Brief Spiritual Lessons Research
By Michael P. Garofalo
Brief Wisdom Tales, Koans, Stories, Meditations, Dialogues, Lessons, Lectures
Taoists, Chan Buddhists, Zen Buddhists, Philosophers
China, Japan, and the Pacific West Coast of the USA
Classical, Medieval, and Contemporary Texts
Book of Serenity BOS Blue Cliff Record BCR Gateless Barrier GB Zhuangzi - Chuang Tzu ZUAN
Dao De Jing - Tao Te Ching DDJ Transmission of Light TOL I Ching Yijing Hexagrams HEX
Lieh-Tzu: Taoist Guide to Practical Living TGPL 365 Tao Meditations DMD Master Subject Index
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans DSMS Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays DSE Dogen Studies Project
Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki (DSZE) Dogen's Extensive Records Eihei Koroku (KORO)
Fireplace Records TFR Text Authority
Subject Index to 1,001 Zen Buddhist Koans
Essays, Lessons, Chapters, Lectures, Brief Stories, Anecdotes, Dialogues, Chapters, Lore,
History, Public Records or Cases, Interactions,
Parables,
Questions and Answers, Puzzles,
Challenges, Inquiries, Meditations, Tales, Tests, Teaching, Teishos, Koans
Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project 2023-2024
English Language Texts Chosen for Indexing
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DKO
Dogen's Extensive Record Eihei Koroku Essays Buddhist
DSZE Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki Essays Buddhist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 301 Koan Cases Buddhist
EDT Everyday Tao 365 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ENT Entangling Vines 272 Koan Cases Buddhist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koan Cases Buddhist
ICHI I Ching Yijing 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders, West Coast USA
LIN Linji's Record 50 Koan Cases Buddhist
MRK Mystical Realist by Hee-Jin Kim Dogen Buddhist
OHPB One Hundred Parable Sutra 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 25 Chapters Philosopher
TFTO Tales From the Tao 31 Chapters Taoist
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Events Taoist
TOL
Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VES Vitality Energy Spirit 100 Lessons Taoist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
ZMBM Zen Mind, Beginners Mind 36 Lessons Buddhist
Research, Indexing, Studies by Michael P. Garofalo
The Librarian of Gushen Grove
Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, Northern California
Information Bibliography Quotations Index Links Resources Reading List
Cloud Hands Blog Buddhism Paramitas Taoism Virtues Philosophy
Brief Spiritual Lessons, Stories, Sermons, Koans, Lectures, Meditations, Tales
Koans: General Information
"For the purposes of the Brief Spiritual Lessons (BSL) Database Project:
I define a 'Koan' as one kind of Brief Spiritual Lesson (typically 1 page in length, called a 'Case') from the Chan/Zen Buddhist traditions. The Taoist brief spiritual Lessons are teaching stories that are from 1 to 4 pages in length, often called 'Chapters' or 'Verses' rather than 'Cases'. These Brief Spiritual Lessons have been preserved for many centuries by Taoists, Chan Buddhists, Zen Buddhists, and Philosophers; and some were created since 1980. They are typically found in 'BSL/Koan/Meditations Collections" with from 48 to 365 brief spiritual lessons or meditations (mostly 1 page in length), not including later additions of commentaries, capping verses, poems, introductions, prefaces, and notes that can make for 2-6 pages of reading per Lesson.
Each brief spiritual Lesson (Case, Chapter) is titled in a Collection. The BSL titles are listed numerically in the front of the BSL/Koan/Meditation Lessons Collection; but the Lessons are in random order. There is no list of Lesson titles in alphabetical order. There are no detailed subject or title indexes to the many examples of Taoist or Buddhist brief spiritul Lessons in these 'BSL/Koan Collections'.
The Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project attempts to provide the indexing needed for more detailed and comparative studies of these popular literary collections of brief spiritual Lessons from Taoists and Buddhists available since 1960 in the English Language. This database project is primarily a literary, pholosophical, subject, bibliographical, historical, and comparative study. As I read and study these classic Taoist and Buddhist BSL/Koan Collections, my notes, correlations, thoughts and indexing become reflected in the many PDF files of this 2023-2024 Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project. Also, these studies result in some of the Chapters of The Fireplace Records."
- Michael P. Garofalo, Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
"The Japanese term kōan is the Sino-Japanese reading of the Chinese word gong'an (Chinese: 公案; pinyin: gōng'àn; Wade–Giles: kung-an;
literally: "public case"). The term is a compound word, consisting of the characters 公 "public; official; governmental; common; collective; fair; equitable" and 案 "table; desk; (law) case; record; file; plan; proposal." According to the Yuan Dynasty Zen master Zhongfeng Mingben (中峰明本 1263–1323), gōng'àn originated as an
abbreviation of gōngfǔ zhī àndú (公府之案牘, Japanese kōfu no antoku—literally
the andu "official correspondence; documents; files" of a gongfu "government post"), which referred to a "public record" or the "case records of
a public law court" in Tang-dynasty China. Kōan/gong'an thus serves as a metaphor for principles of reality beyond the private opinion of one person, and a
teacher may test the student's ability to recognize and understand that
principle. Commentaries in kōan collections bear some similarity to
judicial decisions that cite and sometimes modify precedents. An article by T.
Griffith Foulk claims "Its literal meaning is the 'table' or 'bench' an of a 'magistrate' or 'judge' kung. Gong'an was itself originally a metaphor—an article
of furniture that came to denote legal precedents. For example, Di Gong'an (狄公案) is the original title of Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, the famous Chinese detective novel based on a historical Tang dynasty judge. Similarly, Zen
kōan collections are public records of the notable sayings and actions of Zen
disciples and masters attempting to pass on their teachings. 公 (public) 案
(record). A public record serves as a metaphor for principles of reality
beyond the private opinion of one person, and a teacher may test the student's
ability to recognize and understand that principle."
- Wikipedia
"Koan: Originally a term for an official matter for which a judgment was
required, it was taken over by Buddhists and used first in reference to a
subject of meditation and later for a subject for which an answer was required
that would demonstrate a student's understanding."
- Red Pine, The Diamond Sutra, p. 451
"A koan is a little nugget of something an awakened master did during his lifetime."
- Henry Shukman
Translated by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary. Foreword by Taizan Maezumi
Roshi. Boston, Shambhala, 2005, 648 pages.
"Master Dogen expresses his ideas in the Shobogenzo based on a pattern of four phases. First, he explains a problem from the idealistic point of view; that is, as an idea using abstract concepts. Then, immediately after this first phase, he explains the same problem, but this time from the objective, or material point of view. In other words, he gives concrete examples and facts. Then, in the next phase, he explains the problem yet a third time as a real problem; that is, on the basis of action. Of course, he cannot fully explain the reality surrounding the problem with words in a book, but he does so by bringing together the subjective viewpoint which he presents first, and the second objective viewpoint. He synthesizes the two viewpoints into a realistic appraisal of the problem based upon the philosophy of action, which states that in action, there is a synthesis of the self and the external world. And in the final phase, he tries to suggest the subtle ineffable nature of reality itself by using symbolic, poetic, or figurative forms of speech. The Shobogenzo is full of these four-phased explanations. The chapters themselves fall into four groups: theoretical, objective, realistic, and figurative or poetic."
- Master Dogen's Shinji Shobogenzo: 301 Koan Stories
"To promote full absorption in the koan and penetration of each point, many masters advocate the use of a huatou (, J., watō), a word or brief phrase that stands in for the full koan and that, with enough determination and practice, you can learn to carry in the midst of daily life and even in sleep, as well as during periods of formal, seated practice (zazen)."
- Entangling Vines
"One essential point about koan study is to reflect on the dialogue and
determine exactly what is being said. If you are assigned a koan to study,
the first thing you should do is memorize it and think about it. Just
don't imagine deep realization will immediately come to you in a flash of light.
Think about the koan. What are the people in it saying? What is
motivating them. What is motivating you? Which line of the koan is
most important?"
- Gerry Shishin Wick, The Book of Equanimity, 2005, p. 5
"Mind illuminates old teachings. Old teachings illuminate mind."
- Hakuin Ekaku
Books I Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
"Koans show you that you can depend on creative moves.
Koans encourage doubt and curiosity.
Koans rely on uncertainty as a path to happiness.
Koans will undermine your reasons and your explanations.
Koans lead you to see life as funny rather than tragic.
Koans will change your ideas of who you are, and this will require courage.
Koans uncover a hidden kindness in life."
- John Tarrant, Bring Me the Rhinoceros, p. 2
"Reflective meditation is a way of translating thoughts into the language of
feeling. It explores the relation between the way we think about and
perceive things and the way we feel about them. We find that even the
strongest, seemingly self-evident intuitions about ourselves are bas on equally
deep-seated assumptions. Gradually learning to see our life in another way
through reflective meditation leads to feeling different about it as well."
- Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism Without Beliefs, 1997, p. 32
"Don't try to hard. You show up. Trust what you don't know. Experiment. The koan can be your friend. Any part of the koan is all the koan. You don't need a special state of mind. Have confidence in yourself."
- How to Practice Zen Koans By John Tarrant
"The Lin-chi master Fen-yang Shan-chao (947-1024) was the first to employ all these various trends. His "record," the Fen-yang Wu-te ch'an-shih yu-lu, includes three collections of 100 koans each. The first collection consists of old koans, for each of which Fen-yang wrote a verse epitomizing the import of the koan in poetical language. The second consists of of koans he himself had made and for which he provided his own anwswers. The third is made up of old koans, together with Fen-yang's alternative answers to them. These three collections became the models for later literary productions of a similar kind."
- Ruth Fuller Sasaki, The Zen Koan, 1965, p. 12
"Zen cherishes simplicity and straightforwardness in grasping reality and acting on it “here and now,” for it believes that a thing-event that is immediately presencing before one’s eyes or under one’s foot is no other than an expression of suchness. In other words the thing-event is disclosing its primordial mode of being such that it is as it is. It also understands a specificity of the thing-event to be a recapitulation of the whole; parts and the whole are to be lived in an inseparable relationship through an exercise of nondiscriminatory wisdom, without prioritizing the visible over the invisible, the explicit over the implicit, or vice versa."
- Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
"Koans are the folk stories of Zen Buddhism, metaphorical narratives that
particularize essential nature. Each koan is a window that show the whole truth
but just from a single vantage. It is limited in perspective.One hundred koans
give one hundred vantages. When they are enriched with insightful comments and
poems, then you have ten thousand vantages. There is no end to this process of
enrichment."
- Robert Aitken, 1990, Book of Serenity.
