Nam June Paik transcribed two koans from the Blue Cliff Record that he was deeply interested in. The Blue Cliff Record is a collection of 100 Zen Buddhist koans, the well-known stories of priests from the Tang to the Song dynasties. This handbook of religious exercises is also renowned for its literary values. Paik wrote the 18th verse on National Monk Hyechung about the seamless tower, and the 37th verse on Monk Banshan about the mind of the three worlds. In the early 1950s, Paik lived in Kamakura, a birthplace of Japanese Zen Buddhism, when he studied at the University of Tokyo. During his times in Germany, Paik taught Zen koans to his friends, including Mary Bauermeister, based on his profound knowledge.
