#laoren

[ithisatanytime]

(detunedfreq)

[ox-head]

Providing written records of their case judgments, and setting out their circumstances  and  scope so that they might serve as standards and imperatives—from the very beginning [Chan cases i.e. koans/gong'ans] are no different than secular books of canon law. This seems to be why the patriarchal teachers established public cases and left them for the guidance of the monastic community.

Sanjiao Laoren, 1304 preface to the 碧巖錄 Bìyán Lù (Blue Cliff Record)