The Blue-Cliff Record

A once-in-a-generation translation of the definitive Ch'an (Zen) koan collection from preeminent translator David Hinton. nThe Blue-Cliff Record, a twelfth-century collection of Zen koans, is a treasure of world religious literature. Like any such text, it operates at several levels: it is a remarkable example of classical Chinese literature and poetry, a philosophical text of profound power, and an active practice guide in use by Ch'an and Zen Buddhists all over the world. n nIn this innovative rendering, renowned translator David Hinton pares the Chinese original down to its earliest and most essential version--the sangha-cases (koans) and brief poetic responses (or gathas, meaning a Buddhist sutra-poem) compiled by the great master Snow-Chute Mountain (Hsüeh Tou, 980-1052). In doing so, he brings the reader closer to the Taoist cosmological framework that lays at the foundation of the entire Ch'an tradition--revealing a whole new understanding of this seminal text. n nIn these one hundred classic koans, beginners will discover a strange, funny, and provocative world of quixotic exchanges and penetrating insights, and longtime koan practitioners will find themselves challenged anew by Hinton's masterful translations.n