Zen Koan Daily

SKILL.md

---
name: zen-koan-daily
description: "Daily Zen Buddhist koan (禅宗公案) lecture with Chinese ink wash illustration and TTS audio. Generates detailed lecture (origin, background, interpretation, modern insights), zen ink wash painting, and audio narration. Use when: /koan, /公案, zen/禅宗 content requests, or daily spiritual content."
homepage: https://github.com/yumyumtum/YumSkills/tree/main/zen-koan-daily
metadata:
  openclaw:
    emoji: "🎋"
    requires:
      bins: ["python3", "edge-tts"]
    triggers:
      - "/koan"
      - "/公案"
      - "zen koan"
      - "禅宗公案"
      - "禅宗"
---

# Zen Koan Daily | 每日禅宗公案 🎋

**Daily Zen Buddhist koan with ink wash art and audio narration**

每日禅宗公案配水墨画和语音讲解

---

## 🎯 What This Skill Does | 功能说明

Delivers a complete Zen koan experience every day:

每天提供完整的禅宗公案体验：

1. **📜 Koan Lecture | 公案讲解**
   - Original text (classical Chinese + English)
   - Historical background
   - Deep interpretation
   - Modern-life insights

2. **🎨 Zen Ink Wash Art | 禅宗水墨画**
   - AI-generated Chinese ink wash painting
   - Minimalist aesthetic with vast empty space (留白)
   - Mood matches the koan theme

3. **🔊 Audio Narration | 语音讲解**
   - TTS audio (Edge TTS, free)
   - Chinese: Calm, contemplative voice
   - English: Narrative, meditative style

---

## 🤖 Agent Instructions | AI助手指令

### Trigger Commands | 触发命令

**User says any of:**
- `/koan` or `/公案` → Generate today's koan
- `/koan next` → Next koan in sequence
- `/koan random` → Random koan
- `/koan 1` → Specific koan by ID
- `zen koan`, `禅宗公案`, `tell me a koan` → Conversational trigger

### Workflow | 工作流程

**Dynamic Generation Mode** (动态生成模式)

This skill uses **LLM-powered dynamic generation** instead of a fixed database:
- Only 2 reference koans are stored as examples
- All other koans are generated fresh by the LLM
- Sources: 无门关, 碧岩录, 从容录, 景德传灯录, 五灯会元

**When triggered:**

**Step 1: Generate Koan Content** (LLM生成公案)

The LLM will:
1. Select an appropriate koan from classical Zen literature
2. Generate complete content:
   - Original text (classical Chinese + English)
   - Historical background
   - Deep interpretation
   - Modern-life insights
   - Visual elements for image generation

3. **Optional**: Use stored reference koans (ID 1-2) for testing
4. **Optional**: Use `web_search` to find contemporary Zen teachings

**Step 2: Format Lecture Text**
**Step 2: Format Lecture Text**

**For stored koans (testing)**:
   ```bash
   python3 ~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/scripts/generate_koan.py --id 1 --lang zh
   ```

**For LLM-generated koans**:
   - LLM directly generates the full lecture in the correct format
   - Use the same structure as reference koans:
     - Title + Collection
     - Original text (📜)
     - Background (📖)
     - Interpretation (💡)
     - Modern Insight (🌏)
     - Optional: Personal Insight (🧘 **为你而讲**)
   
   Options:
   - `--lang zh` → Chinese lecture
   - `--lang en` → English lecture
   - `--personal "..."` → Add personalized insight based on recent context

**Step 3: Get Koan JSON** (for image generation)
**Step 3: Get Koan JSON** (for image generation)

**Option A - Use stored koan**:
   ```bash
   python3 ~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/scripts/generate_koan.py --id 1 --format json
   ```

**Option B - LLM generates koan metadata**:
   LLM creates JSON with visual elements:
   ```json
   {
     "id": 3,
     "title_zh": "俱胝竖指",
     "visual_elements": ["finger", "mountain", "clouds"],
     "mood": "sudden, shocking, direct"
   }
   ```

**Step 4: Generate Zen Ink Wash Image**
   ```bash
   # Get the prompt command
   python3 ~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/scripts/generate_image.py \
     --koan-json '{"id": 1, "visual_elements": ["dog", "bamboo"], "mood": "serene"}'
   
   # Then run the displayed uv command via exec tool
   ```

**Step 5: Generate TTS Audio**
   ```bash
   # Save lecture text to temp file
   echo "<lecture_text>" > /tmp/koan.txt
   
   ~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/scripts/generate_tts.sh \
     --text-file /tmp/koan.txt \
     --lang zh \
     --output ~/.openclaw/media/outbound/zen-koan/koan-$(date +%Y%m%d).mp3
   ```

**Step 6: Send to User**
   - Image (PNG)
   - Audio (MP3)
   - Lecture text (formatted)

---

## 📚 Koan Database | 公案数据库

**Generation Mode:** Dynamic (动态生成)

**Stored Reference Koans:** 2
- 赵州狗子 (Zhaozhou's Dog)
- 平常心是道 (Ordinary Mind is the Way)

**Additional Koans:** Generated dynamically by LLM from:
- *The Gateless Gate* (无门关) - 48 cases
- *Blue Cliff Record* (碧岩录) - 100 cases  
- *Book of Serenity* (从容录) - 100 cases
- *Transmission of the Lamp* (景德传灯录)
- *Five Lamps Meeting at the Source* (五灯会元)

