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101 Zen Stories of Paul Reps
Paul Reps -
This book includes four books:
101 Zen Stones was first published in 1919 by Rider
and Company, London, and David McKay Company,
Philadelphia.
These stories recount actual experiences of Chinese
and Japanese Zen teachers over a period of more than
five centuries.
The Gateless Gate was first published in 1934 by
John Murray, Los Angeles. It is a collection of
problems, called koan
that Zen teachers use in guiding their students
toward release, first recorded by a Chinese master
in the year 1228.
10 Bulls was first published in 1935 by DeVorss and
Company, Los Angeles, and subsequently by Ralph R.
Phillips,
Portland, Oregon.
It is a translation from the
Chinese of a famous twelfth century commentary upon
the stages of
awareness leading to enlightenment and is here
illustrated by one of Japan’s best contemporary
woodblock artists.
Centreing, a transcription of ancient Sanskrit
manuscripts, first appeared in the Spring 1955 issue
of Gentry magazine,
New York. It presents in ancient teaching, still
alive in Kashmir and parts of India after more than
four thousand years
that may well be the roots of Zen.
Thanks are due the publishers named above for
permission to gather the material together here. And
most of all am I
grateful to Nyogen Senzaki, 'homeless monk’
exemplar-friend collaborator, who so delighted with
me in transcribing the
first three books, even as that prescient man of
Kashmir, Lakshmanjoo, did on the fourth.
The first Zen patriarch Bodhidharma brought Zen to
China from India in the sixth century. According to
his biography
recorded in the year 1004 by the Chinese teacher
Dogen after nine years in China Bodhidharma wished
to go home and
gathered his disciples about him to test their
apperception.
Dofuku said: 'In my opinion truth is beyond
affirmation or negation, for this is the way it
moves.’
Bodhidharma replied: ‘You have my skin.’
The nun Soji said: ‘In my view, it is like Ananda’s
sight of the Buddha-land – seen once and for ever.’
Bodhidharma answered: ‘You have my flesh.’
Dofuku said: ‘The four elements of light, airiness,
fluidity, and solidity are empty (i.e. inclusive)
and the five skandas are
No-things. In my opinion,
No-thing (i.e. spirit) is reality.’
Bodhidharma commented: 'You have my bones'
Finally Eka bowed before the master - and remained
silent.
Bodhidharma said: 'you have my marrow.’
Old Zen was so fresh it became treasured and
remembered. Here are fragments of its skin flesh
bones but not its marrow
– never found in words.
The directness of Zen has led many to believe it
stemmed from sources before the time of Buddha, 500
BC. The reader
may judge for himself, for he has here for the first
time in one book the experiences of Zen, the mind
problems, the stages
of awareness and a similar teaching predating Zen by
centuries.
The problem of our mind, relating conscious to
preconscious awareness takes us deep into everyday
living. Dare we open
our doors to the source of am being? What are flesh
and bones for?
PAUL REPS
101 ZEN STORIES
Transcribed by Nyogen Senzaki and Paul Reps
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