Ch'ien.

　　　　  The Ch'an synthesis reflects a threefold process

　　   of enlightenment, sometimes characterized as the Way

　　   of the Ancient  masters, The Ch'an  of Voidness, and

　　   the Ch'an of the Patriarchs.  This same process  can

　　   be traced in certain poetic expressions of the Ch'an

　　   practitioners,including Hui-Neng,Pai-chang Huai-hai,

　　   and   Hsiang-yen   Chih-hsien.   A   more   in-depth

　　   epistemological analysis of the threefold experience

　　   of awakening  is presented  in terms  of the  famous

　　   enlightenment  poem of Ch'ing-yuan Wei-hsin. The ex-

　　   position  aims  to  demonstrate  that,  building  on

　　   Indian sourecs, and enriched  by Chinese  poetic and

　　   Taoist  traditions, Ch'an  poetics  evolved  into  a

　　   powerful upaayic tool.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  P.343

　　   1. The POETIC PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT(1)

　　　　  The inherent suitability  of the poetic form for

　　   communicating  the ineffable  has long been known to

　　   poet-practitioners   in  all  mystical   traditions.

　　   Examples  may be cited from such diverse  sources as

　　   the  Psalms  of the  Bible  and  the Bhagavad  Gita.

　　   Pieces  have  been  penned  by poets  as diverse  as

　　   Kukai, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and William Blake.(2)

　　　　  Poetry offers possibilities  of indirection  and

　　   evocation  far beyond those of any prose style.  Its

　　   metaphorical  use  of  language  is  able  to elicit

　　   meanings  without  bluntly  asserting   them.   More

　　   importantly,  perhaps, it  has  the  advantage  over

　　   clearcut declarations  of suggesting  a multiplicity

　　   of   meanings,  suited   to  its   multiplicity   of

　　   audiences.  Here  indeed  it truly  can be said that

　　   "less is more": less explicit  content  leaves  room

　　   for   more   implicit   connotations.　　 Thus,   the

　　   openendedness of a poem serves the  same function as

　　   the blank  space  in a Ch'an painting, allowing  the

　　   audience  to resonate  (yu-yun,)Japanese  yoin) with

　　   the work and, most importantly, with the artist.  In

　　   this way, "Artistic  appreciation  is..  transformed

　　   into   meditation."(3)

　　　　  The following  discussion  concerns  the pivotal

　　   role  played  by  poetry, as  it  evolved  from  the

　　   Sanskrit  gaathaa  found in Buddhist  suutra, within