Book of Serenity is a translation of Shoyo Roku, a collection of one hundred Zen koans with commentaries that stands as a companion to the other great Chinese koan collection, the Blue Cliff Record (Pi Yen Lu). A classic of Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism, Book of Serenity has been skillfully rendered into English by the renowned translator Thomas Cleary.
Compiled in China in the twelfth century, the Book of Serenity is, in the words of Zen teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson, "an auspicious peak in the mountain range of Zen literature, a subtle flowing stream in the deep valleys of our teaching, a treasure house of inspiration and guidance in studying the ocean of Buddhist teachings." Each one of its one hundred chapters begins with an introduction, along with a main case, or koan, taken from Zen lore or Buddhist scripture. This is followed by commentary on the main case, verses inspired by it, and, finally, further commentary on all of these. The book contains a glossary of Zen/Chan terms and metaphors.
| Translator's Introduction | ||
| A Note on the Translation | ||
| The World Honored One Ascends the Seat | 3 | |
| Bodhidharma's "Emptiness" | 6 | |
| The Invitation of the Patriarch to Eastern India | 11 | |
| The World Honored One Points to the Ground | 17 | |
| Qingyuan and the Price of Rice | 20 | |
| Mazu's "White and Black" | 23 | |
| Yaoshan Ascends the Seat | 28 | |
| Baizhang's "Fox" | 32 | |
| Nanquan Kills a Cat | 37 | |
| The Woman of Taishan | 42 | |
| Yunmen's "Two Sicknesses" | 46 | |
| Dizang Planting the Fields | 51 | |
| Linji's "Blind Ass" | 56 | |
| Attendant Huo Passes Tea | 60 | |
| Yangshan Plants His Hoe | 63 | |
| Magu Shakes His Staff | 66 | |
| Fayan's "Hairsbreadth" | 72 | |
| Zhaozhou's "Dog" | 76 | |
| Yunmen's "Sumeru" | 81 | |
| Dizang's "Nearness" | 86 | |
| Yunyan Sweeps the Ground | 91 | |
| Yantou's "Bow and Shout" | 95 | |
| Luzu Faces the Wall | 100 | |
| Xuefeng's "Look out for the Snake" | 104 | |
| Yanguan's "Rhinoceros Fan" | 108 | |
| Yangshan Points to Snow | 112 | |
| Fayan Points to a Blind | 116 | |
| Huguo's "Three Embarrassments" | 120 | |
| Fengxue's "Iron Ox" | 125 | |
| Dasui's "Aeonic Fire" | 131 | |
| Yunmen's "Pillars" | 137 | |
| Yangshan's "Mind and Environment" | 140 | |
| Sansheng's "Golden Fish" | 147 | |
| Fengxue's "Single Atom" | 151 | |
| Luopu's Acquiescence | 154 | |
| Master Ma Is Unwell | 160 | |
| Guishan's "Active Consciousness" | 163 | |
| Linji's "True Man" | 167 | |
| Zhaozhou's "Wash your Bowl" | 171 | |
| Yunmen, Houbai, and Houhei | 173 | |
| Luopu About to Die | 176 | |
| Nanyang's "Water Pitcher" | 180 | |
| Luoshan's "Arising and Vanishing" | 183 | |
| Xingyang's "Garuda" | 187 | |
| Four Sections of the Enlightenment Scripture | 191 | |
| Deshan's "Completion of Study" | 194 | |
| Zhaozhou's "Cypress Tree" | 197 | |
| Vimalakirti's "Nonduality" | 201 | |
| Dongshan Presents Offerings Before the Image | 206 | |
| Xuefeng's "What?" | 210 | |
| Fayan's "Boat or Land" | 215 | |
| Caoshan's "Reality Body" | 219 | |
| Huangbo's "Dreg Slurpers" | 223 | |
| Yunyan's "Great Compassion" | 229 | |
| Xuefeng, the Rice Cook | 233 | |
| Spiritual Uncle Mi and the Rabbit | 237 | |
| Yanyang's "Thing" | 241 | |
| The Diamond Scripture's "Revilement" | 244 | |
| Qinglin's "Dead Snake" | 248 | |
| Iron Grinder, the Cow | 253 | |
| Jianfeng's "One" | 255 | |
| Mi Hu's "Enlightenment or Not?" | 259 | |
| Zhaozhou Asks About Death | 264 | |
| Zizhao's Succession | 268 | |
| Shoushan's "New Bride" | 273 | |
| Jiufeng's "Head and Tail" | 276 | |
| The Flower Ornament Scripture's "Wisdom" | 281 | |
| Jiashan "Swinging the Sword" | 286 | |
| Nanquan's "Cows" | 290 | |
| Jinshan Asks About Nature | 295 | |
| Cuiyan's Eyebrows | 299 | |
| Zhongyi's "Monkey" | 303 | |
| Caoshan's Fulfillment of Filial Piety | 307 | |
| Fayan's "Substance and Name" | 311 | |
| Ruiyan's "Constant Principle" | 316 | |
| Shoushan's Three Phrases | 319 | |
| Yangshan's "Enough" | 324 | |
| Yunmen's "Sesame Cake" | 332 | |
| Changsha Advancing a Step | 335 | |
| Longyan Passes the Brace | 340 | |
| Xuansha Comes to the District | 346 | |
| Yunmen's Sound and Form | 350 | |
| Daowu Tends the Sick | 352 | |
| Judi's "One Finger" | 356 | |
| The Appearance of the National Teacher's Monument | 360 | |
| Linji's Great Enlightment | 367 | |
| Sushan's "Existence and Nonexistence" | 372 | |
| The Surangama's "Not Seeing" | 377 | |
| Dongshan's "No Grass" | 382 | |
| Yangshan's Declaration | 385 | |
| Nanquan's "Peony" | 390 | |
| Yunmen's "Jewel" | 394 | |
| Luzu's Not Understanding | 398 | |
| Dongshan is Unwell | 402 | |
| Linji's One Stroke | 408 | |
| Jiufeng's Disagreement | 412 | |
| Emperor Tongguang's Hat | 417 | |
| Dongshan's "Always Close" | 422 | |
| Yunmen's "Bowl and Bucket" | 425 | |
| Langya's "Mountains and Rivers" | 428 | |
| Notes | 431 | |
| Glossary | 446 |
Overview
Book of Serenity is a translation of Shoyo Roku, a collection of one hundred Zen koans with commentaries that stands as a companion to the other great Chinese koan collection, the Blue Cliff Record (Pi Yen Lu). A classic of Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism, Book of Serenity has been skillfully rendered into English by the renowned translator Thomas Cleary.
Compiled in China in the twelfth century, the Book of Serenity is, in the words of Zen teacher Tenshin Reb Anderson, "an ...