"In the Sōtō school of Zen, Shikantaza, meditation with no objects, anchors, or content, is the primary form of practice. The meditator strives to be aware of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference. Considerable textual, philosophical, and phenomenological justification of this practice can be found throughout Eihei Dōgen's works."
"These stories and sayings contain patterns, like blueprints, for various
inner exercises in attention, mental posture, and higher perception, summarized
in extremely brief vignettes enabling the individual to hold entire universes of
thought in mind all at once, without running through doctrinal discourses or
disrupting ordinary consciousness of everyday affairs."
- Thomas Cleary, 1994, Instant Zen
Hua Tou (話頭,
Korean: hwadu, Japanese: wato) is a form of Buddhist meditation common in the teachings of Chinese Chán and Korean
Seon. Hua Tou can be translated as 'word head', 'head of speech' or
'point beyond which speech exhausts itself'. A Hua Tou can be a
short phrase that is used as a subject of meditation to focus the mind. Hua Tou are based on the encounter-dialogues and koans of the interactions between past masters and students, but are shorter
phrases than koans. The Hua Tou method was invented by the Chinese
Zen master Dahui
Zonggao (1089 – 1163) who was a member of the Linji
school. Dahui was interested in teaching the lay community. To
practice Hua Tou, one concentrates on the phrase, initially repeating it
silently with a questioning and open mind and then thinking about "Who" or
"What" is generating the Hua Tou, this brings about "Great Doubt".
According to Chan master Sheng Yen, there are three stages of Hua Tou practice: reciting the Hua Tou, asking the Hua Tou and investigating the Hua Tou.
Through these stages it is important not to try to answer the Hua Tou intellectually, but to persistently ask the question mindfully with genuine
interest and sincere desire to know. It is through this constant practice that
great doubt and then insight arises. Examples of Hua Tou are: "What
is it?, What is this? Who is repeating the Buddha's name?, Who am I?, Who
is dragging this corpse around?, Mu?". The important thing is to stick to Hua Tou at all times, when walking, lying, or standing. From morning to
night observing Hua Tou vividly and clearly, until it appears in your
mind like the autumn moon reflected limpidly in quiet water. If you practice
this way, you can be assured of reaching the state of Enlightenment."
- Hua Tou in
Wikipedia
"There are basically two methods utilized in meditation practice in Zen Buddhism to assist the practitioner to reach the above-mentioned goals, together with a simple breathing exercise known as “observation of breath count” (sūsokukan); one is the kōan method and the other is called “just sitting” (shikan taza), a form of “single act samādhi.” For example, the former is employed mainly by the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, while the latter by the Sōtō school; they are the two main schools of this form of the Buddha-Way still flourishing today in Japan. In the Rinzai school, the kōan method is devised to assist the practitioner to become a “Zen person” (Kasulis, 1981) who fully embodies both wisdom and compassion. A kōan is formulated like a riddle or puzzle and is designed in such a way that intellectual reasoning alone cannot solve it without breaking through the barrier of ego-consciousness by driving it to its limit. This is, Zen believes, because ego-consciousness is fortified by the shield of a dualistic conceptual paradigm with all its attendant presuppositions and conditions. The ego-consciousness of a given cultural and historical milieu accepts that paradigm to be true in order to live a life anchored in the everyday standpoint.
According to Hakuin (1685–1768), who systematized kōans, there are formally seventeen hundred cases of kōans, and if sub-questions are added to them, a total number of cases comprising the system would be roughly three thousand. The Zen practitioner of the Rinzai school is required to pass them all in a private consultation with a Zen master who checks the practitioner’s state of mind before he or she is granted a seal of transmission. This transmission is said to occur “only from a Buddha to a[nother] Buddha” (yuibutsu yobutsu).
Kōans are accordingly grouped into five categories in a most fully developed system: the first group is designed for reaching li (suchness) (richi) or the body of truth (hosshin), i.e., an enlightenment experience; the second group for a linguistic articulation (gensen) of meditational experiences in order to master the skillful use of language; the third group for those kōans truly difficult to pass (nantō); the fourth group for the practitioner to make an insight of kōan experiences pertinent to daily life (kikan) in order to embody a middle-way in which the practitioner won’t be steeped either in the state of meditation or the activity of daily life; and the fifth group for going beyond the state of buddhahood by erasing all traces of enlightenment in order to achieve a traceless enlightenment (kōjō).
The Rinzai school summarizes this process of self-cultivation in four mottoes: “being a special transmission outside of the scriptures,” “having no dependence on words and letters,” “pointing directly into [one’s] human mind,” and “seeing into [one’s] nature to become a buddha.” (See, for examples, The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Record.) While the first two phrases point to the fact of discovering an extra-linguistic reality that naturally opens up in meditational experience and of articulating it linguistically in the “best” way according to the capacity of an individual practitioner, the last two phrases indicate a concretization of the original or inherent enlightenment (hongaku) in the Zen practitioner, where the original enlightenment means that human beings are innately endowed with a possibility of becoming a Buddha."
- Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
"In the past, kong-an practicing meant checking someone's enlightenment.
Now we use kong-ans to make our lives correct... You must use kong-ans to take
away your opinions. When you take away your opinions, your mind is clear like
space, which means from moment to moment you can reflect any situation and
respond correctly and meticulously."
- Seung Sahn, 1992, The Whole World is a Single Flower
"Though Zen teachers and practitioners insist that the meaning of a koan can only be
demonstrated in a live experience, and that it cannot be conveyed by texts, the
Zen tradition has produced a great deal of literature, including thousands of
koans and dozens of volumes of commentary. Nevertheless, teachers have
long alerted students to the danger of confusing the interpretation of a koan
with the realization of a koan. When teachers say, "do not confuse the
pointing finger with the moon," they indicate that the ability to interpret
koans should not be equated with enlightenment. Understanding the literary
and historical context of a koan can often remove some of the mystery
surrounding it. For example, evidence suggests that when a monk asked Zhaozhou
"does a dog have Buddha-nature or not?," the monk was asking a question that
students had asked teachers for generations. The controversy over whether all
beings have the potential for enlightenment is even older —and in fact, vigorous
controversy still surrounds the matter of Buddha nature. No amount of
interpretation seems to be able to exhaust a koan; there can be no "definitive"
interpretation. Teachers typically warn against over-intellectualizing koans,
but some of the mystery can be dispelled by clarifying metaphors that were
probably well known to monks at the time the koans originally circulated."
- Koans: The New
World Encyclopedia
Non-Rational or Beyond-Rational Zen (Chan) Buddhist
Meditation/Contemplation Techniques, Checking Verses, Tales, Jolts, Sparks, Songs
Brief Dialogues, Encounters, Revelations, Epipanies, Insights, Introspections,
Mystical Unfolding, Kensho, Samadhi, Ecstasy, Enlightenment
Teaching, Learning, and Practices Using Zen (Rinzai and Soto Zen) Koans and Stories.
Brief Taoist stories, tales, chapters, dialogues, sparks, verses. puzzles, and questions and answers, Daoist Lore and Practices, Poetry
Brief lectures, sermons, statements, parables, stories, summaries, aphorisms, explanations, homilies
Contemplation, Rumination, Meditation, Introspection, Reflection, Thought,
Intuition, Mulling, Study, Immersion, Consideration
Purpose: Insight, Understanding, Realization, Change of Heart, Awakening, Enlightenment, Clarity, Peace, Calm, Awareness, Compassion
"Literally, the word koan (Chinese., kung-an) is a combination
of graphs that signifies "public notice" or "public announcement." A koan,
therefore, presents a challenge and an invitation to take seriously what has
been announced, to ponder it and respond to it. But the special character
of this "announcement" confronts the listener or reader with a perplexing
puzzle. One becomes confused, and the more one tries to come up with an
answer and search for a solution, the more confused one gets. The essence
of of the koan is to be rationally unresolvable and thus point to what is 'arational."
The koan urges us to abandon our rational thought structures and step beyond our
usual state of consciousness in order to press into new and unknown dimensions.
This is the common purpose of all koans, no mater how much they may differ in
content or literary form."
- Heinrich Dumoulin, "The Song Period: A Time of Maturation."
"One of the great virtues of koans is they get us to
think, not in an analytical way, but with our complete mind."
- Philip Kapleau, Straight to the Heart of Zen, 2001
公案
Koans, Mondos, Stories, Exchanges, Sutras, Cases:
Bibliography, Resources, Links, Reading List
A
Authority Documents, English Language Texts, Indexed in the Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
B
Best Koan Books: My Favorites. By Michael P. Garofalo.
The Blue Cliff Record
Blue Cliff Record - Wikipedia In the Song dynasty (960-1279) Zen flourished in China. Zen Master Xuedou Zhongxian (Jap. Setcho) (980-1052) sorted through hundreds of Yulu collections of encounter dialogues, and came up with 100 good examples, or Cases, for Zen training purposes. His compilation was called The One Hundred Odes.
Odes to a Classic Hundred Standards by Xuedou Zhongxian
The Chinese Zen Master Yuanwu Kegin (Jap. Engo) (1063-1135) revised The One Hundred Odes. He added introductions/prefaces for each Case, added some all the recapitulation verses, added notes and added comments. After his efforts, his written document came to be titled The Blue Cliff Record, Pi Yen Lu, Hekiganroku by later users.
Blue Cliff Record - Wikipedia Directory of Commentaries for Each Case of the Blue Cliff Record.
By Matthew Juksan Sullivan.
The Blue Cliff Record.
Blue
Cliff Record, Online Text. Blue Cliff Record Online Bootleg
The Blue Cliff Record Joan Sutherland and John Tarrant
The Book of Mu: Essential Writings on Zen's Most Important Koan
Directory of Commentaries for Each Case of the Blue Cliff Record.
By Matthew Juksan Sullivan.
The Blue Cliff Record Koan Collection (BCR)
100 Cases of Brief Koans, Stories, Spiritual Encounters, Wisdom Tales, Sermons, Dialogues
Compiled around 1125 CE
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 25, 2023.
Source for Case Titles: The Blue Cliff Record, Translated by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary, 1977.
Alphabetical List of the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection Cases. PDF, 4 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection. PDF, 21 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Book of Serenity (Equanimity) (BOS)
Book of Equanimity, Book of SerenityThe Book of Equanimity: Illuminating Classic Zen Koans.
Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translation and commentary by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala, 2005, glossary, notes, 463 pages. 100 Koans. VSCL, paperback.
Book of Serenity By Joan Sutherland, Roshi
Shoyoroku (E. Book of Serenity, C. Ts’ung-jung lu) Online version of the Book of Serenity.
