ISZEN NIHILISTIC?
ofthetruthofZen.SolongasoneistalkingofnothingnessoroftheabsoluteoneisfarawayfromZen,andeverrecedingfrom
Zen.EventhefootholdofSunyatamustbekickedoff.Theonly
waytogetsavedistothrowoneselfrightdownintoabottomless
abyss.Andthisis,indeed,noeasytask.
"NoBuddhas,"itisboldly assertedbyYengo(seep.46),
"haveeverappearedonearth;noristhereanythingthatisto
begivenoutasaholydoctrine.Bodhidharma,theFirstPatriarchofZen,hasnevercomeeast,norhasheevertransmittedany
secret doctrine throughthe mind; onlypeople oftheworld,
notunderstandingwhatallthismeans,seekthetruthoutsideof
themselves.Whatapitythatthethingtheyaresoearnestlylook-
ingforisbeingtroddenundertheirov^nfeet!Thisisnottobe
graspedbythewisdomofallthesages.However,weseethething
andyetitisnotseen;wehearitandyetitisnotheard;wetalk
aboutitandyetitisnottalkedabout;weknowitandyetitisnot
knowTi.Letmeask,Howdoesitsohappen?"
Isthisaninterrogationasitapparentlyis?Or,infact,isitan
affirmativestatementdescribing a certaindefinite attitudeof
mind?
Therefore,whenZendenies,itisnotnecessarilyadenialinthe
logicalsense.Thesamecanbesaidofanaffirmation.Theidea
isthattheultimatefactofexperiencemustnotbeenslavedby
anyartificialorschematiclawsofthought,norbyanyantithesis
of"yes"and"no",norbyanycutanddriedformulaeofepis-
temology.EvidentlyZencommitsabsurditiesandirrationalities
allthetime;butthisonlyapparendy.Nowonderitfailstoescape
thenatural consequences—misunderstandings, wronginterpre-
tations,andridiculeswhichareoftenmalicious.Thechargeof
nihilismisonlyoneofthese.
WhenVimalakirtiaskedManjusriwhatwasthedoctrineof
non-dualityasrealizedbyaBodhisattva,Manjusrireplied:"As
Iunderstandit,thedoctrineisrealizedwhenonelooksuponall
thingsasbeyondeveryformofexpressionanddemonstrationand
astranscendingknowledgeandargument.Thisismycompre-
hension;mayIaskwhatisyourunderstanding?"Vimalakirti,
thusdemanded,remainedaltogethersilent.Themysticresponse
—thatis,theclosingofthelips—seemstobetheonlywayonecan