Definition
Reading: Banshō Gyōshū / Reading (ZH): Wànsōng Xíngxiù
万松行秀 (Wansong Xingxiu) is a Buddhist monk of the Chinese Caodong school. "Wansong" (Ten Thousand Pines) is the name of the hermitage where he lived. His work, the Shoyoroku (The Book of Equanimity), was compiled by him at the request of Yelu Chucai, a high-ranking official of the Yuan Dynasty. In this book, Wansong provided his own commentaries on the "One Hundred Odes to the Old Cases" (Shoko Hyakusoku) by Wanshi Shogaku.
Q&A
- Q: Why did Wansong Xingxiu compile the Shoyoroku, which contains one hundred koans?
- A: Because he wanted to help future practitioners understand the "Zen truth"—which is difficult to explain in words—more correctly and deeply by adding beautiful literary expressions and sharp critiques (Hyosho).By adding his own unique perspective to the koans chosen by his predecessor, Tendo Gaku (Wanshi Shogaku), he more clearly illustrated the depth of "Mokusho-zen" (Silent Illumination Zen) of the Caodong school.