A collection of 100 koans, originally compiled in the 12th century by Wanshi Shogaku (C. Hung-chih Cheng-chüeh).
Book of Equanimity - Wikipedia 100 Cases. Compiled by Wansong Xingxiu (1166–1246), and first published in 1224. The book comprises a collection of 100 koans written by the Chan Buddhist master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157), together with commentaries by Wansong. Wansong's compilation is the only surviving source for Hongzhi's koans.
The Book of Serenity (BOS) Book of Equanimity
100 Cases of Brief Stories, Spiritual Encounters, Koans, Wisdom Tales, Sermons, Dialogues, Parables
Compiled and published around 1224 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on April 3, 2023.
Source for Case Titles: The Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translated with commentary by Thomas Cleary, 2005, 512 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection Cases. PDF, 4 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection. PDF, 19 pages.
Zen Koan Books I Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
Buddhist Koans Subject Index: 621 Koans Indexed. Second Draft, April 30, 2023, 102 pages, PDF.
Buddhism: Bibliography, Resources, Links, Reading
List, Home Library. By Mike Garofalo
Timeline of Zen Buddhist Development in America
Buddhism
Zen Index: The Compass of Zen by Zen Master Seung Sahn. Compiled and Edited by Hyon Gak Sunim. Preface by Maha Ghosananda. Forward by Stephen Mitchell. Index prepared by John Holland and Ty Koontz.
C
Chuang Tzu (ZHUA) Zhuang Zhou = Zhuangzi
Wandering on the Way. Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pages, VSCL. 33 Stories.
The Book of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Martin Palmer and Elizabeth Breuilly. Penguin Classics, 2007, 352 pages. VSCL. 33 Stories.
Chuang-tzu: The Tao of Perfect Happiness. Translated, annotated, and explained. By Livia Kohn. Skylight, 240 pages, VSCL. 33 Stories.
Zhuang Zhou = Zhuangzi = Chuang Tzu at Wikipedia
Cloud Hands Blog By
Mike Garofalo.
Cracking the Code of the Zen Koan: A Five Volume Zen Koan Anthology. Compiled by Stephen Wolinsky. E-Kindle Book, 2021, 676 pages. VSCL, Kindle E-Book.
D
Dao De Jing by Laozi (Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu)
Daodejing by Laozi, Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Daodejing by Laozi.
81 Verses, Cases, Chapters. Our popular version compiled around 220 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. Third Draft in June 2014.
A typical webpage created by Michael P. Garofalo for each one of the 81 brief Chapters (Verses, Cases, Sections) of the Daodejing includes 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter. Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Daodejing includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization. Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Daodejing Chapter.
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Daodejing by Laozi (DDJ)
81 Chapters, Verses, Cases, Sections.
Our popular Chapter order version was compiled around 220 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 29, 2023.
Source for Case/Verse/Chapter Titles: Tao Te Ching translation by Lin Yutang in 1955.
For the Koan Database, I limited search terms/Tags to 4 entries.
My more extensive online searchable Concordance for the Tao Te Ching is described above.
List by Chapters/Case Numbers for the Daodejing (DDJ). PDF, 3 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Titles of Chapters in the Tao Te Ching (DDJ). PDF, 3 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Tao Te Ching (DDJ) PDF, 13 pages.
Daoism or Taoism
Brief Spiritual Lessons, Tales, Stories, Fables
Tales From the Tao: The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters. By Solala Towler. Introduction by John Cleare. Watkins, 192 pages, 2017. VSCL.
Tales of the Dancing Dragons: Stories of the Tao. By Eva Wong. Shambhala, 174 pages, 2007.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. By Charlie Mackesy. Harpers, 2018, 128 pages.
Tales of the Taoist Immortals. By Eva Wong. Shambhala, 2001, 176 pages.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages.
The Dao in Action: Inspired Tales for Life. By Yang Jwing-Ming, Ph.D., YMAA, 2019, 236 pages. VSCL.
Taoism: Tao Te Ching, Bibliography, Resources, Indexes, Commentary. By Mike Garofalo.
Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong. Boston, Shambhala, 2001, 246 pages, VSCL. 111 Stories.
Dao De Jing or Tao Te Ching. Extensive website by Michael P. Garofalo.
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. 81 Chapters
The Dao in Action: Inspired Tales for Life. By Yang Jwing-Ming, Ph.D., YMAA, 2019, 236 pages. VSCL.
Wandering on the Way. Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pages, VSCL. 33 Stories.
The Book of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Martin Palmer and Elizabeth Breuilly. Penguin Classics, 2007, 352 pages. VSCL. 33 Stories.
Chuang-tzu: The Tao of Perfect Happiness. Translated, annotated, and explained. By Livia Kohn. Skylight, 240 pages, VSCL. 33 Stories.
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans (DSMS)
Dogen, Eihei (1200-1253 CE) Japanese Soto Zen Master
Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans Collection
Master Dogen's Shinji Shobogenzo: 3001 Koan Stories. Translated with commentary by Gudo Nishijima; edited by Michael Luetchford. Kindle E-Book, 397 pages, 2020. VSCL, Kindle E Book.
The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dōgen's Three Hundred Koans
The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Three Hundred Koans. Translated by Kazuaki Tanahashi and John Daido Loori. Free PDF Version.
Dogen Zenji's Genjo-Koan. By Shohaku Okumura.
Dogen and Koan: The Ultimate Truly Definitive Unquestionable Smoking Gun. By Dosho Port.
Dogen - Indexes, Bibliography, Links, Resources, Information
Koans in the Dogen Tradition: How and Why Dogen Does What He Does with Koans. By Steven Heine. PDF File.
"A koan is a little nugget of something an awakened master did during his lifetime."
- Henry Shukman
Subject Index to Cases in Six Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
"The Shinji Shōbōgenzō (真字正法眼蔵) or True Dharma Eye 300 Cases (Shōbōgenzō Sambyakusoku), or Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Mana Shōbōgenzō), compiled by Eihei Dōgen in 1223–1227, was first published in Japanese in 1766. The literary sources of the Shinji Shōbōgenzō are believed to have been the Keitoku Dentōroku and the Shūmon Tōyōshū.[1] It is written in Chinese, the language of the original texts from which the kōans were taken.File.
- Wikipedia
Dogen's Genjo Koan: Three Commentaries
Dogen and the Koan Tradition: A Tale of Two Shobogenzo Texts. By Steven Heine. SUNY, 1993, 352 pages.
Dogen Study Group in Portland, Oregon. Dharma Rain Center, Soto Zen Buddhist Temple
I am a subscribing member of the Dharma Rain Center
Dogen - Wikipedia
Eihei Dogen: My Reading List and Other Research Tools
Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Buddhism: The Essential Dogen ESS 40 Chapters
The Essential Dogen. Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt,232 pages.
Buddhism: Dogen's Shobogenzo Lectures Collection DSL 95 Facisles/Chapters
Master Dogen's Shobogenzo. Translation and commentary by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross, 1994, Four Books.
Dogen: Japan's Original Zen Teacher. By Steven Heine. Shambhala, 2021, 360 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
I am a subscribing member of the Dharma Rain Zen Buddhist Temple in Portland, Oregon. They adhere to the Soto Zen Tradition.
Buddhism: Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koan Collection DSMS 300 Koan Cases
Text Authority:The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dōgen's Three Hundred Koans
Translated by Kazuaki Tanahashi and John Daido Loori, 2005, 472 pages.
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
1st Draft, April 30, 2023
Alphabetical Order List of English Titles of Cases in Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koan Collection. PDF, 11 pages.
Cases in Numerical Order of English Titles in Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koan Collection. PDF, 11 pages.
Alphabetical Order List of the Teachers in Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koan Collection. PDF, 11 pages.
Subject Index to All Cases in Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koan Collection. PDF, 51 pages.
Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays (DSE)
Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays Collection (DSE)
95 Fascicles/Chapters, Lectures, Essays, Sermons, Encouragements, Meditations
Written and published around 1240 CE.
By by Eihei Dogen, Zen Master Abbot Roshi Author Poet (1200-1253 CE)
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on April 23, 2023.
Text Authority: Master Dogen's Shobogenzo. Translated with notes by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross. 4 Volumes, 1999.
Japanese Alphabetical List of the Japanese Titles of the Fascicles/Chapters in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSE) Essays, Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
English Alphabetical List of the English Titles of the Fascicles/Chapters in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSE) Essays, Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
Numerical Order List of Japanese Titles of the Fascicles/Chapters in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSE) Essays, Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
Numerical Order List of English Titles of the Fascicles/Chapters in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSE) Essays, Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays (DSE). PDF, 63 pages. First Draft, July 1, 2023.
Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki Essays and Waka Poety (DSZE)
Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki Essays (DSZE)
6 Books: Lectures, Essays, Sermons, Encouragements, Criticism, Meditations, Waka Poetry
Written and published around 1245 CE.
By Eihei Dogen Zen Master Abbot Roshi Author Poet (1200-1253)
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on November 10, 2023.
Source for Research: Master Dogen's Shobogeenzo Zuimonki Essays. Translated with commentary by Shohaku Okumura.
Wisdom, 2022, 512 pages. Bilingual Edition. Includes all of Dogen's Waka Poetry. VSCL, Paperback.
Alphabetical List of Zuimonki Essays. November 10, 2023, PDF, 4 pages.
Numerical Chapter Order List. November 10, 2023, PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki Essays. November 10, 2023, PDF, 42 pages.
Dogen's Extensive Records Eihei Koroku (KORO)
Dogen's Extensive Records Eihei Koroku (KORO)
6 Books: Lectures, Essays, Sermons, Adhorations, Meditations
Written and published around 1245 CE.
By Eihei Dogen Zen Master Abbot Roshi Author Essayist Teacher Poet (1200-1253)
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on October 15, 2023.
Text Authority: Dogen's Extensive Record: A Translation of th Eihei Koroku. By Eihei Dogen.
Translated by Shohaku Okumura. Edited by Dan Leighton. Foreword by Tenshin Reb Anderson.
Contributions by John Daido Loori and Steven Heine. Wisdom Pubs., 2010, 824 pages, VSCL, Paperback.
Alphabetical List of Eihei Koroku Essays. October 15, 2023, PDF, 4 pages.
Numerical Chapter Order List of Eihei Koroku Essays. October 15, 2023, PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Dogen's Eihei Koroku Essays. October 15, 2023, PDF, 42 pages.