**Why Dynamic Generation?**
- ✅ LLM quality is excellent (verified through testing)
- ✅ No need to store 50-100 koans manually
- ✅ Unlimited variety from classical sources
- ✅ Fresh interpretations each time
- ✅ Optional web_search for contemporary teachings

**Quality Assurance:**
- LLM trained on authentic Zen literature
- Cross-references classical sources
- Maintains consistent format
- Verified through testing (see reference koans)
1. **赵州狗子** (Zhaozhou's Dog) - The first barrier
2. **平常心是道** (Ordinary Mind is the Way) - Non-seeking

**Coming Soon:**
- 德山棒 (Deshan's Stick)
- 临济喝 (Linji's Shout)
- 庭前柏树子 (The Cypress Tree)
- 青原三境 (Three Stages)
- ...and 42+ more classical koans

**Location:** `~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/references/koans.json`

---

## 🎨 Image Style | 图片风格

**Zen Ink Wash Aesthetic:**

```
Chinese zen ink wash painting (禅宗水墨画),
minimalist composition, vast empty space (留白),
subtle gradations of black ink on rice paper,
sparse brushstrokes, meditative atmosphere,
traditional Chinese calligraphy style,
serene and contemplative mood
```

**Visual Elements by Koan:**
- **Dog/Buddha-nature koans** → Dog silhouette, bamboo, moon
- **Void/Emptiness koans** → Vast sky, simple tea cup
- **Nature koans** → Misty mountain, pine tree, plum blossom

---

## 🔊 TTS Configuration | 语音配置

**Voices:**
- **Chinese (中文)**: `zh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeural`
  - Warm, calm, suitable for contemplative content
  - 温暖、平静、适合讲解内容
  
- **English**: `en-US-AriaNeural`
  - Calm, narrative, meditative style
  - 平静、叙述风格、冥想氛围

**Audio Format:**
- MP3 (compressed)
- Saved to `~/.openclaw/media/outbound/zen-koan/`

---

## 📖 Output Example | 输出示例

**Text (Chinese):**
```
🎋 每日禅宗公案 | Daily Zen Koan

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

**赵州狗子**
*无门关 第1则*

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📜 **原文**

僧问赵州：「狗子还有佛性也无？」州云：「无。」

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📖 **背景**

赵州从谂禅师（778-897）是唐代著名禅师...

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

💡 **白话解读**

赵州答「无」，并非否定佛性...

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌏 **现代启示**

现代人陷入「有用/无用」「成功/失败」的二元思维...
```

**Files Generated:**
- `koan-1-20260405-090000.png` (Zen ink wash image)
- `koan-1-20260405-090000.mp3` (TTS audio narration)
- Lecture text (sent via message)

---

## 🔄 Progress Tracking | 进度追踪

**Automatic tracking:**
- `references/progress.json` tracks which koans have been delivered
- Cycles through all koans, then repeats
- Stores delivery history

**Check progress:**
```bash
cat ~/clawd/skills/zen-koan-daily/references/progress.json
```

---

## 🛠️ Installation | 安装

**Requirements:**
- Python 3.10+
- Edge TTS: `pipx install edge-tts`
- Gemini API key (for images): `export GEMINI_API_KEY="..."`

**Install:**
```bash
clawhub install zen-koan-daily
```

**Or from GitHub:**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/yumyumtum/yumskills.git
cd yumskills/zen-koan-daily
```

---

## 📅 Cron Scheduling | 定时任务

**Daily delivery at 6:00 AM:**

Create OpenClaw cron task:
```json
{
  "name": "Daily Zen Koan",
  "schedule": {
    "kind": "cron",
    "expr": "0 6 * * *",
    "tz": "America/Los_Angeles"
  },
  "sessionTarget": "isolated",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "/koan next"
  }
}
```

---

## 🏷️ Tags & Metadata | 标签与元数据

**Difficulty Levels:**
- `beginner` - Foundational koans (赵州狗子, 平常心)
- `intermediate` - Deeper practice (德山棒, 临济喝)
- `advanced` - Subtle realization (庭前柏树子, 青原三境)

**Schools:**
- `rinzai` - Sudden enlightenment tradition
- `soto` - Gradual cultivation tradition
- `both` - Universal teachings

---

## 🔗 Related Skills | 相关技能

- **Continuance** - Daily spiritual guidance
- **Nano Banana Pro** - AI image generation
- **Azure TTS** - Alternative TTS option

---

## 📜 License | 许可证

GPL-3.0-or-later

Open source, free to use and modify.

---

*"When you meet a swordsman on the road, draw your sword. Don't recite poetry to one who is not a poet."*

*"路逢剑客须呈剑，不是诗人莫献诗。"*

— Zen saying | 禅宗古语