Original face
The original face is a term in Zen Buddhism, pointing to one's real essence or Buddha-nature, one's 'real face'.
Origins
The phrase "original face" originates in Huangbo's Chuanhsin fayao and the Hui-sin edition of the Platform Sutra:This question appears in case 23 of the Mumonkan:
This koan is transformed in the question
Interpretation
According to Victor Hori, the "original face" points to "the nonduality of subject and object":Comparable statements are: "Look at the flower and the flower also looks"; "Guest and host interchange".
According to Victor Hori, it is not "pure consciousness", as it is often understood in western thinking, reached by "cleaning the doors of perception":
Comments
Zen masters have commented on the original face:Artistic impressions
Philip Whalen
The American poet Philip Whalen has written a poem, Metaphysical Insomnia Jazz Mumonkan xxix, inspired by the Original Face-koan:Keith Kumasen has commented on this poem.