh Feng's Grain of Rice 31(6) Yun Men's Every Day is a Good Day 37(9) Hui Ch'ao Asks about Buddha 46(7) Ts'ui Yen's Eyebrows 53(6) Chao Chou's Four Gates 59(7) Mu Chou's Thieving Phoney 66(6) Huang Po's Gobblers of Dregs 72(9) Tung Shan's Three Pounds of Hemp 81(7) Pa Ling's Snow in a Silver Bowl 88(6) Yun Men's Appropriate Statement 94(4) Yun Men's Upside-Down Statement 98(6) Ching Ch'ing's Man in the Weeds 104(6) Hsiang Lin's Meaning of the Coming from the West 110(5) National Teacher Chung's Seamless Monument 115(8) Chu Ti's One-Finger Ch'an 123(6) Lung Ya's Meaning of the Coming from the West 129(10) Chih Men's Lotus Flower, Lotus Leaves 139(5) Hsueh Feng's Turtle-Nosed Snake 144(10) Pao Fu's Summit of the Mystic Peak 154(5) Kuei Shan and Iron Grindstone Liu 159(5) The Hermit of Lotus Flower Peak Holds up His Staff 164(8) Pai Chang's Sitting Alone on Ta Hsiung Mountain 172(4) Yun Men's The Body Exposed, The Golden Wind 176(5) Nan Ch'uan's Truth That's Never Been Spoken 181(6) Ta Sui's It Goes Along with It 187(4) Chao Chou's Big Turnips 191(3) Ma Ku Carrying his Ring-Staff 194(8) Elder Ting Stands Motionless 202(4) Ministry President Ch'en Sees Tzu Fu 206(5) Yang Shan Asks ``Where Have You Come From?'' 211(5) The Dialogue of Manjusri and Wu Cho 216(5) Ch'ang Sha Wandering in the Mountains 221(5) P'an Shan's There Is Nothing in the World 226(5) Feng Hsueh's Workings of the Iron Ox 231(9) Yun Men's Flowering Hedge 240(4) Nan Ch'uan's It's like a Dream 244(5) Chao Chou's Man Who Has Died the Great Death 249(4) Layman P'ang's Good Snowflakes 253(5) Tung Shan's No Cold or Heat 258(6) Ho Shan's Knowing How to Beat the Drum 264(6) Chao Chou's Seven-Pound Cloth Shirt 270(5) Ching Ch'ing's Sound of Raindrops 275(4) Yun Men's Six Do Not Take It In 279(5) Turning Over the Tea Kettle at Chao Ch'ing 284(6) San Sheng's Golden Fish Who Has Passed through the Net 290(4) Yun Men's Every Atom Samadhi 294(3) Hsueh Feng's What Is It? 297(8) Chao Chou Lets Asses Cross, Lets Horses Cross 305(4) Pai Chang's Wild Ducks 309(5) Yun Men Extends Both Hands 314(3) Tao Wu's Condolence Call 317(7) Ch'in Shan's One Arrowpoint Smashes Three Barriers 324(6) Chao Chou's Stupid Oaf 330(4) Chao Chou Can't Explain 334(3) Chao Chou's Why Not Quote It Fully? 337(4) Yun Men's Staff Changes into a Dragon 341(6) Feng Hsueh's One Atom of Dust 347(5) Yun Men's Within There Is a Jewel 352(6) Nan Ch'uan Kills a Cat 358(3) Nan Ch'uan Questions Chao Chou 361(3) An Outsider Questions the Buddha 364(7) Yen T'ou's Getting Huang Ch'ao's Sword 371(5) Mahasattva Fu Expounds the Scripture 376(5) Yang Shan's What's Your Name? 381(5) Nan Ch'uan's Circle 386(5) Kuei Shan Attends on Pai Chang 391(4) Wu Feng's Shut Up, Teacher 395(3) Pai Chang Questions Yun Yen 398(3) Ma Tsu's Permutations of Assertion and Denial 401(7) Chin Niu's Rice Pail 408(4) Wu Chiu's Unjust Beating 412(6) Tan Hsia's Have You Eaten Yet? 418(6) Yun Men's Cake 424(4) Sixteen Bodhisattvas Go In to Bathe 428(4) T'ou Tzu's All Sounds 432(5) Chao Chou's Newborn Baby 437(6) Yao Shan's Shooting the Elk of Elks 443(6) Ta Lung's Hard and Fast Body of Reality 449(5) Yun Men's Ancient Buddhas and the Pillar 454(5) Vimalakirti's Gate of Nonduality 459(7) The Hermit of T'ung Feng Makes a Tiger's Roar 466(6) Yun Men's Kitchen Pantry and Main Gate 472(5) Medicine and Disease Subdue Each Other 477(5) Hsuan Sha's Guiding and Aiding Living Beings 482(7) The Hands and Eyes of the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion 489(7) Chih Men's Body of Wisdom 496(5) Yen Kuan's Rhinoceros 501(5) The World Honored One Ascends the Seat 506(4) Ta Kuang Does a Dance 510(4) The Surangama Scripture's Not Seeing 514(5) Ch'ang Ch'ing's Three Poisons 519(6) Chao Chou's Three Turning Words 525(7) The Diamond Cutter Scripture's Scornful Revilement 532(7) T'ien P'ing's Travels on Foot 539(7) Su Tsung's Ten-Body Controller 546(8) Pa Ling's Blown Hair Sword 554(5) Biographical Supplement 559(75) Traditional Teaching Devices 634(8) Select Glossary of Names and Terms 642(5) Bibliography 647