An introduction to Zen Buddhism

PRELIMINARY

connectionwith everydaylife standinremarkablecontrastto

theotherBuddhist sects.Undoubtedly themainideasofZen

arcderivedfromBuddhism, andwecannot butconsiderita

legitimatedevelopmentofthelatter;butthisdevelopmenthas
been achieved in order to meet the requirements peculiarly
characteristic of the psychology of the Far-Eastern people.

ThespiritofBuddhismhasleftitshighlymetaphysicalsuper-

structureinordertobecomeapracticaldisciplineoflife.The

resultis Zen. ThereforeI makeboldto saythat in Zenare

found systematized, or rathercrystallized, all thephilosophy,
religion, andlifeitselfoftheFar-Easternpeople,especiallyof
theJapanese.