An introduction to Zen Buddhism

AN INTRODUCTIONTO ZENBUDDHISM

ninth)centviry,whenZenhadbeguntoflourishinallitsbril-

lianceandvvathallitsuniqueness.AmonkaskedDaiju

:

"Q.ArewordstheMind?

"A.No,wordsareexternalconditions{yeninJ.\yuaninC.)

;

theyarenottheMind.

"Q.Apartiromexternalconditions,whereistheMindtobe

sought?

"A.ThereisnoMindindependentofwords.[Thatistosay,

theMindisinwords,butisnottobeidentifiedwiththem.]

"Q_.IfthereisnoMindindependentofwords,whatisthe

Mind?

"A.TheMindisformlessandimageless.Thetruthis,itis

neitherindependentofnordependentupxjnwords.Itiseternally

sereneandfreeinitsactivity.SaysthePatriarch,'Whenyou

realizethattheMindisnoMind,youunderstandtheMindand

itsworkings.'"

Daiju furtherwrites: "Thatwhichproduces all things is

calledDharma-nature,orDharmakaya.Bytheso-calledDharma

ismeanttheMindofallbeings.WhenthisMindisstirredup,all

thingsarestirredup.WhentheMindisnotstirredup,thereis

nothingstirringandthere isnoname.The confused do not

understand that theDharmakaya, in itselfformless, assumes

individualformsaccordingtoconditions.Theconfusedtakethe

greenbambooforDharmakayaitself,theyellowbloomingtree

forPrajnaitself.ButifthetreewerePrajna,Prajnawouldbe

identicalwiththenon-sentient.IfthebamboowereDharmakaya,

Dharmakayawouldbeidenticalwithaplant.ButDharmakaya

exists, Prajnaexists,evenwhenthereisnobloomingtree,no

greenbamboo.Otherwise,whenoneeatsabamboo-shoot,this

wouldbeeatingupDharmakayaitself.Suchviewsasthisarc

reallynotworthtalkingabout."

ThosewhohaveonlyreadtheforegoingtreatmentofZenas

illogical,orofZenasahigheraffirmation,mayconcludethat

Zenissomethingunapproachable,somethingfarapartfromour

ordinaryeverydaylife,somethingveryalluringbutveryelusive

;