To my knowledge there are no anthologies of Ch’an poetry in Chinese, Japanese or English which describe in detail the method of practice and the experience of Ch’an Furthermore, there are few prose sources in English dealing with the same topics On the other hand, there are numerous books in English that relate the episodes of the kung-ans(koans)The prevailing view that comes from reading these stories is that the practice of Ch’an is methodless, and since there is no way to describe the experience of Ch’an, it is suggested that we just go ahead and practice by studying the kung-ans The purpose of these poems is different in that they specifically show you how to practice, what attitudes to cultivate and what pitfalls to beware of Finally, they attempt to describe the ineffable experience of Ch’an itself These poems flow directly from the minds of the enlightened Ch’an masters; we get a glimpse into their experience at the time of, and after their enlightenment In contrast, in reading a kung-an we get an objective story of what happened and we don’t really know what was in their minds. It is my hope that this collection of poems will give those who are interested in the practice a new way of looking at Ch’an and a more balanced view of the scope of Ch’an literature The present selection is offered to make this tradition available to Western readers who may otherwise not be aware of their existence.
From The Preface By Dan Stevenson EN. SHENG YEH is a master in the Caodong and Linji lineages of Chan〈Zen〉 school, who for twenty five years now has been guiding students from Taiwan, the United States, and Europe in the practice of Chan Buddhism. Hoofprint of the Ox provides a systematic introduction ─ in Sheng yen,s own words ─ to the principles that inform his particular style of Chan training.... In the final analysis, it is an unabashedly normative work ─ a book on Chan practice addressed to an English speaking audience with a personal interest in Buddhism. To the extent that this audience is also primarily Western, Hoofprint is more than passive report of Sheng yen,s personal convictions. It situates those convictions in responsive relation to specific expectations about Chen practice current among Western students, with specific points to be made.
《〈破魔變〉中英對照校注》為敦煌寫卷的重要研究,〈破魔變〉講述佛陀成道時,遭逢魔王擾亂修行的故事。變文是受到佛教影響而興起的一種文學體裁,改寫佛經故事,讓故事更通俗易懂,將佛法的精神與意義深印人心,此種講唱佛經的方式,深深影響了中國文學和戲劇的發展。二○一五年七月至二○一七年三月,中華佛學研究所洪振洲教授與根特大學根特佛學研究中心(Ghent Centre of Buddhist Studies at Ghent University)安東平(Christoph Anderl)教授合作主持「中古佛教寫本資料庫編碼」專案,將部分敦煌佛教寫卷進行整理與數位化;二○一七年再設立「敦煌寫卷〈破魔變〉中英對照本專案」,將〈破魔變〉寫卷再次進行校注與整理,並出版本書。為方便中、西方讀者閱讀,書中附有〈破魔變〉寫卷彩圖,並將寫卷內容楷定成現代通用的正字,同時製作異體字表、通假字表,及提供中、英文的校勘與註解,以利讀者參照研究,能深入理解寫卷,感受變文之美,並體會佛法真義。
作者洪振洲(「中古佛教寫本資料庫編碼」專案主持人)臺灣科技大學資訊管理系博士,法鼓文理學院佛教學系專任副教授兼任圖書資訊館館長。他的研究興趣包含漢譯佛典作譯者分析、數位典藏專案建構、數位人文研究資源開發與數位文字處理議題,目前參與許多由法鼓文理學院執行的數位典藏計畫。詳細資料可參見網址:http://joeyhung.info/安東平Christoph Anderl(「The Database on Medieval Chinese Dunhuang Texts 」project director)Christoph Anderl is a Professor of Chinese Language and Culture at Ghent University. He has an MA in Chinese Studies from Vienna University, and a PhD in Chinese Linguistics from Oslo University.Anderl's research focuses on Medieval Chinese language and literature, with an emphasis on vernacular texts and Dunhuang manuscripts, Medieval Chan Buddhism, and the interplay of text and image in the transmission of Buddhist narratives.For more information on publications and research, please consult the following web pages: http://research.flw.ugent.be/en/christoph.anderl and https://ugent.academia.edu/ChristophAnderlThe work on the manuscripts was generously supported by a fund of the Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (BOF), Ghent University