Dogen Studies Project 2023-2024
Eihei Dogen (1200-1253 CE) Zen Master, Essayist, Poet, Abbot, Teacher in Japan
Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Collection (DSE)
Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki 30 Essays (DSZE)
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koan Collection (DSMS)
Dogen's Extensive Records Eihei Koroku 30 Essays (KORO)
Dogen's 68 Waka Poems (KORO)
Mystical Realist: Dogen. By Hee-Jin Kim. 50 Commentaries (MRK)
Dogen: Japan's Original Teacher. By Steven Heine. 50 Commentaries (DJOT)
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. By Shunryu Suzuki. 37 Chapters (ZMBM)
Indexing, Research, and Studies by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
First Draft, July 18, 2023
Subject Index to Dogen's Writing. PDF, July 18, 2023, 75 pages.
Brief Buddhist Spiritual Lessons, Koans, Essays, Chapters, Dialogues
Eihei Dogen Studies Project
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Dogen Study Group in Portland, Oregon. Dharma Rain Center, Soto Zen Buddhist Temple
I am a subscribing member of the Dharma Rain Center
E
Entangling Vines 272 Koans Collection
Entangling Vines: A Classic Collection of Zen Koans.
Subject Index to Cases in the Entangling Vines Koan Collection. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Alphabetical List of Cases in the Entangling Vines Koan Collection. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Subject Index to Cases in Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin
F
The Fireplace Records. By Michael P. Garofalo.
Fireplaces, Kitchens, Stoves, Campfires, Ovens, Pots, Kettles, Wood, BBQ
Literary reflections and flashes of insight around the fireplace
Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo
Michael P. Garofalo
Cloud Hands Blog
Biography
Alphabetical List of 25 Chapters in The Fireplace Records. May 1, 2023. PDF, 1 page.
List of 25 Chapters in Numerical Order from The Fireplace Records. May 1, 2023. PDF, 1 page.
Subject Index to The Fireplace Records. May 1, 2023. PDF, 5 pages.
Sparks: Brief Spiritual Stories, Dialogues, and Encounters
Matches to Start the Kindling of Insight
May the
Light Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Zen Buddhist Koan Collections
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Hard Questions
Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo
Flock of Fools: Ancient Buddhist Tales of Wisdom and Laughter From the One Hundred Parable Sutra. Translated and retold by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt. Grove Press, 2004, 208 pages.
The Flowing Bridge: Guidance on Beginning Zen Koans.
G
The Garden of Flowers and Weeds: A New Translation and Commentary on the Blue Cliff Record. By Matthew Juksan Sullivan. Monkfish Pubs., 2021, 580 pages. VSCL, Hardbound.
Gateless Gate, Gateless Barrier (Wumenquan, Mumonkan) 48 Koans
The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan)
The Gateless Barrier: Zen Comments on the Mumonkan.
By Zenkai Shibayama. Shibayama Roshi (1894-1974). Translated by Sumiko Kudo.
Introduction by Shibayama Roshi. Preface by Kenneth W. Morgan, Colgate
University. Boston, Shambhala, 2000. Glossary, index, 361 pages. ISBN:
9781570627262. "For more than seven centuries the Mumonkan (Gateless
Barrier) has been used
in Zen monasteries to train monks and to encourage the religious development of
lay Buddhists. It contains forty- eight koans, or spiritual riddles, that must
be explored during the course of Zen training. Shibayama Zenkei (1894-1974), an
influential Japanese Zen teacher and calligrapher who traveled and lectured
throughout the United States in the 60s and 70s, offers his own commentary
alongside the classic text. The Gateless Barrier remains an essential text for
all serious students of Buddhism." These lectures (Teisho) on the
Gateless Barrier were given at Colgate University in 1974. VSCL, Paperback.
The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans
Gateless Gate or
Gateless Barrier, Compiled by Mumon in 1228 CE, Mumonkan, Wúménguān 無門關
Gateless Gate, Six
English Translations, Terebess Online
Passing Through the Gateless Barrier: Koan Practice for Real Life. By Guo Gu. Shambhala, 2016, 440 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Gateless Gate, Online
Text in English and Chinese Characters
Gateless
Gate, Online Text, In English, Translated by Eiichi Shimomissé, 1998
Gateless Gate, Online Text,
in English, Transcribed by Nyogen Senzaki (1876–1958) & Paul Reps (1895–1990) in 1934, in "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones," pp. 109-161.
Gateless Gateway Joan Sutherland Roshi
Gateless Barrier - Wkipedia
Mumonkan. Translation and commentary by Reginald Horace Blyth. Title: Zen and Zen Classics, Volume Four: Momonkan. Hokuseido Press, 1966. This is a rare and expensive book in 2023.
Subject Index to Cases in the Gateless Barrier (GB). [48 Koans, Compiled around 1250 CE]
Alphabetical List of GB Cases. List of Cases by Case Numbers.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 25, 2023.
Subject Index to Cases in Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Great Short Poems. Compiled with commentary by Paul Negri. Dover Publications, 2000, 64 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
H
Hotetsu''s Zen Blog - Koan Index
I
I Ching Yijing Hexagrams (HEX)
The Complete I Ching. The Definitive Translation by Taoist Master Alfred Huang. 10th Anniversary Edition. Inner Traditions, 1998, 2010, 541 pages. Index, charts, diagrams, ideograms, commentary, interpretation, history, examples. VSCL, Paperback.
My main reference source and text authority for indexing the I Ching Yijing Hexagrams is The Complete I Ching by Alfred Huang, 1998.
Subject Index to Hexagrams in the I Ching Yijing. 64 Hexagrams, Hexagrams created from 1000 BCE - 400 BCE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on May 30, 2023. PDF, 20 pages.
Numerical List of the 64 Hexagrams in the I Ching Yijing.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on May 30, 2023. PDF, 2 pages.
64 Hexagrams, Hexagrams created from 1000 BCE - 400 BCE.
I Ching - Wikipedia "Th e I Ching or Yi Jing is usually translated as The Book ot Changes or The Classic of Changes, and is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zhou period (1000–750 BC), the I Ching was transformed over the course of the Warring States and early imperial periods (500–200 BC) into a cosmological text with a series of philosophical commentaries known as the "Ten Wings". After becoming part of the Five Classics in the 2nd century BC, the I Ching was the subject of scholarly commentary and the basis for divination practice for centuries across the Far East, and eventually took on an influential role in Western understanding of East Asian philosophical thought."
Chinese Philosophy of Change (Yijing) - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Indexing Resources, Tools, Techniquses, References
Handbook of Indexing Techniques: A Guide for Beginning Indexers. By Linda K. Fetters. Information Today, 2013, 176 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Indexing - Reference Texts for Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Indexing Books. By Nancy C. Mulvany. Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing. University of Chicago, 2005, 320 pages.
Introduction to Indexing and Abstracting. By Ana D. Cleveland and Donald B. Cleveland. 4th Edition. Libraries Unlimited, 2013, 408 pages.
Michael P. Garofalo received a Master of Science in Library and Information Science (M.S.L.S.) in 1968 from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He worked for the City of Commerce Public Library from 1962-1969, and for the County of Los Angeles Public Library System from 1973-1998. He retired in 1998 from the County of Los Angeles Public Library System as the Regional Administrator for 22 libraries in the East Region in the San Gabriel Valley, and moved to Red Bluff, in Northern California. He became a web publisher in 1998. Mike worked part-time during the academic year for the Corning Union Elementary School District as District Librarian from 1998-2016 in Northern California. He retired in 2016 and moved to Vancouver, Washington. In 2023, he is studying, researching, and indexing Taoist and Buddhist texts from Classical, Medieval, and Contemporary periods; as well as other web publishing projects: Cloud Hands Blog.
Introduction to Zen Koans: Learning the Language of Dragons. By James Ishmael Ford. Foreword by Joan Halifax. Wisdom Publications, 2018, 264 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
The Iron Flute: 100 Zen Koans. By Genro Oryu. Translation and commentary by Ruth Strout McCandles. Wisdom, 2004, 153 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
J
Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
K
Koan Collections and Books on Koan from the ZenSite
Koan Database Project: Indexes to Koan Collections
Koan Index from Hotetsu''s Zen Blog
Koan Index from Meredith Garmon
Koan Studies:
The Zen Site Essays, Reading Lists, Notes, Commentary
Koans Subject Index: 621 Koans Indexed. Second Draft, April 30, 2023, 151 pages, PDF.
Koans: Information,
Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Index. By Mike Garofalo.
Koans: The New World
Encyclopedia
L
Lieh-Tzu: Taoist Guide to Practical Living (TGPL)
Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living (TGPL)
111 Brief Chapters with Chinese Taoist Stories, Tales, Advice, Parables
First written around 150 BCE. Compiled, edited, and with commentary in 320 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on July 1, 2023.
Taoism: My Reading List and Other Research Tools
Source for Case Titles: Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong. Boston, Shambhala, 2001, 246 pages.
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
N
Nothing Is Hidden: The Psychology of Zen Koans
P
Passing Through the Gateless Barrier: Koan Practice for Real Life. By Guo Gu. Shambhala, 2016, 440 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Odes to a Classic Hundred Standards by Xuedou Zhongxian
Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. By Steven Heine. Oxford University Press, 2004, 200 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans. Translated with commentary by Dosho Port. Shambhala, 2021, 320 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Reference Texts for Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Rinzai (Linji) Zen School
The Record of Linji. Edited by Thomas Yuho Kirchner. Translation and commentary by Ruth Fuller Sasaki. Nazan Library of Asian Religion and Culrture #20. Linji Yixuan (died 866 CE). University of Hawaii Press, 2009, 485 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Zen Koan Books I Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
Rinzai Zen Buddhist School See Also Blue Cliff Record, Gateless Barrier, Sutherland Roshi, Yamada Roshi, Wick Roshi, Tarrant Roshi, etc.
Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
S
Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record: Zen Comments by Hakuin and Tenkei
Shifu Miao
Zhang Points the Way By Mike Garofalo.
Sitting with Koans: Essential Writings on Zen Koan Introspection. Edited by John Daido Loori. Introduction by Tom Kirchner. Wisdom Publications, 2005, 368 pages. VSCL - Used paperback.
The Sound of One Hand: 281 Zen Koans with Answers. Translation and commentary by Yoel Hoffmann. Introduction by Dror Burstein. NRYB, 2016, s304 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Stone and Sand Collection of Koans. From Zen Master Muju from 1275 CE.
Sutras for Daily Recitation/Chanting
Straight to the Heart of Zen: Eleven Classic Koans and Their Inner Meanings
Zen Koans Subject Index: 621 Koans Indexed. Second Draft, April 30, 2023, 102 pages, PDF.
