On 'Both Forgotten'

ryou bou — Both Forgotten.

On the origin

A term in common use across the Zen tradition; it cannot be confidently traced to a single source text. As a documented occurrence, the phrase “forget both inner and outer” appears in Cheng Mingdao’s (Cheng Hao’s) Dingxing shu (Letter on Stabilizing the Nature), Song dynasty.

On the reading

Right and wrong, good and bad — both sides let go at once. Not one chosen over the other; the pair released entire. When the two fall away, a clear and untroubled stillness remains.

On the garment

The seal for this phrase was hand-carved in Tokyo by the artist Satake Hōsen. The front carries this phrase’s seal; the back and inside label carry the Hōsen seal (寳千), printed in vermilion.

The garment is Bella + Canvas 3001 (short sleeve) or Gildan 2400 (long sleeve). A vessel for the word, not the subject itself.

― hosen, tokyo