Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui

by J.C. Cleary

The writings of the twelfth-century Chinese Zen master Ta Hui are as immediately accessible as those of any contemporary teacher, and this book, which introduced them to the English-speaking world in the 1970s, has become a modern classic—a regular feature of recommended reading lists for Zen centers across America, even though the book has become difficult to find. We are happy to make the book available again after more than a decade of scarcity.

J. C. Cleary's translation is as noteworthy for its elegant simplicity as for its accuracy. He has culled from the voluminous writings of Ta Hui Tsung Kao in the Chi Yeuh Lu this selection of letters, sermons, and lectures, some running no longer than a page, which cover a variety of subjects ranging from concern over the illness of a friend's son to the tending of an ox. Ta Hui addresses his remarks mainly to people in lay life and not to his fellow monks. Thus the emphasis throughout is on ways in which those immersed in worldly occupations can nevertheless learn Zen and achieve the liberation promised by the Buddha. These texts, available in English only in this translation, come as a revelation for their lucid thinking and startling wisdom. The translator's essay on Chan (Chinese Zen) Buddhism and his short biography of Ta Hui place the texts in their proper historical perspective.

Genres: Zen, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Religion, Poetry

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2006

About the author

Jonathan Christopher "Chris" Cleary, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University, 1985; A.B., Folklore and Mythology, Harvard College), was the brother of Thomas F. Cleary and a translator in his own right, focusing on medieval Chinese texts, particularly relating to Ch'an & Zen Buddhism.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have to read one book on Zen . . . No, scratch that. If you have to read one book, read this. Hands down, the most penetrating, clear, unequivocal, brilliant truth that you can actually live by. Informal teachings and personal letters from Ta Hui, a relatively modern master (1089-1163), primarily to lay practitioners. Very useful life advice and encouragement. Totally, vibrantly relevant and life-altering. Nothing more to say; I've already said too much.

[Viv JM]

Swampland Flowers begins with a short introduction to the life and lineage of Zen Master Ta Hui, followed by a brief explanation of the key tenets of Buddhism. The rest of the book comprises letters and lectures of 12th century Chinese Buddhist master, Ta Hui. These range from a paragraph to several pages in length and are largely written to lay members of the Buddhist community, rather than monks.

Despite having some knowledge of Buddhism and several years experience of meditation practice, I found these letters quite difficult to understand. From what I did understand, there is a lot of emphasis on not clinging, including not clinging to the actual practice of meditation and study of the Sutras. My favourite letter in the collection was written to a man whose young son is gravely ill. Master Ta Hui says:

If you want to think, then think; if you want to cry, then cry. Just keep on crying and thinking. When you can arouse yourself to the point where the habit energy of love and affection within the Storehouse Consciousness is exhausted, then naturally it's like water being returned to water, giving you back your original being, without affliction, without thoughts, without sorrow and joy.

I feel that, to get the most from this collection, it would be better read under the guidance of an experienced Zen teacher or at least as part of a discussion group. For that reason, I am not giving it a rating as that seems unjust given my limited understanding.

[alexander · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure I retained much of the rambling paradoxes in here but it gave me a few frissons revisiting the Buddhist way of thinking about things. A dog has no Buddha-nature.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea! I was/am so in love with YuanWu and his Zen Letters... this is an incredible find.

When Yuanwu and Ta Hui were leaving dokusan and going to their private quarters, Yuanwu asked him, "And what would you do if you met a fellow like me?" "I've been an executioner all my life. When I see a fat fellow I slice!"

[Malik Salam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timeless. What a joy to read these letters written almost a thousand years ago, in a society where everything would be different on the surface and find that, fundamentally, nothing has changed. Through his sometimes hard nosed tone, blooms a true grandmotherly compassion and a willingness to go to any lengths to help his students.

[J. Maximilian Jarrett II · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water".

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleary's translation of this 12th cent Ch'an master make him sound almost modern. Attachment to ideas is as much a scourge of modern civilization as it was in Ta Hui's day, and this problem is his pole star. Almost all of these letters and lectures gravitate toward non-discrimination and present awareness. They are not always clear, to be sure, but I found that if I framed a difficult passage in the context of non-discrimination that it made more sense. Some familiarity with Buddhism and Zen concepts generally was helpful.

[Ronaldo]

“... now I ask you, where are you from? Do you still think of that place or not?”

“I’m constantly thinking of it.”

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just want to thank Shambhala for bringing this translation of Ta Hui back into print in 2006! Thank you thank you thank you. It was such a pleasant surprise to come across it again.