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Yuanwu Keqin was born into the Le family of Pengzhou, Sichuan, in 1063. His family was well educated in Confucianism, a sign of acquaintance with the Chinese civil service. Nevertheless, Yuanwu Keqin choose a Buddhist monastic path and entered Miaoji Monastery (Chinese: 妙寂禪院; pinyin: Miàojì Chányuàn,a Buddhist monastery in Pengzhou. He ended his formal studies under Wuzu Fayan (1047-1104) when he was in his forties. Yuanwu Keqin was closely involved in the literati circles.
Starting from the year 1112 on, Yuan-wu started to lecture on the One Hundred Old Cases and Verses compiled by Xuedou Zhongxian (980–1052). These lectures resulted in the Blue Cliff Record.
The Blue Cliff Record gives clear instructions about the correct approach to kōan. Yuanwu went as far as to annotate the poems line by line to make clear the correct reading of Xuedou's appended verses, which are complex, because of the rich use of symbolism and the allusions to Chinese secular literature and to Chan 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.
Cleary, J. C.; Cleary, Thomas (1994), Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu, Shambhala Publications
Hsieh, Ding-Hwa Evely (Summer 1994), "Yuan-wu K'o-ch'in's (1063-1135) Teaching of Ch'an Kung-an Practice: A Transition from the Literary Study of Ch'an Kung-an to the Practical K'an-hua Ch'an", Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 17 (1){{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
Schlütter, Morten (2008), How Zen became Zen. The Dispute over Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-3508-8
Further reading
Cleary, Thomas & Cleary, J.C. (1977) The Blue Cliff Record, Shambhala Publications, ISBN978-0-87773-622-6
Cleary, J. C.; Cleary, Thomas (1994), Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu, Shambhala Publications, ISBN978-1570627033
Cleary, Thomas (2000) Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record: Zen comments by Hakuin and Tenkei, Shambhala ISBN1-57062-738-X
