AN INTRODUCTION TO ZENBUDDHISM
rectangularbuildingofdifferentsizesaccordingtothenumber
ofmonkstobeaccommodated.TheoneatEngakuji,Kamakura,
isabout 35 X 65 feetandwilltakeinthirtyorfortymonks.
Thespaceallottedtoeachmonkisonetatami,oramat3x6
feet,wherehesits,meditates,andsleeps.Thebeddingforeach
neverexceedsonelargewaddedquiltabout5x6feet,beit
winterorsummer.Hehasnoregularpillowexceptthatwhichis
temporarilymadeoutofhisownprivateproperty.Thislatter,
however, isnexttonothing: itconsistsofakesa{kasaya) and
koTomo(priestlyrobes),afewbooks,arazor,andasetofbowls,
allofwhicharecarriedinapapier-macheboxabout 13 x 10
X3^inches.Intravellingthisboxiscarriedinfront,suspended
fromtheneckwithabroadsash.Hisentirepropertythusmoves
withitsowner."Onedressandonebowl,underatreeandona
stone"graphicallydescribesthemonk'slifeinIndia.Compared
withthis,themodernZenmonkmustbesaidtobeabundantly
supplied. Stillhiswantsarereducedtoaminimumandnone
canfailtoleadasimple,perhapsthesimplest,lifeifhemodelshisafterthelifeofaZenmonk.Thedesiretopossessisconsidered
byBuddhismtobeoneoftheworstpassionswithwhichmortals,areapttobeobsessed. What,infact,causes somuchmisery
intheworldistheuniversalimpulseofacquisition.Aspoweris
desired, thestrongalwaystyrannizeovertheweak;aswealth
iscoveted,therichandpoorarealwayscrossingswordsofbitter
enmity. International wars rage,social unresteverincreases,
unlessthisimpulsetogetandtoholdiscompletelyuprooted.
Cannotsocietybereorganizeduf)onanentirelydifferentbasis
from whatwe have beenusedto seefrom thebeginningof
history?Cannotweeverhopetostopthemassingofwealthand
theaccumulationofpowermerelyfromthedesireforindividual
ornationalaggrandizement?Despairingoftheutterirrationalityofhumanaffairs,Buddhistmonkshavegonetotheotherextreme
and cut themselves off even from reasonable and perfectly
innocentenjoymentsoflife.However,theZenidealofputting
amonk'sbelongingsintoatinyboxishismuteprotest,though
sofirineffective,againstthepresentorderofsociety.InIndiatheBhikshunevereatsintheafternoon;heproperly
eatsonlyonce aday; forhis breakfast,in theAmericanor