Clouds Thick, Whereabouts Unknown: Poems by Zen Monks of China.

• Author: Patterson, Gregory
• Position: Book review

Clouds Thick, Whereabouts Unknown: Poems by Zen Monks of China. Edited and translated by Charles Egan (illustrations by Charles Chu). New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. Pp. xviii + 306, illus. $99.50 (cloth); $29.50 (paper).

The relationship between Chan Buddhism and poetry goes back a long way in China. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the starting point of Charles Egan's new anthology of translations, Chan monks often wrote poems to express their understanding of Buddhist truth. The variety of this verse reflects the variety of roles played by monks in Chinese society. It ranges from didactic ditties in the vernacular, aimed at a popular audience, to evocative lyric poems in the refined language of the literati. A few are among the best-loved poems in the tradition; most, however, never gained recognition as literature, and have been little studied or appreciated. "This is a shame," Egan writes, "as poetry from the monasteries comprises a distinct tradition of rich imagery and profound reflection, spiced liberally with wit and humor" (p. 3). His anthology presents translations of 190 poems by Chinese Chan monks of the eighth to the seventeenth centuries, framed by an extensive introduction and detailed notes. Above all, it aims to promote understanding and appreciation of these diverse poems by situating them within a religious context.

Accordingly, the introduction begins with a history of the development of Chan Buddhism, from its origins in Indian Mahayana to the height of its power and popularity in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The discussion is thorough and up to date despite its brevity. Drawing on the work of Buddhologists such as John McRae and Bernard Faure, it approaches Chan in its philosophical, social, and especially literary dimensions. Egan joins these scholars in cautioning us not to confuse the story Chan has told about its past (the received version of Chan history) with historical fact; he emphasizes instead the importance of shifts in dominant modes of textual representation. "The break between Early Chan and Middle Chan is not between Northern and Southern Chan," he writes, "but between doctrinal exposition and encounter dialogue" (p. 27). This focus on the genres of religious writing allows Egan to guide the reader to the intersection of Chan and poetry. Poetry was a favorite means by which protagonists of "encounter dialogues" communicated a religious truth inexpressible in ordinary language; it was the literary equivalent of a bop on the head.

Chan poetry is the subject of the remainder of the introduction, defined and discussed in relation to the secular tradition of classical poetry (shi [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]). Egan emphasizes here that, while shl overtook the Buddhist gatha (mostly unrhymed and doctrinal in content) during the eighth century as the preferred literary form used by Chan monks, Buddhist influence on secular poetry was significant:

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