An introduction to Zen Buddhism

AN INTRODUCTION TO ZENBUDDHISM

gctohell".This,toordinaryminds,isacontradictionofthe

commonlawofmorallife,buthereinliesthetruthandlifeof

Zen.Zenisthespiritofaman.Zenbelievesinhisinnerpurity
andgoodness.Whateverissuperaddedorviolendytornaway,
injures the wholesomeness of the spirit. Zen, therefore, is
emphaticallyagainstallreligiousconventionalism.

Itsirreligion, however,ismerelyapparent.Thosewhoare

trulyreligiouswillbesurprisedtofindthatafteralltherebso

muchofreligioninthebarbarous declarationofZen.But to

saythatZenisareligion,inthesensethatChristianityorMo-

hammedanism is, would be a mistake. To make my point

clearer,Iquotethefollowing.WhenSakyamuniwasbom,itis

saidthat heliftedonehand towardtheheavensandpointed
totheearthwiththeother,exclaiming,"Abovetheheavensand

belowtheheavens, IaloneamtheHonouredOne!"Ummon

(Yun-men),founderoftheUmmonSchoolofZen,comments

onthisbysaying,"IfIhadbeenwthhimatthemomentof

hisutteringthis,Iwouldsurelyhavestruckhimdeadwithone

blowandthrownthecorpseintothemawofahungrydog."

What unbelievers would ever think ofmaking such raving

remarksoveraspiritual leader?Yet oneoftheZenmasters

followingUmmonsays:"Indeed,thisisthewayUmmondesires

to ser\e the world, sacrificing everything hehas, body and

mind! How grateful he must have felt for the love of

Buddha!"

Zenisnottobeconfoundedwithaformofmeditationas

practised by"New Thought" people,or Christian Scientists,

orHinduSannyasins,orsomeBuddhists.Dhyana,asitisunder-

stoodbyZen,doesnotcorrespondtothepracticeascarriedon

inZen.A manmaymeditate onareligiousorphilosophical

subjectwhiledisciplininghimselfinZen,butthatisonlyinci-

dental;theessenceofZenisnotthereatall.Zenpurposesto

disciplinetheminditself,tomakeititsownmaster,through

an insightinto its propernature. This gettingintothe real

natureofone'sowmmindorsoulisthefundamentalobjectof

ZenBuddhism. Zen, therefore, ismore than meditation and

Dhyanainitsordinarysense.ThedisciplineofZenconsistsin

openingthementaleyeinordertolookintotheveryreason

ofexistence.