An introduction to Zen Buddhism

FOREWORD

aboutthedeepmotivesforthe"masterpiece",asGoethecalled

Faust, or the shudders of the "Dionysus Experience"? One

mustreadBardo Thodol,theTibetanBookoftheDead,back-

wards,asIhavesuggested,^inordertofindanEasternparallel

tothetormentsandcatastrophesoftheWestern"wayofrelease"

to completeness. This is what matters—not good intentions,
cleverimitationsoreven intellectualacrobatics.Such, ininti-
mations oringreaterorlesser fragments, appears beforethe

psychotherapist who has freed himselffrom rash and short-

sighteddoctrinalopinions.Ifheisaslavetohisquasi-biological
creed hewill always try to reducewhat heobserves to the
banal familiar, and to bring it thereby to a rationalistic

denominatorwhichonlysufficesonewho iscontentwithillu-

sions.Theforemostofallillusions,however,is thatsomething

can suffice someone. That illusion stands behind all that is
unendurableandinfrontofallprogress,anditisoneofthemost
difficult things toovercome.Ifthepsychotherapistfindstime
from hishelpfulactivities fora littlereflection,or ifby any

chanceheisforcedintoseeingthroughhisownillusions,itmay

dawnuponhimhowhollowandflat,indeedhowcontraryto

lifeareallrationalisticreductionswhentheycomeuponsome-

thingalive, thatwill develop. Ifhefollows this up hesoon

getsanideaofwhatitmeans"totearopenthosedoorswhich

everyonewouldgladlyslinkpast".

Iwould not underany circumstanceshave it understood

thatinwhatIhavesaidaboveIammakinganyrecommen-

dationoroff"eringanyadvice.ButwhenWesternmenbeginto

talkaboutZen I consideritmydutytoshow theEuropean

whereour entrance liesto that "longestofall roads" which

leads to satori, and what difficulties strew that path, which

hasbeentroddenbyonlyafewofourgreatmen—perhapsas

abeacononahighmountain,shiningoutinthehazyfuture.It

wouldbeanunhealthymistaketoassumethatsatoriorsamadhi

aretobemetwithanywrherebelowthoseheights.Foracomplete

cxp>eriencetherecan benothingcheaperorsmaller than the

whole.Thep>sychologicalsignificanceofthiscanbeunderstood

bythesimpleconsiderationofthefactthattheconsciousisonly

apartofthespiritual,andisneverthereforecapableofspiritual

*W.Y.Evans-Wcntz:DasTibttatdschtTotenbuch.Rascbcr,Zurich,1934.