Subject Index to 281 Taoist Chapters
Brrief Spiritual Lessons, Brief Religious Teaching Stories
Brief Chapters, Tales, Fables, Sermons, Koans, Meditations, Lectures
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
China, Japan, and American Pacific West Coast
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Koans Database Project
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Fourth Draft, May 3, 2023. PDF File, 239 Pages (MasterSubject4)
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koans Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koans Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DKO Dogen's Extensive Record Eihei Koroku Essays Buddhist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans Buddhist
DSZE Dogen's Zuimonki Shobogenzo Essays Buddhist
EDT Everyday Tao 300 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ENT Entangling Vines 282 Koans Buddhist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koans Buddhist
ICHI I Ching 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders, USA
MRK Mystical Realist by Hee-Jin Kim Buddhist
OHPS 100 Parable Sutra Buddhist
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 25 Chapters Philosopher
TFTO Tales from the Tao 31 Chapters Taoist
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Taoist
TOL Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VES Vitality Energy Spirit 100 Lessons Taoist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
ZMBM Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Buddhist
Master Subject Index for the Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project. PDF File, 5/3/2023, 239 Pages.
Fourth Draft, May 3, 2023
Keys to Collections of BSL/Koans
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington, 2023
PDF files are searchable. Use the keyboard strokes: Ctrl + F This will open the Search or Find box.
Cases = Buddhist brief spiritual lessons, Koans, dialogues, puzzles, wisdom tales, Chan/Taoist teaching, Lore, Fables, Records
Chapters = Taoist brief spiritual lessons, classic Daoist spiritual literature, tales, fables, lectures, expositions.
Internet
Links in PDF Files are clickable/searchable.
Sutherland, Joan Roshi Cloud Dragon: The Joan Sutherland Dharma Works
Joan Sutherland Roshi Koan Collections
Gates: Miscellaneous Koans Joan Sutherland Roshi
Gateless Gateway Joan Sutherland Roshi
The Blue Cliff Record Joan Sutherland and John Tarrant
T
Tales From the Tao. The Wisdom of the Taoist Masters. By Solala Towler. Watkins, 2005, 2017, 191 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Taoism Daoism SEE ABOVE Daoism
Tarrant, John Pacific Zen Institute
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project 2023-2024
English Language Texts
Taoism, Chan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Philosophers
China, Japan, and the Pacific West Coast of the USA
Text Authority
Blue Cliff Record BCR 100 Cases Buddhist
The Blue Cliff Record, Translated with commentary and notes by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary, 1977, 648 pages.
Book of Serenity BOS Book of Tranquility 100 Cases Buddhist
The Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translated with commentary by Thomas Cleary, 2005, 512 pages.
Chuang Tzu, Zuangzi, ZHUA 33 Chapters Taoist
Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translation by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pagse.
Dao De Jing, Tao Te Ching TTJ 81 One-Page Chapters/Lessons Taoist
Tao Te Ching Website Compiled and Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo, Green Way Research, 2014.
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koan Collection DSMS 301 Cases Buddhist
The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dōgen's Three Hundred Koans
Shambhala, 2005, 472 pages.
Dogen's Shobogenzo, DSE 95 Essays Buddhist
Shobogenzo by Master Dogen. Translated by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross. Windbell, 1994, 340 pages.
Dogen's Shobogenzo Zuimonki, DSZE 6 Books - Essays Buddhist
Master Dogen's Shobogeenzo Zuimonki Essays. Translated with commentary and introduction by Shohaku Okumura.
A New Annotated Translation.
Also including Dogen's Waka Poetry with Commentary. Author is Eihei Dogen. Compiled by Koun Ejo.
Index, notes.
Wisdom, 2022, 512 pages.
Bilingual Editon.
Entangling Vines, ENT 272 Koan Cases Buddhist
Entangling Vines: A Classic Collection of Zen Koans.
Introduction by Ueda Shizuteru. Boston,
Wisdom Publications, 2013, 340 pages.
Fireplace Records TFR 25 Cases Philosopher
The Fireplace Records by Michael P. Garofalo, 2023, 25 Posts
Gateless Gate GB Gateless Barrier 48 Cases Buddhist
The Gateless Gate, Translated with commentary and notes by Koun Yamada Roshi, 2004, 301 pages.
I Ching Yijing HEX 64 Hexagrams Taoist
The Complete I Ching. By Taoist Master Alfred Huang. Inner Traditions, 1998, 2010, 542 pages.
Lunar Tao, TLT 150 Chinese Seasonal Activities Events Customs Taoist
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
Mystical Realist, MRK, by Hee-Jin Kim 43 Explanations Buddhist
Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist. By Hee-Jin Kim. Wisdom, 1975, 2004, index, bibliography, notes, 334 pages.
Record of Empty Hall, REH, 100 Koans Buddhist
The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans. Translated with commentary by Dosho Port. Shambhala, 2021, 320 pages.
Tales from the Tao, TFTO 31 Chapters Taoism
Tales from the Tao. By Solala Towler. Watkins, 2005, 2017, 191 pages.
365 Tao DMD 365 One-Page Meditations/Lessons Taoist
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. 365 One-Page Meditations/Cases
Transmission of Light TOL 53 Biographies Buddhist
Transmission of Light: Zen in the Art of Enlightenment. Author: Keizan. Translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambhala, 1990, 207 pages.
Wen-Tzu, WEN, 180 Chapters/Lessons Taoist
Wen-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries. Author Lao Tzu. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala, 1992, 208 pages.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. ZMBM 45 Essays Buddhist
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. By Shunryu Suzuki. Shambhala, 1970, 2020 50th Anniversary Edition, 176 pages.
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Indexing: Books, Resources, References, Research, Tools
How to Practice Zen Koans By John Tarrant: "Don't try to hard. You show up. Trust what you don't know. Experiment. The koan can be your friend. Any part of the koan is all the koan. You don't need a special state of mind. Have confidence in yourself."
Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. 365 Cases/Verses/Lessons/Pages.
Deng Ming-Dao has written many excellent books on Taoism. I have enjoyed reading this book for decades.
VSCL, Paperback and Kindle EBook. This book has no index. There is a Title list in the back of the book, ordered by day of the year, and by
days in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Deng Ming-Dao lives in San Francisco.
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo. September, 15, 2023
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Chapter Titles in Order by Chapter Number for the 365 Tao Meditations (DMD). PDF, September 15, 2023, 16 pages.
Chapter Titles in Alphabetical Order for the 365 Tao Meditations (DMD). PDF, September, 15, 2023, 16 pages.
Subject Index to all of the 365 Tao Meditations. PDF, September 15, 2023, 85 pages.
Through Forests of Every Color: Awakening with Koans. By Joan Sutherland. Shambhala, 2022, 208 pages. VSCL, Paperbound.
Timeline of Zen Buddhist Development in America
Taoism: Tao Te
Ching, Bibliography, Resources, Indexes, Commentary. By Mike Garofalo.
Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation
Transmission of Light, Keizan Biographies (TOL)
Transmission of Light (TOL)
53 Biographies of Buddhist Patriarchs, Leaders, Legends, Thinkers, Famous Ones
Written by Zen Master Keizan (1268-1325). Title: Denkoroku.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 30, 2023.
Source for Biographies: Transmission of Light: Zen in the Art of Enlightenment. Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1990, 207 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Biographies in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 3 pages.
List of Biography Cases by Case Numbers in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 2 pages.
Subject Index to the Biographies in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 3 pages.
Books I Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
Zen Master Keizan Information I
I am a member of the Dharma Rain Temple (Soto Zen Buddhist) in Portland, Oregon. Here is a long List of their Lineage: their Patriarchs, their Legendary Ones.
The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dōgen's Three Hundred Koans
Two Arrows Meeting in Mid-Air:
The Zen Koan
Two Zen Classics: Mumonkan and Hekiganroku
Unlocking the Zen Koan: A New Translation of the Zen Classic Wumenguam
V
VES Vitality Energy Spirit 100 Lessons Sources Tales Taoist
Vitality, Energy, Spirit: A Taoist Sourcebook. By Thomas Cleary. Shambhala, 2009, 312 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
VSCL Valley Spirit Center Library. The personal library of Michael P. Garofalo.
The World of Nasrudin. Translated with commentary by Idries Shah. Kindle Scribe, 2020, 493 pages. VSCL, Kindle E Book.
Books I Use in My Research and Study of Zen Koan Collections
W
Wen-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries. Author Lao Tzu. Translated by Thomas Cleary. Shambhala, 1992, 208 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Z
Zen Buddhism: A Bibliography. By Mike Garofalo.
Zen Buddhism Index: The Compass of Zen by Zen Master Seung Sahn. Compiled and Edited by Hyon Gak Sunim. Preface by Maha Ghosananda. Forward by Stephen Mitchell. Index prepared by John Holland and Ty Koontz.
Subject Index to 1,001 Zen Buddhist Koans
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Third Draft, May 4, 2023, PDF
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
PDF, 5/4/2023, 125 Pages
Blue Cliff Record 100 Koans (BCR)
Book of Serenity/Equanimity 100 Koans (BOS)
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans (DSMS)
Entangling Vines 272 Koans (ENT)
Fireplace Records 25 Koans (TFR)
Flock of Fools: Parable Sutra 100 Koans (OHPS)
Gateless Barrier 48 Koans (GB)
Record of Empty Hall 100 Koans (REH)
Record of Linji 35 Koans (LIN)
Transmission of Light: Keizan 53 Biographies (TOL)
Brief Zen Buddhist Spiritual Stories, Koans, Dialogues
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Koans Database Project Expected Completion 12/20/2023
Subject Index to 1,001 Zen Buddhist Koans
Zen Flesh Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings
The Zen Koan: Its History and Use in Rinzai Zen. By Isshu Miura and Ruth Fuller Sasaki. Harper Perennial, 1966, 176 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Zen Koans
A satirical attack on Zen and Koans by Reinhard Koch.
Zen Koans Subject Index. Second Draft, April 30, 2023, 621 Koans Indexed, 151 pages, PDF.
Zen Koans: Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand), written late in the thirteenth century by the
Japanese Zen teacher Muju (the "non-dweller"), and from anecdotes of Zen monks
taken from various books published in Japan around the turn of the 20th century.
Zen Sand: The Book of Capping Phrases for Koan Practice.
By Victor Sogen Hori. University of Hawaii Press, 2010. Bilingual
edition. Nanzan Library of Asian Religion and Culture. ISBN:
9780824835071.
Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (ZMBM)
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. By Shunryu Suzuki. Shambhala, 1970, 2020 50th Anniversary Edition, 176 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
36 Essays/Chapters.
I also use the 2006 Edition from Shambhala. 179 pages. VSCL, Hardback. Excellent handbook!
Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971). First Master of the Zen Center, San Francisco and Carmel Valley. Edited by Trudy Dixon.
Peface by Huston Smith. Introduction by Richard Baker. In ZMBM I cite the page number where the Chapter/Essay begins.
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (ZMBM)
Chapters/Essays Numerical Order List (1-36) for Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. PDF, December 22, 2023, 2 pages.
Alphabetical List of Titles for each Chapter/Essay in Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. PDF, December 22, 2023, 2 pages.
Subject Index to Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. PDF, December 22, 2023, 35 pages.
Zen Staff,
Zen Stick in Koans, Stick Used by Zen Masters as a symbol of their
qualifications and authorization to teach Zen students.
Zhuangzi (ZHUA) = Zuang Zhou = Chuang Tzu
Wandering on the Way. Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
The Book of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Martin Palmer. Penguin, 1996, 320 pages, index. VSCL, Paperback.
Chuang Tzu 33 Stories. Composed around 350 BCE. Taoist Classic. Many English language translations and commentary are available.
Text Authority for Indexing: Wandering on the Way. Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translated by Victor H. Mair, 1994.
Zhuang Zhou = Zhuangzi = Chuang Tzu at Wikipedia
Zhuangzi - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Zhuangzi - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Alphabetical List of the Chapters in Chuang Tzu = Zhuangzi (ZHUA). April 10, 2023, PDF, 2 pages.
List of Chapters by Chapter Number Order in Chuang Tzu = Zhuangzi (ZHUA). April 10, 2023, PDF, 2 pages.
Subject Index to the Chapters in the Chuang Tzu = Zhuangzi (ZHUA). PDF, 20 pages. Second Draft, April 10, 2023.
Koans: Quotations, Insights, Poems
"The goal of the Zen koan is enlightenment, which is a profound change of
heart. This change of heart makes the world seem like a different place;
with it comes a freedom of mind and an awareness of the joy and kindness
underlying daily life."
- John Tarrant, Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
"The Blue Cliff
Record (Chinese: 《碧巖錄》 Bìyán Lù; Japanese: Hekiganroku (碧巌録?); Korean: Byeokamrok, 벽암록(碧巖錄); Vietnamese: Bích nham lục (碧巖錄)) is a collection of Chán Buddhist koans originally compiled in China during the Song dynasty in 1125 (宋宣和七年)
and then expanded into its present form by the Chán master Yuanwu
Keqin (圜悟克勤 1063 – 1135)(Japanese Engo). The book includes Yuanwu's
annotations and commentary on Xuedou Zhongxian (Japanese Setcho)'s (雪竇重顯 980 – 1052) collection 100
Verses on Old Cases 《頌古百則》 — a compilation of 100 koans.[2] Xuedou selected 82 of these from the Jingde Chuandeng Lu 《景德傳燈錄》 (Jingde
era Record of the Transmission of the Lamp), with the remainder selected
from the Yunmen Guanglu 《雲門廣録》 (Extensive Record of Yunmen Wenyan (864 – 949)."
- Wikipedia
"There are seven things to notice about koans:
1. Koans show you that you can depend on creative moves.
2. Koans encourage doubt and curosity.
3. Koans rely on uncertainty as a path to happiness.
4. Koans will undermine your reasons and your explanations.
5. Koans lead you to see life as funny rather than tragic.
6. Koans will change your idea of who you are, and this will require
courage.
7. Koans uncover a hidden kindness in life."
- John Tarrant, Bring Me the Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life
"The Gateless Gate (Mandarin:
無門關 Wúménguān; Japanese: 無門関 Mumonkan), more accurately translated as The
Gateless Barrier, is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans compiled in the early 13th century by the Chinese Zen master Wumen
Huikai (無門慧開; Japanese: Mumon Ekai; 1183–1260). Wumen's preface
indicates that the volume was published in 1228. Each koan is accompanied by a
commentary and verse by Wumen. A classic edition includes a 49th case composed
by Anwan (pen name for Cheng Ch'ing-Chih) in 1246. Wu-liang Tsung-shou also
supplemented the volume with a verse of four stanzas composed in 1230 about the
three checkpoints of Zen master Huanglong. These three checkpoints of Huanglong
should not be confused with Doushuai's Three Checkpoints found in Case 47.
Along with the Blue Cliff Record and the oral tradition of Hakuin
Ekaku, The Gateless Gate is a central work much used in Rinzai School practice. Five of the koans in the work concern the sayings
and doings of Zhaozhou; four concern Ummon.
The common theme of the koans of the Wumen Guan and of Wumen's comments is the
inquiry and introspection of dualistic conceptualization. Each koan epitomizes
one or more of the polarities of consciousness that act like an obstacle or wall
to the insight. The student is challenged to transcend the polarity that the
koan represents and demonstrate or show that transcendence to the Zen teacher."
- Wikipedia
"The kõan practice is first and foremost a religious practice, undertaken
primarily not in order to solve a riddle, not to perfect the spontaneous
performance of some skill, not to learn a new form of linguistic expression, not
to play cultural politics, and not to carry on scholarship. Such ingredients may
certainly be involved, but they are always subservient to the traditional
Buddhist goals of awakened wisdom and selfless compassion."
- Victor Sogen Hori, Capping Phrases
"The Zen tradition sometimes loads a word with positive, negative, concrete and transcendental meanings, thus making its semantics ambiguous or enigmatic. ...Over thirty books of Dogen translations and studies have been published in English, which makes Dogen by far the most extensively studies East Asian Buddhist in the Western World. ...Over seven hundred years after his time, Dogen's writings are still fresh and captivating for Buddhists and non-Buddhists. The paradoxes, absurd images, and ofter impenetrable language in his essay are not merely exotic or intriguing. They point to a part of human consciousness that goes unnoticed. Dogen's writing reveals a reality that is only experienced through a life-long investigation of nonduality. The Freeedom - including freedom from thinking itself and language itself - that we see in Dogen's writing us stunning.
- Kazuaki Tanahashi, Enlightenment Unfolds, 2000, Introduction
"Here are examples of other types of Zen rhetoric that Dogen adopts and employs:
1. Startling images: “There is [a mountain] walking, there is [a mountain] flowing, and there is a moment when a mountain gives birth to a mountain child.”
2. Upside-down language: “The forest runs around the hunting dog.”
3. Tautology: “A fish swims like a fish. . . . A bird flies like a bird.”
4. Negative tautology: “An ancient buddha said, ‘Mountains are mountains, waters are waters.’ These words do not mean mountains are mountains; they mean mountains are mountains.”
5. Chopped logic: “At the very moment of asking the meaning of Bodhidharma’s coming from India, this dharma wheel is nothing is essential. Nothing is essential doesn’t mean not to utilize or break this dharma wheel. This dharma wheel turns in nothing is essential.”
6. Contradiction: “We manifest the voice of insentient beings speaking dharma with the eyes. Investigate the eyes extensively. Because the voice heard by the eyes should be the same as the voice heard by the ears, the voice heard by the eyes is not the same as the voice heard by the ears.”
7. The same word with contrasting meanings: “To study the self [selfless universal self] is to forget the self [ego]. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things.”
8. Opposite uses of the same metaphor: (a) “When Bodhidharma came from India, the root of twining vines [entanglement with letters and theories] was immediately cut off and the pure, single buddha dharma spread. Hope that it will be like this in our country.”62 (b) “‘Teacher and disciple practice mutually’ is twining vines [intimate interactions] of buddha ancestors.”
9. Reversed statement: “An ancient buddha said, ‘A painting of a rice cake does not satisfy hunger.’ . . . there is no remedy for satisfying hunger other than a painted rice cake.”
10. Non sequitur: “Zhaozhou . . . was once asked by a monk, ‘I heard that you personally saw Nanquan. Is it true?’ Zhaozhou said, ‘A giant radish was here in Zhen Region.’”
11. One equals half: “Since intimacy surrounds you, it is fully intimate, half intimate.”
12. One equals many: “When even one single thing is serene, myriad things are serene.”
13. Seemingly mundane talk: “Zhaozhou, Great Master Zhenji, asked a newly arrived monk, ‘Have you been here before?’ The monk said, ‘Yes, I have been here.’ Zhaozhou said, ‘Have some tea.’”
These modes of absurdity, contradiction, and double meaning are partly East Asian but mostly Zen, where there is inherent distrust in conventional language and logic. Dogen often makes an effort to crush and penetrate normal intellectual views, going directly to the source of consciousness that is reality itself, before reasoning in duality and nonduality arise. He sometimes calls this mode of communication “intimate language” or “true expression.” It is a realm of word beyond word and logic beyond logic."
- Kazuaki Tanahashi, Treasury of the True Dharma Eye, 2010, p. 38-
These rehetorical techniques (1-13) are used as subject terms in my Subject Index to Zen Buddhist Koans:
Ambiguity
Chopped Logic
Contradiction
Contrasting Meanings
Metaphor
Mundane Talk
Negative Tautology
Non-Sequitur
Quotation
One Equals Half
One Equals Many
Opposite Uses Same Metaphor
Poem Cited
Reversed Statement
Startling Images
Tautology
Upside Down Language
Kōans: Index, Concordance
Kung-ans, Gōng'àns, 公案
Reference Sources
Subject Index to Cases in Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Title Index to Cases in Koan Collections. Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Books I Own and Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
Database Management Notes
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
For the purposes of the Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project, I define a 'Koan' as a Brief Spiritual Lesson (BSL, 1 to 2 pages in length). These Lessons (Cases) have been preserved for many centuries by Taoists, Chan Buddhists, Zen Buddhists, and Philosophers; and some were created since 1980. They are typically found in 'BSL/Koan/Meditations Collections" with from 48 to 365 brief spiritual Lessons or Meditations (mostly 1 page in length) not including later additions of text commentaries, capping verses, poems, introductions/prefaces, and notes that can make for 2-6 pages of reading per Lesson. Each brief spiritual Lesson (Case) is titled in a Collection. The BSL/Koan titles are listed numerically in the front of the 'BSL/Koan/Meditation Lessons Collection'; but the Lessons are in random order. There is no list of the Lesson (Cases) titles in alphabetical order. There are no detailed indexes to a typical 'BSL/Koan Collection'.
Gateless Gate or Gateless Barrier Koan Collection (GB)
48 Cases of Brief Stories, Wisdom Tales, Koans, Sermons, Dialogues, Parables
Compiled around 1250 CE. 8 English commentaries and/or translations available in 2023.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 25, 2023.
