AN INTRODUCTION TOZENBUDDHISM
eyebecameliketheear,andtheearlikethenose,andthenose
likethemouth;andtherewasnothingthatwasnotidentified.
Asthemindbecameconcentrated,theformdissolved,thebonesandfleshallthawedaway;Ididnotknowuponwhatmyframe
wassupported,orwheremyfeetweretreading; Ijustmoved
alongwiththev^nd,eastorwest,Ukealeafofthetreedetached
fromitsstem;IwasunconsciouswhetherIwasridingonthe
wind,orthewindridingonme."ThiskindofvirtueiscalledbytheGermanmystics"poverty"
;andTauler'sdefinitionis,"Absolutepovertybthinewhenthou
canstnot rememberwhetheranybodyhasowedtheeorbeen
indebtedtotheeforanything;justasallthingswillbeforgotten
bytheeinthelastjourneyofdeath."InChristianityweseemtobetooconsciousofGod,though
wesaythatinhimweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing.Zen
wantstohavethis lasttraceofGod-consciousness,ifpossible,obliterated.ThatiswhyZenmastersadviseusnottolingerwhere
theBuddhais,andtopassquicklyawaywhereheisnot.Allthe
trainingofthemonkintheZendo, inpracticeas wellasin
theory,isbasedonthisprincipleof"meritlessdeed".Poetically
thisideaisexpressedasfollows:Thebamboo-shadowsmoveoverthestonesteps
asiftos^^•eepthem,butnodustisstirred;Themoonisreflecteddeepinthepool,butthe
watershowsnotraceofitspenetration.Takingitallinall,Zenisemphaticallyamatterofpersonal
experience;ifanythingcanbecalledradicallyempirical,itisZen.Noamountofreading,noamountofteaching,noamount
ofcontemplationwillevermakeoneaZenmaster.Lifeitself
mustbegraspedinthemidstofitsflow;tostopitforexamination
andanalysisistokillit,leavingitscoldcorpsetobeembraced.
Therefore,ever>-thingintheMeditationHall andeverydetail
ofitsdisciplinarycurriculumissoarrangedastobringthisidea
intothemostefficientprominence. Theuniquepositionmain-
tainedbytheZensectamongtheotherBuddhistsectsinJapan
andChinathroughoutthehistoryofBuddhismintheFarEastis
nodoubtduetotheinstitutionknownastheMeditationHall,or
Zendo.
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