Public study library
Five collections.
322 cases.
Read the koan collections freely, move case by case, and follow linked teacher names into the public teacher directory.
No account is required. Each adaptation appears only after editorial review.The cases
Denkōroku
53 cases
Record of the Transmission of Illumination
Denkōroku
The Record of the Transmission of the Light
- PROJECT CASE 1Śākyamuni Sees the Morning StarTransmission case Śākyamuni Buddha saw the morning star, awakened to the Way, and said: “I, together with the great earth and all its sentient beings…→
- PROJECT CASE 2Mahākāśyapa SmilesTransmission case The First Ancestor was Venerable Mahākāśyapa. The World-Honored One held up a flower and blinked. Mahākāśyapa's face broke into a f…→
- PROJECT CASE 3Ānanda and the FlagpoleTransmission case The Second Ancestor was Venerable Ānanda. He asked Venerable Kāśyapa, “Elder brother, the World-Honored One transmitted the gold-br…→
- PROJECT CASE 4Sanavasa and the Robe CornerTransmission case The Third Ancestor was Venerable Śāṇavāsa. He asked Venerable Ānanda, “What is the originally unborn nature of all dharmas?” Ānand…→
- PROJECT CASE 5Upagupta Leaves HomeTransmission case The Fourth Ancestor was Venerable Upagupta. He attended Venerable Śāṇavāsa for three years. At last his hair was shaved off and he …→
- PROJECT CASE 6Dhitika Penetrates the True MeasureTransmission case The Fifth Ancestor was Venerable Dhītika. He said: “For one who leaves home, there is no ‘I’ as I, and nothing that belongs to thi…→
- PROJECT CASE 7Miccaka Leaves the Small StreamTransmission case The Sixth Ancestor was Venerable Miccaka. The Fifth Ancestor instructed him: “The Buddha said, ‘Cultivating immortality and studyi…→
- PROJECT CASE 8Vasumitra and the Wine VesselTransmission case The Seventh Ancestor was Venerable Vasumitra. He set his wine vessel before Venerable Miccaka, bowed, and stood there. Miccaka ask…→
- PROJECT CASE 9Buddhanandi Debates MeaningTransmission case The Eighth Ancestor was Venerable Buddhanandi. When he met the Seventh Ancestor, Venerable Vasumitra, he said, “I have come to deba…→
- PROJECT CASE 10Buddhamitra Hears the Mind VerseTransmission case The Ninth Ancestor was Venerable Buddhamitra. He heard Buddhanandi say: Your words are intimate with heart; Father and mother cann…→
- PROJECT CASE 11Parshva and the UnbornTransmission case The Tenth Ancestor was Venerable Pārśva. He attended at Venerable Buddhamitra's side for three years and never once slept. One day…→
- PROJECT CASE 12Punyayasas Meets the SovereignTransmission case The Eleventh Ancestor was Venerable Puṇyayaśas. He stood with palms joined before Venerable Pārśva. Pārśva asked, “Where have you …→
- PROJECT CASE 13Asvaghosa and the Sea Of Buddha NatureTransmission case The Twelfth Ancestor was Venerable Aśvaghoṣa. He asked Venerable Puṇyayaśas, “I want to know Buddha. What is it?” Puṇyayaśas said,…→
- PROJECT CASE 14Kapimala and the Wind NatureTransmission case The Thirteenth Ancestor was Venerable Kapimala. Venerable Aśvaghoṣa explained the ocean of buddha-nature to him: “Mountains, river…→
- PROJECT CASE 15Nagarjuna Reveals the Moon DiscTransmission case The Fourteenth Ancestor was Venerable Nāgārjuna. When the Thirteenth Ancestor answered a dragon king's invitation, he received a wi…→
- PROJECT CASE 16Kanadeva and the Bowl Of WaterTransmission case The Fifteenth Ancestor was Venerable Kāṇadeva. He went to call on the great being Nāgārjuna. As he approached the gate, Nāgārjuna k…→