Source for Case Titles: The Gateless Gate, Translated with commentary and notes by Koun Yamada Roshi, 2004, 301 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Gateless Barrier (GB) Koan Collection Cases. PDF, 2 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Gateless Barrier Koan Collection. PDF, 2 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Gateless Barrier (GB) Koan Collection. PDF, 9 pages.
PDF files are searchable. Use the keyboard strokes: Ctrl + F This will open the Search or Find box.
Historically, the transmission, articulation, teaching, and preservaton of Taoist/Buddhist ideas was accomplished
verbally and ritualistically in most teaching enviroments considering the very low rates of literacy in the ancient
world. Written
preservation
involved writing with ink and brush on paper, and keeping these paper scrolls safe
in a temple or scholar's library. Wood block
carved plates were used to print books after the 12th century. After
the
18th century, these spiritual Koan Classics were being
printed using
metal movable type printing. Translations
and commentaries from the Japanese or Chinese
languages
into the
English Language of these Buddhist Koan
Classic collections and their
print publication
on the West Coast of America began in the
1960's. Translation of Chinese
Taoist works
into
the English Language
began in 1900.
The Blue Cliff Record Koan Collection (BCR)
100 Cases of Brief Stories, Spiritual Encounters, Koans, Wisdom Tales, Sermons, Dialogues, Parables
Compiled around 1125 CE. 8 English commentaries and/or translations available in 2023.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 25, 2023.
Source for Case Titles:The Blue Cliff Record, Translated with commentary and notes by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary, 1977, 648 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection Cases. PDF, 4 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Blue Cliff Record (BCR) Koan Collection. PDF, 21 pages.
Daodejing by Laozi, Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Daodejing by Laozi.
81 Verses, Cases, Chapters. Our popular version compiled around 220 CE.
Hundreds of English commentaries and/or translations available in 2023.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. Third Draft in June 2014.
A typical webpage created by Michael P. Garofalo for each one of the 81 brief Chapters (Verses, Cases, Sections) of the Daodejing includes 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter. Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Daodejing includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization. Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Daodejing Chapter.
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index
Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Daodejing by Laozi (DDJ)
81 Chapters, Verses, Cases, Sections.
Hundreds of English commentaries and/or translations available in 2023.
Our popular Chapter order version was compiled around 220 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 29, 2023.
Source for Case/Verse/Chapter Titles: Tao Te Ching translation by Lin Yutang in 1955.
For the Koan Database, I limited search terms/Tags to 4 entries.
My more extensive online searchable Concordance for the Tao Te Ching is described above.
List by Chapters/Case Numbers for the Daodejing (DDJ). PDF, 3 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Titles of Chapters in the Tao Te Ching (DDJ). PDF, 3 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Tao Te Ching (DDJ) PDF, 13 pages.
Master Subject Index
Brrief Spiritual Lessons, Brief Religious Teaching Stories
Brief Chapters, Tales, Fables, Sermons, Koans, Meditations, Lectures
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
China, Japan, and American Pacific West Coast
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Koans Database Project
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Third Draft, April 10, 2023. PDF File, 133 Pages
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans
EDT Everyday Tao 300 Chapters Lessons Taoist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koan Cases Buddhist
ICHI I Ching 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders, USA
OHPS 100 Parable Sutra
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 25 Chapters Philosopher
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Taoist
TOL Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
Master Subject Index for the Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project. PDF File, 133 pages.
Third Draft, April 10, 2023.
Keys to Collections of BSL/Koans
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington, 2023
PDF files are searchable. Use the keyboard strokes: Ctrl + F This will open the Search or Find box.
Cases = Buddhist brief spiritual lessons, Koans, dialogues, puzzles, wisdom tales, Chan/Taoist teaching, Lore, Fables, Records
Chapters = Taoist brief spiritual lessons, classic Daoist spiritual literature, tales, fables, lectures, expositions.
Internet
Links in PDF Files are clickable/searchable.
The Book of Serenity (BOS) Book of Equanimity
100 Cases of Brief Stories, Spiritual Encounters, Koans, Wisdom Tales, Sermons, Dialogues, Parables
Compiled and published around 1224 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on April 3, 2023.
Source for Case Titles: The Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translated with commentary by Thomas Cleary, 2005, 512 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection Cases. PDF, 4 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Cases in the Book of Serenity (BOS) Koan Collection. PDF, 19 pages.
Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living (TGPL)
111 Brief Chapters with Chinese Taoist Stories, Tales, Advice, Parables
First written around 150 BCE. Compiled, edited, and with commentary in 320 CE.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on July 1, 2023.
Taoism: My Reading List and Other Research Tools
Source for Case Titles: Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong. Boston, Shambhala, 2001, 246 pages.
Transmission of Light (TOL)
53 Biographies of Buddhist Patriarchs, Leaders, Legends, Thinkers, Famous Ones
Written by Zen Master Keizan (1268-1325). Title: Denkoroku.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on March 30, 2023.
Source for Biographies: Transmission of Light: Zen in the Art of Enlightenment. Translated by Thomas Cleary, 1990, 207 pages.
Alphabetical List of the Biographies in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 3 pages.
List of Biography Cases by Case Numbers in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 2 pages.
Subject Index to the Biographies in the Transmission of Light (TOL) Collection. PDF, 3 pages.
365 Tao (DMD) Taoist Daily Meditations
365 One Page Meditations created by Deng Ming-Dao in 1992
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. 365 Cases/Verses/Pages.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on July 1, 2023.
365 one page Taoist lectures on 365 aspects of living. One meditation/case/essay for each day of the year.
Outstanding Daoist meditations, reflections, lore, insights. I use the numbering based on the seasonal
arrangement for the Northern Hemisphere.
Later, I will also index the Chinese seasonal events, activities, and celebrations
so beautifully
described in Deng Ming-Dao's fine book: The Lunar Tao. The seasonal cycles/events/doings are
important to me and to Taoists.
Alphabetical List of the 365 Tao (TDM) Taoist Daily Meditations One Page Essays. PDF, 13 pages.
List of One Page Essays by Page numbers (Cases) in the 365 Tao (TDM) Taoist Daily Meditations Book. PDF, 13 pages.
Subject Index to the One Page Essays (Cases) in the 365 Tao (TDM) Taoist Daily Meditations Book. PDF, 40 pages
Dogen's Shobogenzo Lectures Collection (DSL)
95 Facisles/Chapters Lectures, Homolies, Sermons, Adhorations, Meditations
Written and published around 1250 CE.
Compiled by Eihei Dogen Roshi (1200-1253). Four English translations available in 2023.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. First Draft on July 1, 2023.
Eihei Dogen: My Reading List and Other Research Tools
Source for Case Titles: Master Dogen's Shobogenzo. Translated with notes by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross. 4 Volumes, 1999.
Eihei Dogen Research Library VSCL
Alphabetical List of the Fasciles/Chapters in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSL) Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
List of Cases by Case Numbers in Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSL) Lectures. PDF, 4 pages.
Subject Index to Dogen's Shobogenzo (DSL) Lectures. PDF, 21 pages.
Zhuangzi (ZHUA) = Zhuang Tzu = Chuang Tzu
33 Brief Chapters with Chinese Taoist Stories, Tales, Advice, Parables
First written around 4th Century BC.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. Second Draft, April 10, 2023.
Taoism: My Reading List and Other Research Tools
Text Reference: Wandering on the Way. Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu.
Translated by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pages. 33 Stories.
Alphabetical List of the Chapters in Zhuangi (ZHUA). PDF, 24 pages.
List of Chapters by Chapter Number in Zhuangzi (ZHUA). PDF, 2 pages.
Subject Index to the Chapters in Zhuangzi (ZHUA). PDF, 20 pages. Second Draft, April 10, 2023.
Information, Biographies, Links, Books
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. Second Draft on April 11, 2023.
INFO Subjects in the Koan Database Project. PDF, 7 pages.
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo.
The Fireplace Records
Buddhist Koans: A Subject Index
278 Koans Indexed
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
First Draft, April 12, 2023
Buddhist Koans: A Subject Index. 278 Koans indexed by Michael P. Garofalo. PDF, 55 pages.
What's Coming in 2023 and 2024 [Maybe?]:
Michael Garofalo's Brief Spiritual Lessons Indexing Project
Indexing Brief Spiritual Lessons, Stories, Koans, Encounters, Wisdom Tales, Lectures,
Sermons, Lore, Dialogues, Inspirational Verse, History, Scriptures, Advice, Poetry,
Buddhist and Taoist Literature, Koans, Mondos, Collected Lessons, and Lore
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. 365 One Page Meditations.
Master Subject Index of the Koan Database Project
The Lunar Tao by Deng Ming-Dao. 365 Cases.
Lieh-tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living. By Eva Wong, 2001, 264 pages.
Dogen Koan Collection (Shinji Mana Shobogenzo) (SMS) 301 Koan Collection; Compiled around 1220 CE.
Open a Mountain. 60 Koan Collection, compiled by Steven Heine, 2001.
The World of Mulla Nasruddin. Translated with commentary by Idries Shah. Kindle Scribe, 2020, 493 pages. VSCL, Kindle E Book.
Entangling Vines. 272 Koans; compiled and printed in Japan in 1658.
Flock of Fools: Ancient Buddhist Tales of Wisdom and Laughter From the One Hundred Parable Sutra.
Modern (MOD) Modern (1800-1999) Contemporary Brief Spiritual Verses, Key Leaders, Information
Great Short Poems. Compiled with commentary by Paul Negri. Dover Publications, 2000, 64 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
The Record of Linji. 50 Koan Collection; translation and commentary by Ruth Fuller Sasaki, 2009. Compiled around 850 CE.
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. VSCL, Paperback and Kindle EBook.
Doorways to the Soul: 52 Wisdom Tales From Around the World. Compiled and retold with commentary by Elisa Davy Pearmain. 160 pages, 2007.
The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans. Translated with commentary by Dosho Port. Shambhala, 2021, 320 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Books I Use in My Research and Study of Koan Collections
Sparks: Brief Spiritual Stories, Dialogues, and Encounters
Matches to Start the Kindling of Insight
May the
Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Zen Buddhist Koan Collections
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Hard Questions
Bibliography, Indexing, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo
Texts Chosen for Indexing
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project 2023-2024
English Language Texts
Indexing: Books, Resources, References, Research, Tools
Taoism, Chan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Philosophers
China, Japan, and the Pacific West Coast of the USA
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Buddhism: Gateless Gate GB Gateless Barrier 48 Cases
The Gateless Gate, Translated with commentary and notes by Koun Yamada Roshi, 2004, 301 pages.
