Iaido dude Posted March 7 Report Posted March 7 (edited) These are two works by a Chinese Obaku monk named Nanyuan Xingpai (Nangen Shoha, 1631-1692) and a Japanese Rinzai monk named Kogetsu Sogan. Nangen's brushwork is in late Ming style partial cursive/running script. Kogetsu's is in standard script. I would guess not difficult to translate, but I can only make out certain characters and can't quite put it together. Thanks for your help. Nangen Shoha Edited March 7 by Iaido dude Quote
xiayang Posted March 9 Report Posted March 9 On 3/8/2026 at 8:01 AM, Iaido dude said: Kogetsu Sogan's Mu 無 – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(negative) 學人轉身處 會麼口取 – (This appears to be some sort of Zen phrase. I'm afraid I am not familiar enough with the mysteries of Zen Buddhism to attempt a meaningful translation.) 欠伸子書 = written by Kenshinshi (one of Kōgetsu Sōgan's pseudonyms) 1 Quote
Iaido dude Posted March 9 Author Report Posted March 9 (edited) This is wonderful and quite profound, Jan. The phrase is what we call a "capping phrase," which is employed by a master to challenge the student in the coarse of koan training. In the Zen context 學人 (Xueren) means a student or practitioner who seeks enlightenment; it is a common way for monks to refer to themselves when asking a master a question. Similarly, 轉身處 (Zhuanshen Chu) is literally a "place of turning the body," but is a crucial Zen concept referring to the point of spiritual transformation or turning point. It is the metaphorical place where a practitioner "turns around" from delusion to enlightenment, or the pivot point in a koan where one must make a leap in understanding. 會麼 (Hui Me) is a common Ch'an expression meaning "Do you understand?" or "Can you grasp it?" Putting it all together, the master intones: 學人轉身處. 會麼口取 "Here is the point where you must turn from ignorance to enlightenment. Do you understand? Now, express that understanding directly, right now!" Ch'an master Dayi, when asked "What is the student's place of turning?" he replied, "In the streets and alleys" (meaning it is everywhere, in everyday life). Right here. Right now. The master is not asking for a philosophical explanation of what "turning" means. Instead, the master is pointing to the present moment and demanding that the student manifest their enlightenment through a word, an action, or a gesture. The "mouth" (口) can be the instrument for that immediate, living expression of truth. However, the moment of breaking through a koan is an experience that occurs before language is formed. It is in fact ineffable. An idea about enlightenment is not enlightenment. Maybe this capping phrase is intended to specifically instruct on how to approach Joshu's Mu koan (無 no, nothing, not one thing), the famous and notoriously difficult-to-penetrate Case #1 of the Mumonkon (The Gateless Gate) koan collection: A monk once Master Joshu, "Has a dog the Buddha Nature or not?" Joshu said "Mu!" When a student responds, the master will know it is a breakthrough if it embodies a deep, personal, and immediate experience that is ultimately transformative. A teacher may ask if what the student has experienced has changed some other aspects of his life. This is because enlightenment is expressed through action (i.e. it is inacted). Does it enhance your capacity for compassion towards family, friends, co-workers, the dog, or the environment? Is your relationship to the world fundamentally altered? Edited March 10 by Iaido dude 3 Quote
Iaido dude Posted March 10 Author Report Posted March 10 This work sold for $800 on Yahoo Japan. Kogetsu’s work is highly sought after. 1 Quote
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