Yijing in Zen

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Varis
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Yijing in Zen

Post by Varis »

I recently came across a reference that stated that the Rinzai Zen patriarch Kokan Shiren publicized secret teachings on the Yijing.

Does anyone know more about this? Did he interpret the Yijing as a text on Zen or utilize it as a divination method? Is this practice still carried on today?
"I have never encountered a person who committed bad deeds." ― Ven. Jìngkōng
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Astus
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Astus »

Ouyi Zhixu (1599– 1655), one of the four eminent Buddhist masters of the Ming era, wrote a commentary on the Yijing that was translated by Thomas Cleary and published under the title The Buddhist I Ching.
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
Varis
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Varis »

Astus wrote: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:11 pm Ouyi Zhixu (1599– 1655), one of the four eminent Buddhist masters of the Ming era, wrote a commentary on the Yijing that was translated by Thomas Cleary and published under the title The Buddhist I Ching.
Very interesting, thank you! I had read previously about the Da Liu Ren oracle's transformation into an esoteric mandala but I had no idea that the Yijing had a history of being read as a Buddhist text too. Makes a lot of sense though, every other religion/movement in China has interpreted it in their own light.
"I have never encountered a person who committed bad deeds." ― Ven. Jìngkōng
Meido
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Meido »

Not an oracular use, but maybe interesting: a hexagram is mentioned also in Jewel Mirror Samadhi, attributed to Dongshan. The question of why principles from Yijing would appear in a Buddhist context like that is among those raised within Rinzai koan practice during penetration of the go-i koans.
Varis
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Varis »

Meido wrote: Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:50 am Not an oracular use, but maybe interesting: a hexagram is mentioned also in Jewel Mirror Samadhi, attributed to Dongshan. The question of why principles from Yijing would appear in a Buddhist context like that is among those raised within Rinzai koan practice during penetration of the go-i koans.
Hi Meido Roshi, that's very fascinating. I appreciate the information, thank you.
"I have never encountered a person who committed bad deeds." ― Ven. Jìngkōng
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Zhen Li
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Zhen Li »

Varis wrote: Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:45 pm
Astus wrote: Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:11 pm Ouyi Zhixu (1599– 1655), one of the four eminent Buddhist masters of the Ming era, wrote a commentary on the Yijing that was translated by Thomas Cleary and published under the title The Buddhist I Ching.
Very interesting, thank you! I had read previously about the Da Liu Ren oracle's transformation into an esoteric mandala but I had no idea that the Yijing had a history of being read as a Buddhist text too. Makes a lot of sense though, every other religion/movement in China has interpreted it in their own light.
I used the Buddhist Yijing a few times. Actually, it is very practice-oriented but always helpful. So, it is not so useful for day-to-day oracular use (for which most people use Yijing). For that, you are best to rely on traditional commentaries.

Also, Ouyi's commentary is clearly from his Zen phase. It's almost exclusively about progress in discipline and meditation, with only one mention of Amitābha.
Varis
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Re: Yijing in Zen

Post by Varis »

Zhen Li wrote: Tue Jul 12, 2022 9:48 am I used the Buddhist Yijing a few times. Actually, it is very practice-oriented but always helpful. So, it is not so useful for day-to-day oracular use (for which most people use Yijing). For that, you are best to rely on traditional commentaries.

Also, Ouyi's commentary is clearly from his Zen phase. It's almost exclusively about progress in discipline and meditation, with only one mention of Amitābha.
Interestingly enough a similar dichotomy appears in the use of the shipan (式盤) from Da Liu Ren. For Shingon monks it was (is?) an object of meditation but for Onmyoji it was/is an object for divination.
"I have never encountered a person who committed bad deeds." ― Ven. Jìngkōng
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