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Blue Cliff Records Trivia Quiz

A study of Koans is the focus in this quiz. I shall present a Koan and you try to determine the pertinent answer to the ancient Chinese-Japanese puzzles of the Zen buddhists. Have fun.

A multiple-choice quiz by thejazzkickazz. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
thejazzkickazz

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
70,711

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Very Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
1909

Last 3 plays: hellobion (9/10), rossian (9/10), Guest 38 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. 'When it is not present in the consciousness and it is not present in phenomenon...what is IT?' Hint

The Sky

An upsided statement

An illusion

A Buddha

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Question 2 of 10

2. What ought to be the reply to Hakuin's statement here: 'Look, are my eyebrows still there? Asking if his eyebrows have fallen out, he hangs a sheep's head but sells dog-meat'. Your reply..? Hint

Isn't that annoying?

Stand by a stump and wait for a rabbit

Barriers

Truth prevails

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Question 3 of 10

3. 'Cease, desist and an ____ tree blossoms.' Hint

Ugly

Iron

Untimely

Orange

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Question 4 of 10

4. 'What does the sky say? The four seasons go there. What does the earth say? Myriad beings are born there. The substance can be seen in the operation of the 4 seasons, the action can be seen in the birth of myriad beings, but where can a Zen practitioner be seen? Detached from speech and activity can you discern?' Hint

Seen in silence

Seen by his shadow

Contained in the tao

Not contained the six

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Question 5 of 10

5. 'What is concentration on every atom?' Hint

The end of one's toe

Silence

Food in the bowl, water in the pail

Nothingness

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Question 6 of 10

6. 'With no place to sink your teeth, the seal of Zen masters are like the works of an iron ox. Having passed through a bramble of thorns, they are are like a snowflake in a raging furnace...leaving aside piercing and penetrating on level ground for now, when you no longer fall into conditions, then what?' Hint

nirvana

laughter

moksha

sitting in Nansen's circle

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Question 7 of 10

7. 'How would you speak with your mouth shut?' Hint

Can you?

I am bereft of descendents?

A sharp student needs only one word?

A paper tiger does not need stripes?

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Question 8 of 10

8. 'What is the talk beyond Buddhas and Zen masters called?' Hint

The stillness dripping from the clouds

The face before your nose

A piece of cake

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Question 9 of 10

9. 'Medicine and disease quell each other. The whole earth is medicine, what is your self?' Hint

disease

love

nothing

universe

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Question 10 of 10

10. 'What is the sound of one hand clapping' Hint

a rabbit giving birth

anything

a stone statue reciting a poem

a hand in motion

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 09 2024 : hellobion: 9/10
Nov 07 2024 : rossian: 9/10
Nov 01 2024 : Guest 38: 4/10
Oct 18 2024 : colbymanram: 10/10
Sep 26 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. 'When it is not present in the consciousness and it is not present in phenomenon...what is IT?'

Answer: An upsided statement

A Koan is a tangential case, derived from the Chinese word: kung an. It was engendered by Hsueh Tou and Yung Wu, a school of Chan Buddhism (960-1024 AD), and disseminated to the Rinzai schools of Japan.

2. What ought to be the reply to Hakuin's statement here: 'Look, are my eyebrows still there? Asking if his eyebrows have fallen out, he hangs a sheep's head but sells dog-meat'. Your reply..?

Answer: Isn't that annoying?

Hakuin was the most famous Japanese Zen Monk and produced 500 pages of commentary on the 'Blue Cliff Records'.

3. 'Cease, desist and an ____ tree blossoms.'

Answer: Iron

A quote by the venerable Nansen...it follows as thus: 'Has this happened to anyone? A clever lad loses his profits, even if uninhibited one cannot escape being taken in tow. But tell me, where is the mix-up?'

Answer: Not contained the six

5. 'What is concentration on every atom?'

Answer: Food in the bowl, water in the pail

A very famous saying by Ummon, from the 'Flower Ornament Scriptures'...it means to have a correct reception of who we are and not grasping or attaching to the illusory nature of the external world...

Answer: sitting in Nansen's circle

7. 'How would you speak with your mouth shut?'

Answer: Can you?

8. 'What is the talk beyond Buddhas and Zen masters called?'

Answer: A piece of cake

What is the transcendental realm called? I am not sure if Ummon's reply here is even adequate.

9. 'Medicine and disease quell each other. The whole earth is medicine, what is your self?'

Answer: universe

10. 'What is the sound of one hand clapping'

Answer: anything

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Terry before going online.
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