Like cats and dogs : contesting the mu koan in Zen Buddhism
Koan buddhalaisuus buddhism filosofi filosofia tekstit texter tomhet tyhjyys zenbuddhalaisuus zenbuddhism e-böcker
Oxford University Press
2014
EISBN 9780199369577
More cats than dogs? : a tale of two versions.
Would a dog lick a pot of hot oil? : reconstructing the Ur version.
Fightin' like cats and dogs : methodological reflections on deconstructing the emphatic Mu.
Cats and cows know that it is : textual and historical deconstructions of the Ur version.
Dogs may chase, but lions tear apart : reconstructing the dual version of the "Moo" koan.
When is a dog not really a dog? : or, Yes! we have no Buddha-nature.
"Koans are dialogues that stand at the center of Zen Buddhist literature and are often used to provoke the "great doubt" in testing a trainee's progress. The Mu Koan consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks Master Zhaozhou whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature. According to the main version, the reply is "Mu": literally, "No," but implying the philosophical notion of nothingness. This case is widely considered to be the single best- known and most widely circulated koan record of the Zen school that offers existential release from anxiety to attain spiritual illumination. In a careful analysis of the historical and rhetorical basis of the literature, Steven Heine demonstrates that the Mu version of the case, preferred by advocates of the key-phrase approach, does not by any means constitute the final word concerning the meaning and significance of the Mu Koan. He shows that another canonical version, which gives both "Yes" and "No" responses, must be taken into account. Like Cats and Dogs offers critical insight and a new theoretical perspective on "the koan of koans.".
Publisher website. A koan is a narrative or dialogue used to provoke the "great doubt" and test a student's progress in Zen practice. The Mu Koan consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks master Zhaozhou Congshen whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature. The reply is Mu: literally, "No." This case is widely considered to be the single best known and most widely circulated and transmitted koan record of the Zen school of Buddhism. The Mu Koan is especially well known for the intense personal experiences it offers those seeking an existential transformation from anxiety to spiritual illumination. Steven Heine demonstrates that the Gateless Gate version, preferred by Dahui and so many other key-phrase advocates, does not by any means constitute the final word concerning the meaning and significance of the Mu Koan. Another impact version has been the Dual Version, which is the "Yes-No" rendition to the Mu Koan. Like Cats and Dogs offers critical insight and a new historical perspective on "the koan of koans."
Would a dog lick a pot of hot oil? : reconstructing the Ur version.
Fightin' like cats and dogs : methodological reflections on deconstructing the emphatic Mu.
Cats and cows know that it is : textual and historical deconstructions of the Ur version.
Dogs may chase, but lions tear apart : reconstructing the dual version of the "Moo" koan.
When is a dog not really a dog? : or, Yes! we have no Buddha-nature.
"Koans are dialogues that stand at the center of Zen Buddhist literature and are often used to provoke the "great doubt" in testing a trainee's progress. The Mu Koan consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks Master Zhaozhou whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature. According to the main version, the reply is "Mu": literally, "No," but implying the philosophical notion of nothingness. This case is widely considered to be the single best- known and most widely circulated koan record of the Zen school that offers existential release from anxiety to attain spiritual illumination. In a careful analysis of the historical and rhetorical basis of the literature, Steven Heine demonstrates that the Mu version of the case, preferred by advocates of the key-phrase approach, does not by any means constitute the final word concerning the meaning and significance of the Mu Koan. He shows that another canonical version, which gives both "Yes" and "No" responses, must be taken into account. Like Cats and Dogs offers critical insight and a new theoretical perspective on "the koan of koans.".
Publisher website. A koan is a narrative or dialogue used to provoke the "great doubt" and test a student's progress in Zen practice. The Mu Koan consists of a brief conversation in which a monk asks master Zhaozhou Congshen whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature. The reply is Mu: literally, "No." This case is widely considered to be the single best known and most widely circulated and transmitted koan record of the Zen school of Buddhism. The Mu Koan is especially well known for the intense personal experiences it offers those seeking an existential transformation from anxiety to spiritual illumination. Steven Heine demonstrates that the Gateless Gate version, preferred by Dahui and so many other key-phrase advocates, does not by any means constitute the final word concerning the meaning and significance of the Mu Koan. Another impact version has been the Dual Version, which is the "Yes-No" rendition to the Mu Koan. Like Cats and Dogs offers critical insight and a new historical perspective on "the koan of koans."
