碧巖錄
The Blue Cliff Record
Yuanwu Keqin 圜悟克勤 · 1063–1135
Librarian’s score8.5Claude · AI
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One hundred Chan cases chosen with verses by Xuedou Chongxian, to which Yuanwu Keqin added introductions and running commentary in his lectures. Dense, playful and allusive, it became a core text of koan practice. Yuanwu's student Dahui is said to have burned the blocks for fear it would be studied instead of lived; it was later reprinted and still is in Rinzai Zen.