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: zen
“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.”
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
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.”
Amanda Palmer’s “In My Mind”
And when they put me in the ground, I’ll start
Pounding the lid
Saying I haven’t finished yet
I still have a tattoo to get
That says I’m living in the moment
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.”
The “Evening” Bell Chant
“In the morning and dusk, when walking, standing, sitting or sleeping, as soon as you hear the sound of the bell, recite this verse.”
晨昏於行住坐臥間。一聞鐘聲時。即誦此偈呪。
“supposing we practice without results” (設行不得)
“Hearing [the dharma] even without faith still fructifies into the seed of buddhahood. Training even without success is still superior to the merit of humans and divinities.”