SU Shi's Journey to Mount Lu and His "Non-Enlightenment"

SU Shi's journey to Mount Lu in the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era was a rare moment of mental release in his life. He came with the intention of recognizing the true face of Mount Lu, prepared for the contemplative observation, but was stirred by the scenery along the way into poetic inspiration. His poem "Presented to the Zen Master of Donglin Changzong" was a response to the "Heartless Teaching" koan and also a Zen answer to Zen Master of Changzong. At that time, the poem did not receive the approval of Zen Master Changzong. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it was criticized by the Zen community because it reflected the poet's selection of beautiful scenery, which contradicts the Buddhist principle of non-duality between form and emptiness. In "Inscribed on the Wall of West Forest Temple, " SU Shi admits that he "does not recognize the true face of Mount Lu, " fully immersing himself in the world of life represented by "this mountain." This is a "non-enlightenment" in the Buddhist Zen sense, but it is also the poet's self-awareness and self-affirmation. "Inscribed on the Wall of West Forest Temple" rather than "Presented to the Zen Master of Donglin Changzong " is the true answer to SU Shi's "original face." On this journey to Mount Lu, Su Shi did not "enlighten" to Zen, but "enlightened" to his own true face. Aesthetics rather than Zen enlightenment is the path of SU Shi.