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Celebrating the Legacy of Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryuki) and the Art of Ōbaku

Celebrating the Legacy of Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryuki) and the Art of Ōbaku

THE CYPRESS TREE IN THE COURTYARD by Yinyuan Longqi (Jp. Ingen Ryūki)

The cypress tree in the courtyard
Yinyuan Longqi 隱元隆琦 (Jp. Ingen Ryūki, 1592-1673)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
123 x 36.3 cm; 190.5 x 47.3 cm (mounted)
Collection of Harald Conrad

庭前柏樹子
The cypress tree in the courtyard

In response to the question by his pupil ‘What is the meaning of the Founder [of Zen,
Bodhidharma] coming from the West [India]?’ (如何是祖师西来意), Zhaozhou
Congshen 趙州従諗 (Jp. Jōshū Jūshin, 778–897) answered, ‘The cypress tree in the
courtyard’ (庭前柏樹子). This celebrated reply is found in a compendium of Zen
koans, the classic ‘The Gateless Barrier’ 無門關 (Ch: Wumenguan, Jp: Mumonkan),
Case 37.