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650 to the Present: The 'Myō' & 'An' "Pair"?
- The 'Myō' versus 'An' Duality Philosophical Challenge
- From Huineng to Post-WW2 Myōan Shakuhachi Ideologues
明暗 - 明暗雙雙/明暗双双/明暗双々 - 明暗寺
MYŌAN - MYŌAN SŌZŌ - MYŌAN-JI
First uploaded on June 21, 2025, updated on the 25th.
More detailed examples and "content" additions will soon appear here, on this web page.
L: Early 9th century Fuke Zenji's 4-line statement on the Duality of 'Myōan'.
Calligraphy in a Tani-ha/Kyotaku Tradition 'gakufu orihon' by Nishimura Kokū, possibly 1970s?
R: Fuke Zenji painted by Kōgetsu Sōgan, 1642, detail.
Source: https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Puhua.html
"The Duality of Lightness Appears, the Duality of Lightness Hits [Fuke's bell];
The Duality of Darkness Appears, the Duality of Darkness Hits [Fuke's bell].
Whichever Dualities Appear, Wherever from, Whirlwinds Hit [Fuke's bell].
Non-Duality Appears, Duality is Cut Away [Lit.: "Empty Sky Appears, A harvesting knife cuts."].
Translation/interpretation by Torsten Olafsson, June, 2025.
TAKUAN SŌHŌ, early 17th century:
The expression and term 'Myōan sōzō',
the "Pair of Lightness and Darkness Duality Illusion",
may seem to have first been made recognized in Japan with the anthology of Chinese poems by Zen master and multi creative artist
Takuan Sōhō, 1573-1645, that were collected by his students and followers sometime after their master's death in 1645.
L: Takuan Sōhō memorable portrait dated 1650.
Read more at this source, c/o Wikipedia:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Takuan_S%C5%8Dh%C5%8D.jpg.
C: 'Myōan sōzō-shū' title page kanji.
R: 'Takuan Sōhō zen-shū' title page.
The SAT Daizōkyō Database
But actually, that expression already existed at least around 1125 CE in the important
"Blue Cliff Record", Japanese: Hekigan-roku, Chinese: Biyan lu:
Source: https://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT/satdb2015.php?lang=en
- search with the 'kanji' 明暗雙雙.
Do note that if you search the database with only the two 'myō-an' 'kanji',
you'll get plenty more results that confirm
the early importance of 'myō-an' in Mahayana Buddhist ideology.
HUINENG - SHI-T'OU - FUKE
L: The putative mummy of Huineng.
Source, read more here: https://asia-archive.si.edu/essays/lacquer-relics-and-self-mummification/
R: "The 6th Patriarch Cutting Bamboo"
by Liang-k'ai, late 12th to early 13th century.
7th century: Fa-pao-T'an Ching and Huineng/Enō on 'Myō' and 'An
"Darkness does not become darkness by itself;
it is dark because there is brightness.
Darkness is manifested by brightness, and brightness is revealed by darkness.
One is the cause of the other."
8th century: Ts'an-t'ung-ch'i/Sandōkai and Shih't'ou/Sekitō on 'Myō' and 'An
" - - - Right in light there is darkness,
but don't confront it as darkness.
Right in darkness there is light,
but don't see it as light.
Light and dark are relative to one another
like forward and backward steps. - - - "
9th century: Lin-chi lu/Rinzai roku & P'u-k'o/Fuke on 'Myō' and 'An
"The Duality of Lightness Appears, the Duality of Lightness Hits [Fuke's bell];
The Duality of Darkness Appears, the Duality of Darkness Hits [Fuke's bell].
Whichever Dualities Appear, Wherever from, Whirlwinds Hit [Fuke's bell].
Non-Duality Appears, Duality is Cut Away [Lit.: "Empty Sky Appears, A harvesting knife cuts."].
Translation/interpretation by Torsten Olafsson, Spring, 2025.
Source readings:
• CHINA 2: 500 CE ...
Huineng, Shih-t'ou & P'u-k'o on 'Myōan sōzō
- The Complementary Pair "The Bright" & "The Dark"
The True Meaning of 'Myō-An Sōzō'
- The "Light & Darkness" of Hui-neng, Shi-t'ou, and P'u-k'o
Mid-13th century: Dōgen on 'Myōan'
"The Clear Mirror is everything that is bright and clear.
Therefore it is said, 'Clearness comes, Clearness hits'.
As there is no 'where?', there is no 'what place?" [it can be]."
• JAPAN 2: 1233 - 1477
1320: The classic Chinese Ch'an text Linchi lu is published in Japan as Rinzai roku for the first time, as woodblock print.
1330s: Ming-chi Ch'u-chun a.k.a. Minki Soshun, 1262-1336:
"Some time ago Kusunoki Masashige [1294-July 4, 1336] journeyed to the Kōgon Temple [in Kōbe, present Hyōgo Prefecture] to pay a visit,
asking for advice,
'At the time when facing one's death, what to do?'
Answered Soshun [the master],
'Cut off (your) dualism; a single sword rests against the heavenly cold."