- PROJECT CASE 17Rahulata and the MirrorTransmission case The Sixteenth Ancestor was Venerable Rāhulata. He attended Venerable Kāṇadeva. When he heard the former cause, he was moved to awak…→
- PROJECT CASE 18Sanghanandi and the BellTransmission case The Seventeenth Ancestor was Venerable Saṅghanandi. Venerable Rāhulata instructed him in verse: Because I am already without I, Yo…→
- PROJECT CASE 19Gayasata and the Wind BellTransmission case The Eighteenth Ancestor was Venerable Gayaśāta. He attended Venerable Saṅghanandi. Once they heard the wind sounding a bronze bell…→
- PROJECT CASE 20Kumarata and the JewelTransmission case The Nineteenth Ancestor was Venerable Kumārata. Venerable Gayaśāta instructed him: “Long ago the World-Honored One predicted, ‘One…→
- PROJECT CASE 21Jayata and the Karmic WindTransmission case The Twentieth Ancestor was Venerable Jayata. The Nineteenth Ancestor instructed him: “Although you now trust the three modes of ka…→
- PROJECT CASE 22Vasubandhu and the UnbornTransmission case The Twenty-First Ancestor was Venerable Vasubandhu. The Twentieth Ancestor said to him: “I do not seek the way, and I am not inver…→
- PROJECT CASE 23Manorhita and the FoamTransmission case The Twenty-Second Ancestor was Venerable Manorhita. He asked Venerable Vasubandhu, “What is the awakening of all buddhas?” Vasuban…→
- PROJECT CASE 24Haklenayasas and the Crane FlockTransmission case The Twenty-Third Ancestor was Venerable Haklenayaśas. Venerable Manorhita instructed him, “I have the unsurpassed great treasure of…→
- PROJECT CASE 25Simha and the SwordTransmission case The Twenty-Fourth Ancestor was Venerable Siṃha. He asked the Twenty-Third Ancestor, “I wish to seek the way. How should I apply my …→
- PROJECT CASE 26Basyasita and the RobeTransmission case The Twenty-Fifth Ancestor was Venerable Vasiṣṭha. The Twenty-Fourth Ancestor instructed him, “I now entrust in turn to you the Tath…→
- PROJECT CASE 27Punyamitra and the JewelTransmission case The Twenty-Sixth Ancestor was Venerable Puṇyamitra. While the teacher was still a prince, the Twenty-Fifth Ancestor asked, “You wis…→
- PROJECT CASE 28Prajnatara and the Breathing MindTransmission case The Twenty-Seventh Ancestor was Venerable Prajñātāra. The Twenty-Sixth Ancestor asked him, “Do you remember what happened before?” …→
- PROJECT CASE 29Bodhidharma and the MarrowTransmission case The Twenty-Eighth Ancestor was Venerable Bodhidharma. The Twenty-Seventh Ancestor, Venerable Prajñātāra, asked him, “Among all thin…→
- PROJECT CASE 30Huike and the Pacified MindTransmission case The Twenty-Ninth Ancestor was Great Master Dazu.[^1] He practiced with and attended the Twenty-Eighth Ancestor. One day he told th…→
- PROJECT CASE 31Sengcan and SinTransmission case The Thirtieth Ancestor was Great Master Jianzhi. He met the Twenty-Ninth Ancestor and asked, “This disciple's body is entangled in …→
- PROJECT CASE 32Daoxin and LiberationTransmission case The Thirty-First Ancestor was Zen Master Dayi. He bowed to Great Master Jianzhi and said, “I beg the reverend in compassion to give…→
- PROJECT CASE 33Hongren and the PathTransmission case The Thirty-Second Ancestor was Zen Master Daman.[^1] He met the Thirty-First Ancestor on the Huangmei road. The ancestor asked, “W…→
- PROJECT CASE 34Huineng and the BannerTransmission case The Thirty-Third Ancestor was Zen Master Daikan.[^1] The teacher was laboring in the rice-pounding shed at Huangmei. One night Zen…→
- PROJECT CASE 35Seigen Gyōshi and Luling RiceTransmission case The Thirty-Fourth Ancestor was Great Master Hongji.[^1] He attended the assembly at Sōkei and asked, “What should I undertake so as…→
