Original face
Template:Short description Template:Zen Buddhism The original face is a term in Zen Buddhism, pointing to one's real essence or Buddha-nature, one's 'real face'.<ref name="Goodson">Martin Goodson (April 14, 2021), A Sermon on the Original Face</ref>Template:Efn-la
Origins
The phrase "original face" originates in Huangbo's Chuanhsin fayao (857) and the Hui-sin edition (967) of the Platform Sutra:Template:Sfn Template:Blockquote
This question appears in case 23 of the Mumonkan: Template:Blockquote
This koan is transformed in the question
Interpretation
According to Victor Hori, the "original face" points to "the nonduality of subject and object":Template:Sfn Template:Blockquote
Comparable statements are: "Look at the flower and the flower also looks"; "Guest and host interchange".Template:Sfn
According to Victor Hori, it is not "pure consciousness", as it is often understood in western thinking,Template:Sfn reached by "cleaning the doors of perception":Template:Refn Template:Blockquote
Comments
Zen masters have commented on the original face:
Artistic impressions
Philip Whalen
The American poet Philip Whalen has written a poem, Metaphysical Insomnia Jazz Mumonkan xxix, inspired by the Original Face-koan:Template:Sfn Template:Blockquote
Keith Kumasen has commented on this poem.<ref name=Kuamsen />
Stuart Davis
The American Buddhist musician Stuart Davis has recorded a song called "Original Face". The chorus goes: Template:Blockquote