practice.

　　　　  The same synthesizing  current  is evidenced  in

　　   the evolution of poetic forms within Ch'an practice.

　　   Shin'ichi Hisamatsu has stated that verse (ge or ju)

　　   was the primal  form of Ch'an  literature:

　　　　  Sometimes   this   verse   was   metrical,  with

　　　　  conventional  rhymes and tones, and sometimes it

　　　　  was completely  free of formality.  Zen Activity

　　　　  manifest  in words  favored  the use of concrete

　　　　  and  straightforward  images  in  a literary  or

　　　　  poetic  manner, rather  than the use of analytic

　　　　  or theoretical  prose.  Zen dialogues  in verse,

　　　　  for  example,  resulted  in  a  unique  literary

　　　　  style,  which   was  appropriate   to  the  full

　　　　  expression of Zen Activity. Poetry also has been

　　　　  used since  the early  days  of Zen as a vehicle

　　　　  for  transmitting  the  dharma  from  master  to

　　　　  disciple..in  Zen  lieterary  expression, poetry

　　　　  ranks first.(30)

　　　　  In addition  to the more orthodox  uses of poems

　　   to summarize  essential  points in sermons and serve

　　   as manifestos of enlightenment, poems now functioned

　　   as responses to the characteristically Ch'an kung-an

　　   (koan)   technique.　　 Poems　　 were　　 particularly

　　   appropriate   retorts  to  the  kung-an  since  both

　　   expressions  shared a translogical  core of meaning.

　　   When the kung-an had achieved its end of driving the

　　   stu-

　　   ────────────

　　   (29) Tung-shan   Liang-chich's　　 Five   Levels   of

　　　　   Achievement  (wu wei kung hsun) bears a certain

　　　　   resemblance  to the three-fold  model  proposed

　　　　   here:

　　　　   1. hsiang, or subjectivity

　　　　   2. feng, or objectivity

　　　　   3. kung,  or  non-action   (from  which  action

　　　　　　 emerges)

　　　　   4. kong kung, or the interfusion between action

　　　　　　 and non-action

　　　　   5. kung kung, or the absolute freedom from both

　　　　　　 action and non-action

　　　　   See  Chang  Chung-yuan, Original  Teachings  of