The rise of the literati class in an advanced society like China’s Song dynasty, a kind of gentry class, had a powerful influence on Chinese culture. This class was made up of individuals who were either preparing to pass or had already passed the civil service examinations. Such individuals were not without a keen love of the arts; who sometimes became painters and poets of high repute. One might even characterize the Chinese literati as scholar-artists who found great value in aesthetics and aesthetical experiences.
Naturally, the literati were drawn to Buddhism, especially, Chan (J., Zen) which, on the surface, appeared to offer such experiences.
It is not easy to admit that the arts tend to be more of an intellectual endeavor than spiritual. The insight of a poet, for example, often doesn’t go beyond the reaches of their imagination and practical wisdom gained through various difficulties and struggles. Buddhism goes much deeper. Aesthetical experiences are not its goal although Buddhism can be presented artistically and is not without aesthetical appeal. Still, its overarching aim is to disclose the transcendent in man that he may know it, personally.
It is from the twisting together of the literati mind and the mind of Chan Buddhism that the koans became popular, especially with the literati. Soon an alliance grew with the literati but also an inherent danger since one of the core slogans of Chan is, “do not depend on written words.”
The task of Chan in the Song, with it growing popularity, became how to use the written words to destroy dependence on written words and thereby also destroy reliance on the intellect which skirts gnosis of one’s inherent nature. The koan became like bait for those who habitually conceptualized koans thus turning the study of koans into merely a literary activity. The outcome, naturally, is a conceptual interpretation, not gnosis. This eventually leads to a loss of faith when using the intellectual approach.
As I see the place of the koan in Chan Buddhism during the Song, its main purpose was to bring the intellect into great doubt—the tool the literati used most in their study of koans. The intellect is the very same tool we moderns use when trying to decipher the koan failing every time to realize that any conceptual interpretation of a koan is really a misunderstanding. There is only one key that unlocks these seemingly different koan doors and that is awakening or satori.
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