Fenyang Shanzao’s 汾陽善昭 “18 Chan Questions” (SHIBA WEN十八問): the First Philosophical Discourse on Gongan Dialogues
Article
Heine, S. (2026). Fenyang Shanzao’s 汾陽善昭 “18 Chan Questions” (SHIBA WEN十八問): the First Philosophical Discourse on Gongan Dialogues
. JOURNAL OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY, 10.1163/15406253-12340172
Heine, S. (2026). Fenyang Shanzao’s 汾陽善昭 “18 Chan Questions” (SHIBA WEN十八問): the First Philosophical Discourse on Gongan Dialogues
. JOURNAL OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY, 10.1163/15406253-12340172
This article presents a new translation along with an analysis of Fenyang Shanzhao’s “18 Chan Questions” (“Shiba Wen” 十八問), which is perhaps the first philosophical explanation of the functions of gongan cases that was produced at the dawn of the tradition during the early stages of the Northern Song dynasty. Fenyang’s view is that the various types of questions raised by students during encounter dialogues at once reveal and conceal the inquirer’s true intentions. It is the primary responsibility of the teacher to discern the disciple’s actual level of understanding and to respond in cryptic ways that disrupt ignorance and help to lead the inquirer to an authentic experience of self-realization.
