We are saddened to share the news that J. C. (Chris) Cleary passed away on February 25, 2023.
Chris, along with his brother Thomas, were pioneers in bringing some of the most important texts from East Asian Buddhism and beyond into readable, accurate English.
It began with the brothers' collaboration on The Blue Cliff Record in 1977, which stands as a classic and continues to be read and reprinted. In a review of this work, Tricycle magazine said of it, “First published in 1977 in three volumes, this first American translation, by Thomas Cleary and J. C. Cleary, is graceful and transparent, and the brief biographies of Ch’an masters compiled by the translators are a wonderful resource.”
Chris went on to translate four more books for Shambhala, found below, as well as several works he translated and made available in eBook form.
His works are included in several essential Reader Guides to East Asian Buddhism including the following that contextualize the importance of these works:
The Works of the Chan and Zen Patriarchs
Work of Chan in the Song Dynasty
Koan Collections
Korean Zen (Soen)
In addition, Chris published a collection of Confucian translations in Worldly Wisdom from leading Chinese thinkers of the later Ming dynasty (sixteenth–seventeenth centuries), a peak period of Confucian creativity influenced by Buddhism and Taoism. He chose these for their practical interest and universal appeal, the passages concerned with how to develop the personality, conduct social relations, and order society. In contrast to the common misconception of Confucianism as a formalistic ideology linked to authoritarian political regimes, these passages emphasize the cultivation of spiritual qualities as a means of operating harmoniously and successfully in the world.
Chris took these to heart. Not only was he a prolific translator of spiritual classics, but he paired this with a career in software development with harmony and success.
Our palms are joined together to Chris for his incredible contribution to our understanding and experience of Chan, Zen, and Soen Buddhist and Confucian thought and practice.
For his obituary, see the Boston Globe.
