WHATIS ZEN?
Tomeditate,aman hastofixhisthoughtonsomething;
forinstance,ontheonenessofGod,orhisinfinitelove,oron
theimpermancnce ofthings. But this is thevery thingZen
desirestoavoid. Ifthere isanythingZenstronglyemphasizes
itistheattainmentoffreedom; thatis, freedomfromall un-
naturalencumbrances.Meditationissomethingartificiallyputon;itdoesnotbelongtothenativeactivityofthemind.Upon
whatdothefowloftheairmeditate? Uponwhatdothefish
inthewatermeditate?Theyfly;theyswim.Isnotthatenough?
WhowantstofixhismindontheunityofGodandman,or
onthenothingnessofthislife?WTiowantstobearrestedinthe
daily manifestationsofhis life-activitybysuchmeditations as
thegoodnessofadivinebeingortheeverlastingfireofhell?We may say that Christianity is monotheistic, and the
Vedantapantheistic; butwecannotmakeasimilarassertion
about Zen. Zen isneither monotheisticnor pantheistic; Zen
defiesallsuchdesignations.HencethereisnoobjectinZenupon
whichtofixthethought.Zenisawaftingcloudinthesky.No
screwfastensit,nostringholdsit;itmovesasitlists.Noamount
ofmeditation willkeep^«n inoneplace. Meditationis notZen,
NeitherpantheismnormonotheismprovidesZenwithitssubjectsofconcentration.IfZenismonotheistic,itmaytellitsfollowers
tomeditateontheonenessofthingswherealldiflferencesand
inequalities,envelopedintheall-illuminatingbrightnessofthedivinelight,areobliterated.IfZenwerepantheisticitwouldtell
usthateverymeanestflowerinthefieldreflectsthegloryofGod.ButwhatZensaysis"Afterallthingsarereducedtooneness,
wherewouldthatOnebereduced?" Zenwantstohaveone's
mindfreeandunobstructed;eventheideaofonenessorallnessis
astumbling-blockandastranglingsnarewhichthreatensthe
originalfreedomofthespirit.
Zen,therefore,doesnotaskustoconcentrateourthought
ontheideathatadogisGod,orthatthreepoundsofflaxaredivine.WhenZendoesthisitcommitsitselftoadefinitesystem
ofphilosophy,andthereisnomoreZen.Zenjustfeelsfirewarm
andicecold,becausewhenitfreezesweshiverandwelcomefire.
Thefeelingisallinall,asFaustdeclares;allourtheorizationfails
totouchreality.But"thefeeling"heremustbeunderstoodin
itsdeepestsenseorinitspurestform.Eventosaythat"Thisisthe
4«