Abstract
In “Songyuan Chongyue (_??__??__??__??_): His Biography and Thought” (IBK 54:1, 2006), I examined Songyuan's stupa inscription from Lu You's (_??__??_) Weinan wenji, and pointed out that “It is not the tongue that one speaks with, ” one of the two turning phrases from his Record of Sayings, is of great importance.
This phrase, together with another, “Why is a man (of great strength) not able to lift his legs?”, were both introduced as the 20th case in The Gateless Passage (_??__??__??_). “Obviously, the two phrases, ” as Takashi Hirata commented in his annotated translation of The Gateless Passage, “indicate Songyuan's criticism of Chan quietism.”
It is now known, however, from the teachings of the founder of Kencho-ji (_??__??__??_) and Songyuan's second generation successor, Lanxi Daolong (_??__??__??__??_) that Songyuan in fact put great emphasis on seated meditation. In this paper, the relationship between seated meditation and his two turning phrases is addressed. I am certain that the two turning phrases are concerned with nothing more than his opinions on true enlightenment through a koan. It can be inferred that, by examining Dahui's (_??__??_) sayings on seated meditation and koan practice, efforts in both practices are equally necessary. Hirata's conclusion about Songyuan's criticism of Chan quietism therefore proves inappropriate.
