An introduction to Zen Buddhism

II

WHAT IS ZEN?

B-lEFOREproceedingtoexpoundtheteachingofZenatsome

lengthinthefollowingpages,letmeanswersomeoftheques-

tionswhicharefrequentlyraisedbycriticsconcerningthereal

natureofZen.

Is Zen a system of philosophy, highly intellectual and

profoundlymetaphysical,asmostBuddhistteachingsare?

IhavealreadystatedthatwefindinZenallthephilosophy

oftheEastcrystallized,butthisoughtnottobetakenasmeaning

that Zenis a philosophyin the ordinary applicationofthe

term.Zenisdecidedlynot asystemfoundeduponlogicand

analysis. Ifanything,itis theantipode tologic,by whichI

meanthe dualistic modeofthinking. There maybean in-

tellectualelementinZen,forZenisthewholemind,andin

itwefindagreatmanythings;butthemindisnot acom-

positethingthatistobedividedintosomanyfaculties,leaving

nothingbehindwhenthedissectionisover.Zenhasnothingto

teachusinthewayofintellectualanalysis;norhasitanyset

doctrineswhichareimposedonitsfollowersforacceptance.In
thisrespectZenisquitechaoticifyouchoosetosayso.Prob-

ably Zenfollowersmayhavesetsofdoctrines, buttheyhave

themontheirownaccount,andfortheirownbenefit;theydo

notowethefacttoZen.Thereore,thereareinZennosacred
booksordogmatictenets,norarethereanysymbolicformulae
throughwhichanaccessmightbegainedintothesignification

ofZen.IfIamasked,then,whatZenteaches,Iwouldanswer,

Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachingsthere arein Zen,

they comeout ofone'sownmind. Weteachourselves;Zen

merelypointstheway.Unlessthispointingisteaching,thereis
certainlynothinginZenpurposelysetupasitscardinaldoctrines
orasitsfundamentalphilosophy.
ZenclaimstobeBuddhism,butalltheBuddhistteachings
aspropoundedinthesutrasandsastrasaretreatedbyZenas
merewastepaperwhoseutilityconsistsinwipingoffthedirtof