Phan Bội Châu assistance from China, but the country was forced to abandon its suzerain relationship with Vietnam after the 1884–85 Sino-French War. Phan and Cường Để decided to seek aid from Japan, which had recently won a war against Russia, had successfully imposed reforms and seemed more inclined to help out revolutionaries in a nearby Asian country. Phan was selected to visit Japan to secure the funds needed to sustain Duy Tân Hội. Phan did not speak Japanese and had no contacts in Japan, so he sought help from Liang Qichao, who was living in Japan since being exiled years earlier. Liang
Layman Pang the "kōans" in the collection "Blue Cliff Record" (碧巖錄 "Bìyán Lù"): In 808, after many years of travel that had made him renowned in southern China, Pang became ill in Xiangzhou county of Guangxi province. His last words were spoken to the governor of Xiangzhou, who had come to inquire about his health: "I ask that you regard everything that is as empty, nor give substance to that which has none. Farewell. The world is like reflections and echoes." Layman Pang Layman Pang (Chinese 龐居士 "Páng Jūshì"; Japanese "Hōkoji") (740–808) was a celebrated lay Buddhist in the Chinese Chán (Zen)