After the Second World War, the researches of Zen studies were getting more frequent and prosperous. Among them, the viewpoints of Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki on Zen studies generally achieved criticisms. For “Zen’s Public Cases,” the most representative character proposing interpretive viewpoint should be Ba Hu-Tian. Ba himself was confident that he was able to develop some original opinions on Zen and “Zen’s Public Cases.” He successively published Slight Waves in the Sea of Art (also named Zen and Poetry) and Collection of Zen’s Bones and Poetry’s Hearts. Ba’s understanding of “Zen’s Public Cases” was mainly found in his analytic discussion on the “language characteristics” of “Zen’s Public Cases.” Adopting “Three Barriers of Zen Sect” as well as the difference between the two philosophical terms “ontological scope” and “phenomenon scope,” Ba interpreted the meaning and reason of Zen’s Public Cases. He proposed that the language of Zen’s Public Cases had five characteristics: (1) double meaning; (2) symbolic; (3) negative; (4) hierarchical; and (5) replaceable. Besides, he defined the “Three Barriers of Zen Sect” as “initial barrier,” “layered barrier” and “imprisoned barrier,” implying to the three barriers of “emptiness,” “having” and “mean.” By using them, he analyzed the double solutions of “emptiness” and “having” in “Zen’s Public Cases,” and then brought out the meaning and implication of “the doctrine of mean.” At the same time, while analyzing Zen’s Public Cases, he thought that no speech should be made in the “ontological scope,” and discussion and arguments could be made in the “phenomenon scope.” Ba Hu-Tian emphasized that the “public cases” of Zen Sect were comprehensible. Ba spent his whole life on the explanation, analysis, interpretation and induction of the public cases. This was his unique skill all through his life. Although his works need further discussion and examination, they have contributive influence and accomplishments.