• JAPAN 2: 1233 - 1477
15th CENTURY:
1474: Ikkyū Sōjun inaugurates the partly rebuilt Daitoku Temple in N. Kyōto as its newly Imperically ordered and appointed abbot,
plays the 'Shakuhachi', and recites Fuke Zenji's 'Myōan' Credo
1474: Tōyō Eichō and Ikkyū Sōjun at the Inauguration
of the Then Partly Rebuilt Daitoku Temple, Kyōto
Late 15th century?: The Kyōgen play Rakuami and "Cut Through Dualism"
RYŌTŌ wo SETSUDAN - "Cut Off Dualism"
"When Dualism is cut off,
the inside of the shakuhachi transcends
the Past and the Present.
That unique Sound of Impermanence blowing forth
brings even the Purest of Wisdom [Skt.: Jnana] to an end,
without limit."
Translation by T.O.
Late 15th Century?: The 'Kyōgen' Play 'Rakuami'
and the Shakuhachi "Cutting Through" Dualistic Thinking
Late 15th century or perhaps much later?: Rōan scroll
"When Dualism is cut off,
the shakuhachi dissolves the distinction between Past and Present.
That one unique Sound of Everlasting Impermanence
brings even the Purest of Wisdom [Skt.: Jnana] to an end,
without limit."
Translation by T.O.
1477-1560 - The ERA of the ORIGINAL KOMO-SŌ
Mid-16th century: The character dictionary Setsuyōshū:
Some Fuke Zenji and 16th century 'Komosō' connection documented?
Details from the 'Ryūmon bunko no Setsuyōshū'
Library of Nara Women's University - precise date unclear.
Japan 1560 - 1614
1628: Kaidō honsoku referring to Fuke's Myōan statement
"Where from does the Komo come?
Fuke said,
'The Dualistic Notion of "Darkness" appears ... '
Does he come from the Realm of Obscurity?
Fuke said,
'The Dualistic Notion of "Brightness" appears ... '
Does he come from the Realm of Clarity?"
1628: The Kaidō honsoku Fuke-komosō Credo Version 1
1642: The Ōkura 'Kyōgen' School Publishes the play Rakuami
L: The "Reject Dualism" poem in 'Rakuami', 1642 version.
R: The "Cut Off Dualism" poem in 'Rakuami', 1642,
transcribed and printed in Ikeda & Kitahara, 1973, Vol. 2, p. 392.
Says Rakuami,
"What for is this so mysterious ... ?
It also says in that writing of the Rōan Temple in Uji,
'When Dualism is cut off [or, eliminated, rejected],
the inside of the shakuhachi transcends
[the distinction between] Past and Present.
That unique Sound of Impermanence blowing forth
brings even the Purest of Wisdom [Skt.: Jnana] to an end,
without limit.'"
New translation by T.O., Spring, 2019
1642: Kōgetsu Sōgan, a Fuke painting with a poem about 'Myōan'
Fuke Zenji, by Kōgetsu Sōgan, 1642.
Source: https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Puhua.html
Kōgetsu Sōgan's Fuke poem and I. Nagy's English "translation"
- soon to be challenged here with a relatively more critical interpretation
of two central sentences, in particular.
Source: https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Puhua.html
After 1645: Takuan Sōhō and the 'Myōan sōzō' anthology
L: Takuan Sōhō memorable portrait dated 1650.
Read more at this source, c/o Wikipedia:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Takuan_S%C5%8Dh%C5%8D.jpg.
C: 'Myōan sōzō-shū' title page kanji.
R: 'Takuan Sōhō zen-shū' title page.
More details regarding Takuan's 1645: Takuan Sōhō, 'Myō-An Sōzō' & Fuke Zenji
are being prepared for presentation.
1890: The 'Myōan Kyōkai', The "Myōan Society", is established in Kyōto.
1951:
'MYŌAN SŌ BŌ'
"Bright-Dark Pair Forget"
Calligraphy in honkyoku ori-hon dated 1951 (Shōwa 26)
by Tanikita Rōan Muchiku, 1878-1957
Reproduced in Inagaki, 1981
1978: Ozawa Seizan
Detail of a letter of recommendation for T.O.
written by Ozawa Seizan in Spring, 1978
See translation below ...
"Myōan Shakuhachi is related to the Fuke Sect of Shakuhachi and it has as its purpose to employ the ancient Japanese shakuhachi flute as a Dharma instrument ['hō-ki']
in order that one understands the Ultimately Adual Nature of the 'Clear' and the 'Un-clear' ['Myō-An'] and experiences the Essence of Non-substantiality ['kyo']
through self-cultivation.
This practice is called 'Suizen'."
By Ozawa Seizan, 1939-2012, Myōan-ji, 1978, in a letter
of recommendation to the author. Trsl. by Torsten Olafsson.
1985: Matsumoto Kyozan - Japanese version of Fuke Zenji's 'Myō-An' statement
Calligraphy by Matsumoto Kyozan, 1936-1991, in a Tani-ha shakuhachi music notations book written by him, 1985.
More updates soon to follow ... :-)
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