Taoism: Dao De Jing, Tao Te Ching TTJ 81 One-Page Chapters/Cases
Tao Te Ching Website by Michael P. Garofalo
Buddhism: Blue Cliff Record BCR 100 Cases
The Blue Cliff Record, Translated with commentary and notes by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary, 1977, 648 pages.
Taoism: 365 Tao DMD 365 One-Page Meditations/Cases
365 Tao: Daily Meditations. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1992, 400 pages. 365 One-Page Meditations/Cases
Buddhism: Book of Serenity BOS Book of Tranquility 100 Cases
The Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues. Translated with commentary by Thomas Cleary, 2005, 512 pages.
Taoism: Lunar Tao, TLT 150 Chinese Seasonal Activities Events Customs
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
Buddhism: Transmission of Light TOL 53 Biographies
Transmission of Light: Zen in the Art of Enlightenment. Translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambhala, 1990, 207 pages.
Taoism: Lieh-Tsu: Guide to Practical Living LTPL 111 Brief Chapters
Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living Translated by Eva Wong. Boston, Shambhala, 1995, 246 pages.
Buddhism: Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koan Collection DSMS 301 Cases
The True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dōgen's Three Hundred Koans
Shambhala, 2005, 472 pages.
Taoism: Chuang Tzu, Zuangzi, ZUAN 33 Chapters
Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu. Translation by Victor H. Mair. Bantam, 1994, 402 pages.
Taoism: I Ching Yijing HEX 64 Hexagrams
The Complete I Ching. By Taoist Master Alfred Huang. Inner Traditions, 1998, 2010, 542 pages.
Philosopher: The Fireplace Records TFR 25 Cases
The Fireplace Records by Michael P. Garofalo, 2023, 25 Posts
Sort Codes for Koan Database
Koan/Stories/Meditations
Collections
1. Gateless Barrier GB
2. Blue Cliff Record BCR
3. Book of Serenity BOS
4. Dao De Jing DDJ
5. Fireplace Record TFR
6. 365 Tao DMD
7. Keizan TOL
8. Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans DSMS
9. Information INFO
10. Lunar Tao TLT
11.
Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays DSMS
12. Lieh-Tzu LTPL
13. Dogen's Shobogenzo Lectures DSL
14.
Zuangzi Chapters ZUAN
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Buddhist Koans/Cases Databases
Taoist Chapters/Lessons Databases
Keys to Collections
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans
EDT Everyday Tao 300 Chapters Lessons Taoist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koan Cases Buddhist
ICHI I Ching 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders
OHPS 100 Parable Sutra
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 23 Chapters Philosopher
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Taoist
TOL Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
mpgarofalo 4/14/2023
Database Notes, Codes, Keys, Current Setups, Practice
Koan Database Notes:
Sort Codes for Collections
1. Gateless Barrier GB
2. Blue Cliff Record BCR
3. Book of Serenity BOS
4. Dao De Jing DDJ
5. Fireplace Record TFR
6. 365 Tao DMD
7. Keizan TOL
8. Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans DSMS
9. Information INFO
10. Lunar Tao LT
11.
Dogen's Shobogenzo Essays DSMS
12. Lieh-tzu TGPL
When indexing titles, avoid using the articles "the" or "a" or "an" at the start of the title.
Include all duplicate Cases because the commentaries will differ for that case.
Cases are the general term for one-page essays, brief meditations, a poem, a summary, a brief dialogue, a fable, a short chapter, a parable, a brief spiritual teaching story, etc.
The Title for each Case is taken from the specific translation commentary book reference that I have cited.
The books chosen will reflect mostly Daoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, Philosophers, and Confucian brief wisdom tales collections.
I will be learning how to use the Microsoft Access database software. Ideas are the glue that sticks the myraid objects and sensations together: ideas, links, groupings, database fields.
[I just started using Microsoft Access again on 3/23/2023. Just learning this database software by reading books and by creating this Koan Database Project in 2023. I am focused on improving my indexing skills, adding content, and improving my database Report creation skills.]
Reminder: When you find a hypertext document or file (PDF, JPG, .doc, GIF) on the
Internet that seems valuable to you, then download the hypertext document or file
to your computer's hard disk drive or on your external hard disk drive. Why?
That hypertext document or file might be gone tomorrow!
Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project:
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Zhuangzi (ZHUA) Chuang Tzu
Master Supbject Index to 33 Chapters
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
First Draft,
April 11, 2023
Reference Source:
"Wandering on the Way: Chuang Tzu" by Victor H. Mair, 1994
Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project:
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Compilation, Commentaries, Bibliographies,
Indexing, Research, Writings, and Web Publishing
By Michael P. Garofalo
Fir Grove, Vancouver, Washington
Green Way Research https://www.egreenway.com/index.htm
Cloud Hands Blog http://mpgtaijiquan.blogspot.com/
Taoism https://www.egreenway.com/taoism/index.htm
Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
https://www.egreenway.com/taoism/ttclzindex.htm
Buddhism https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/index.htm
Koan Database Project https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
The Spirit of Gardening https://gardendigest.com/quotes.htm
One Old Daoist Druid https://www.egreenway.com/druids/index.htm
Brief Spiritual Lessons and Meditations https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
How to Live a Good Life https://www.egreenway.com/reason/advice.htm
Virtue Ethics https://www.egreenway.com/virtues/index.htm
Taijiquan and Qigong
https://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/index.htm
Poetry by Michael P. Garofalo https://gardendigest.com/poetry/index.htm
Zen Poetry and Haiku https://gardendigest.com/zen/index.htm
The Fireplace Records
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/fireplace.htm
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/michael.garofalo.39904
Email: https://www.egreenway.com/mail.htm
Michael P. Garofalo, April 11, 2023
Transmission of Light, Keizan Biographies (TOL)Transmission of Light, Keizan Biographies (TOL)
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans (DSMS)
Master Subject Index
Brrief Spiritual Lessons, Brief Religious Teaching Stories
Brief Chapters, Tales, Fables, Sermons, Koans, Meditations, Lectures
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
China, Japan, and American Pacific West Coast
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Buddhist Koans Cases Database
Taoist Chapers Lessons Database
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington
Fourth Draft, May 3, 2023
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans
EDT Everyday Tao 300 Chapters Lessons Taoist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koan Cases Buddhist
ICHI I Ching 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders, USA
OHPS 100 Parable Sutra
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 25 Chapters Philosopher
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Taoist
TOL Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
Brief Spiritual Stories, Lessons, Koans, Chapters, Essays
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Master Subject Index for the Brief Spiritual Lessons and Koans Database Project. PDF File, 225 pages.
Fourth Draft, July 1, 2023.
Keys to Collections of BSL/Koans
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington, 2023
PDF files are searchable. Use the keyboard strokes: Ctrl + F This will open the Search or Find box.
Cases = Buddhist brief spiritual lessons, Koans, dialogues, puzzles, wisdom tales, Chan/Taoist teaching, Lore, Fables, Records
Chapters = Taoist brief spiritual lessons, classic Daoist spiritual literature, tales, fables, lectures, expositions.
Internet
Links in PDF Files are clickable/searchable.
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project
Buddhist Koans/Cases Databases
Taoist Chapters/Lessons Databases
Keys to Collections
Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
BCR Blue Cliff Record 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
BOS Book of Serenity 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
DDJ Dao De Jing 81 Chapters Lessons Taoist
DMD 365 Tao 365 Chapters Meditations Taoist
DSE Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
DSMS Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 301 Koans
EDT Everyday Tao 300 Chapters Lessons Taoist
GB Gateless Barrier 48 Koan Cases Buddhist
ICHI I Ching 64 Hexagrams Taoist
INFO Information, Notes, History, Leaders
REH Record of Empty Hall 100 Koan Cases Buddhist
SHOB Dogen’s Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist
TFR Fireplace Records 23 Chapters Philosopher
TGPL Lieh-Tzu 111 Chapters Lessons Taoist
TLT Lunar Tao 150 Chapters Taoist
TOL Keizan Biographies 53 Biographies Buddhist
VTAR Voyager Tarot 78 Cards Philosopher
WEN Wen-Tzu 180 Chapters Lessons Taoist
ZHUA Zhuangzi Chuang Tzu 33 Chapters Taoist
mpgarofalo 4/14/2023
Brief Zen Buddhist Spiritual Stories, Koans, Lessons, Essays, Dialogues, and Encounters
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Brief Taoist Spiritual Stories, Lessons, Chapters, Essays, Dialogues, and Encounters
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koans.htm
Blue Cliff Record (BCR), All 100 Cases Buddhist
Tao Te Ching, Daodejing (DDJ), All 81 Chapters Taoist
Gateless Barrier (GB), All 48 Cases Buddhist
Zhuangzi (ZHUA) Chuang Tzu All 33 Chapters Taoist
Book of Serenity (BOS) All 100 Cases Buddhist
365 Tao (DMD) 200 Chapters Taoist
Transmission of Light: Keizan All 53 Biographies (TOL)
Buddhist
Lieh-Tzu: Guide to Practical Living (TGPL) All 111 Chapters Taoist
Record of Empty Hall (REH) All 100 Cases
Buddhist
Wen-Tzu Understanding Mysteries (WEN) 20 Chapters Taoist
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo Koans (DSMS) 100 Cases Buddhist
Fireplace Records (TFR) 23 Chapters Philosopher
Biography of Michael P. Garofalo
Michael Peter Garofalo (1946-) grew up in East Los Angeles, was educated in Catholic Schools, graduated (B.A., M.S.) from local universities, married Karen, served in the US Air Force, worked in and managed many City and Los Angeles County Public Libraries, raised two children (Alicia and Michael), socialized, traveled, and learned. In 1998, we moved to a rural 5 acre property in Red Bluff, in the North Sacramento Valley, CA. A webmaster since 1999. Worked part-time for the Corning School District (Technolgy and Media Services Manager); and as a yoga, taijiquan, and fitness club instructor until 2016. Travelled extensively in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. We both retired, and we moved to Vancouver, Washington, in 2017. Currently in 2023: reading, Taoist/Buddhist/Zen research, playing Tai Chi Chuan, walking, writing, web publishing, monthly oceanside retreats, gardening, family events, poetry research, sports events, and photography.
Cloud Hands Blog by Michael P. Garofalo
Research by Michael P. Garofalo
This webpage was first published on the Internet on December 6, 2014.
This webpage was last updated, changed, reformatted, improved, edited, expanded, revised or modified on May 4, 2023.
Green Way Research, Red Bluff, California (1998-2017); Vancouver, Washington (2017-2023)
How to Live the Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo