獨參 is pronounced “dok cham” in Sino-Korean. It is more widely known in the West using the Sino-Japanese pronunciation “dokusan”. The characters literally mean “alone” (獨) + “consult” (參).
Category: chinese
“The One Mind Is Our Original Home” (三界如客舍 一心是本居)
A verse from Kukai’s “Secret Key to the Heart Sutra”
“Guard it well.” (宜善護持)
宜善護持 “Guard it well.”
宜 yí should
善 shàn good, appropriate
護 hù protect, safeguard, defend
持 chí hold, retain (as in dharani)
The Record of Linji at CBETA (with an example)
約山僧見處，勿嫌底法。
“As far as this old mountain monk is concerned, everything has basic goodness.”
A story about the origin of the Correcting Mistakes Mantra, 補闕眞言
Then Jijang Bosal told Linju that instead of leading Linju on to his next life, he was going to teach Linju a mantra and then send him back to his previous life so he could teach the mantra to Daoru and everyone else. Everyone should chant this mantra in order to correct the mistakes we make in our chanting. After being “dead” for seven days, Linju suddenly recovered and told everyone about his encounter with Jijang Bosal, and the mantra he had been taught.
The Universal Gateway Chapter of the Lotus Sutra in Sino-Korean
관세음보살보문품
觀世音菩薩普門品
Kwan Se Eum Bo Sal Universal Gateway Chapter
“When consiousness leaves the body at death, what place does it go to?”
In his commentary on the Diamond Sutra (Chapter 18: “Reality is a Steadily Flowing Stream”), Thich Nhat Hanh recommends reading the Sutra called “The Manifestations of Consciousness”, which is part of the Ratnakuta Sutra (a big Sutra that is basically a collection of shorter Sutras). In that Sutra the Buddha is asked the following question: […]
Evening Drum, Morning Bell (暮鼓晨鐘)
According to the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, this is a Chinese idiom “describing a strict daily routine. It derives from the playing of bells and drums within a Chinese Buddhist monastery to mark the services throughout the day and the articulations of the monastic routine.”
Ching Ching’s “The Sound of Raindrops” (雨滴聲)
鏡清問僧。Ching Ching asked the monk:
門外是什麼聲。 What is the sound outside the gate (gate outside is what sound)?
僧云。雨滴聲。The monk replied: it is the sound of raindrops (rain drop sound).
非呼之而不答 (If there is no call, then there is no response)
“It is said: in emptiness, there is both the sound of a call and response; in stillness, there is no appearance of form or shadow. A valley naturally has an echo, but without a call there is no response. The Buddha’s body does not stir; without a request there is no manifestation.”