Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching (Chinese Zhengfayanzang) stands as among the greatest classics of Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism, combining speeches, stories, dialogues, poems, and commentaries that the influential master Dahui (1089-1163) extracted from Chan lore. Compiled by Dahui's students during Song Dynasty China, this work is replete with the enigmatic, paradoxical wisdom for which Zen Buddhism is so well known.

Central to this collection is the notion of "great doubt" in matters of language, conceptual thinking, and how we conceive of our existence. By working with great doubt through koan introspection and other meditative practices, a practitioner is able to push themself to the limits of ideas and concepts until a breakthrough to enlightenment is achieved. In the words of Dahui, "Within great doubt there necessarily exists great enlightenment."

Central to this collection is the notion of "great doubt" in matters of A fascinating compendium of literary and spiritual puzzles, Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching will challenge and inspire readers to work with great doubt themselves and to discover their inborn potential for enlightenment. Masterfully translated by one of America's foremost translators of Chinese classics into English, it is a captivating window into the literary world of Chinese Zen and essential reading for students of all Zen schools today.

Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching: Classic Stories, Discourses, and Poems of the Chan Tradition, Dahui, Thomas Cleary (Translator), Shambhala Publications, Paperback, 464 pages, $29.95

The Chan master Dahui Zonggao (Ta-hui Tsung-kao) (1089-1163) perfected the koan technique. One of his first teachers reportedly interviewed him on the koans in the collection now known as the Blue Cliff Record, but he did so by not speaking a word and thereby forcing Dahui to work them out for himself. Dahui also experimented with the Caodong teachings, but early on began to question the straitlaced, quietistic approach of that house. He finally was directed to the teacher Yuanwu Keqin (Yuan-wu K'o-ch'in) of the Linji school, beginning the association that would move him to the forefront of the struggle to save Chan via the koan.

Thomas Cleary (translator) holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.