Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes

by David Rothenberg

Much as Coleman Barks breathed new life into the work of the great Sufi poet Rumi and reached the hearts and minds of contemporary readers, David Rothenberg now brings us vividly poetic new versions of the enigmatic koans and riddles from the classic Zen Buddhist text, the Blue Cliff Record. Blue Cliff Record: Zen Echoes is an accessible contemporary distillation of this twelfth-century treasure of Zen Buddhism, a lively feast of words and images designed to stretch and open the mind.

Genres: Poetry

126 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

David Rothenberg is a professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. His research investigates the musicality of animals and the role of nature in philosophy. He received his BA from Harvard College in 1984 and his PhD from Boston University in 1991.

Reviews

[Deborah Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

More an adaptation than translation, though I really enjoyed this. Between a 4 and 5 for me.

[Joseph Boquiren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koans are the canonical text (if there is such a thing) of Zen practice. The Blue Cliff Record is a written documentation of moments of insight, instances of dharma combat, and poetry from the ancestors of this Buddhist tradition. Koans are not riddles but serve more like cairns in a featureless landscape giving the traveler an indication as to the correct path of travel. Koans are meant to be experienced in one's own life. Dave Rothenberg does a masterful work of translating the ancient Chinese text into the English language while still retaining the flow and grace of the original writers.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

More an adaptation than translation, though I really enjoyed this. Between a 4 and 5 for me.