- PROJECT CASE 36Sekitō Kisen and the Patriarchs TeachingTransmission case The Thirty-Fifth Ancestor was Great Master Wuji.[^1] He met Seigen. Seigen asked, “Where have you come from?” The teacher said, “…→
- PROJECT CASE 37Yakusan Igen and Preserving ItTransmission case The Thirty-Sixth Ancestor was Great Master Hongdao.[^1] He met Sekitō and asked: “I have a rough knowledge of the three vehicles a…→
- PROJECT CASE 38Ungan Donjō and the Seamless MonumentTransmission case The Thirty-Seventh Ancestor was Great Master Ungan Wuzhu.[^1] He first practiced with and attended Hyakujō for twenty years. Later …→
- PROJECT CASE 39Tōzan Gohon Daishi and the StreamTransmission case The Thirty-Eighth Ancestor was Great Master Tōzan Wuben.[^1] He met Ungan and asked, “When insentient beings preach Dharma, who can…→
- PROJECT CASE 40Yunju Daoying and the WindTransmission case The Thirty-Ninth Ancestor was Great Master Yunju Hongjue.[^1] He met Tōzan. Tōzan asked, “Ācārya, what is your name?” The teacher…→
- PROJECT CASE 41Dōan Daopi and the RobeTransmission case The Fortieth Ancestor was Zen Master Dōan Daopi. Once Yunju instructed: “If you wish to attain such a matter, you must be such a p…→
- PROJECT CASE 42Dōan Kanshi and the HeadTransmission case The Forty-First Ancestor was Later Great Master Dōan.[^1] He met Earlier Dōan and said, “An ancient said, ‘Where worldly people lov…→
- PROJECT CASE 43Liangshan Yuanguan and the MoonTransmission case The Forty-Second Ancestor was Reverend Liangshan. He practiced with and attended Later Dōan. Dōan asked, “What is the matter benea…→
- PROJECT CASE 44Dayang Jingxuan and the Skin ShoesTransmission case The Forty-Third Ancestor was Great Master Dayang Ming'an.[^1] He asked Reverend Liangshan, “What is the formless practice hall?” L…→
- PROJECT CASE 45Tōsu Gisei and the Unspoken MatterTransmission case The Forty-Fourth Ancestor was Reverend Tōsu.[^1] He studied with Yuanjian. Dayang Yuanjian had him investigate the encounter in whi…→
- PROJECT CASE 46Fuyō Dōkai and the FundamentalTransmission case The Forty-Fifth Ancestor was Zen Master Fuyō Dōkai.[^1] He studied with Reverend Tōsu Qing and asked, “The words and phrases of bud…→
- PROJECT CASE 47Tanka Shijun and the Empty KalpaTransmission case The Forty-Sixth Ancestor was Zen Master Tanka Shijun.[^1] He asked Fuyō, “What is the one phrase transmitted by the sages from anci…→
- PROJECT CASE 48Shinketsu Seiryō and the Dead TreeTransmission case The Forty-Seventh Ancestor was Zen Master Wukong.[^1] He studied with Tanka. Tanka asked, “What is yourself before the empty kalpa…→
- PROJECT CASE 49Wanshi and the Empty KalpaTransmission case The Forty-Eighth Ancestor was Zen Master Tendō Jue.[^1] He had long served as Wukong's attendant. One day Wukong asked, “How is yo…→
- PROJECT CASE 50Setchō Zhijian and the CypressTransmission case The Forty-Ninth Ancestor was Zen Master Setchō Jian.[^1] When Zongjue was presiding at Tendō, one day he ascended the hall and rais…→
- PROJECT CASE 51Tendō Rujing Drops Body and MindTransmission case The Fiftieth Ancestor was Reverend Tendō Rujing.[^1] He studied with Setchō. Setchō asked, “Pure One, how will you purify the plac…→
- PROJECT CASE 52Eihei Dogen and the Eyes HorizontalTransmission case The Fifty-First Ancestor was Reverend Eihei Dōgen.[^1] He studied with Reverend Tendō Rujing. One day, during late-night seated me…→
- PROJECT CASE 53Koun Ejo and Everyday AffairsTransmission case The Fifty-Second Ancestor was Reverend Eihei Ejō.[^1] He studied with Reverend Dōgen. One day, while requesting instruction, he he…→