ANINTRODUCTION TO ZENBUDDHISM
practicalanddirectmethodofspiritualtrainingeverresortedtobyanyreligion?Andisnotthispracticalmethodalsoamost
originalone?Indeed,Zencannotbeanythingelsebutoriginal
andcreativebecauseitrefusestodealwithconceptsbutdealswithhvingfactsoflife.Whenconceptuallyunderstood,theliftingof
afingerisoneofthemostordinaryincidentsineverybody'slife.ButwhenitisviewedfromtheZenpointofviewitvibrateswith
divinemeaningandcreativevitality.SolongasZencanpoint
outthis truthin themidstofourconventional andconcept-boundexistencewemustsaythatithasitsreasonofbeing.
Thefollowingquotationfi-omaletterofYengo(Yuan-wuin
C. 1 566- 1 642)mayanswer,to acertainextent,thequestion
askedinthebeginningofthischapter,"WhatisZen?"
"Itispresentedrighttoyourface,andatthismomentthe
wholethingishandedovertoyou.Foranintelligentfellow,one
wordshouldsufficetoconvincehimofthetruthofit,buteven
thenerrorhascreptin.Muchmoresowhenitiscommittedto
paperandink,orgivenuptowordydemonstrationortologicalquibble,thenitslipsfartherawayfromyou.Thegreattruthof
Zeniapossessedbyeverybody.Lookintoyourownbeingand
seekitnotthroughothers.Yourownmindisaboveallforms;itis
freeandquietandsufficient;iteternallystampsitselfinyoursix
sensesandfourelements.Initslightallisabsorbed.Hushthe
dualismofsubjectandobject,forgetboth,transcendtheintellect,
severyourselffromtheunderstanding,anddirectlypenetratedeep
intotheidentityoftheBuddha-mind;outsideofthisthereareno
reahties. Therefore,whenBodhidharma camefromtheWest,
hesimply declared,'Directlypointing toone'sownsoul, my
doctrine is unique, and is not hampered by the canonical
teachings;itistheabsolutetransmissionofthetrueseal.'Zenhas
nothingtodowithletters,words,orsutras.Itonlyrequestsyou
tograspthepointdirectlyandthereintofindyourpeacefulabode.
Whenthemindisdisturbed,theunderstandingisstirred,things
are recognized, notions are entertained, ghostly spirits areconjured,andprejudicesgrowrampant.Zenwillthenforeverbe
lostinthemaze."ThewiseSekiso(Shih-shuang)said,'Stopallyourhanker-
ings;letthemildewgrowonyourlips;makeyourselflikeunto
aperfect piece ofinMnaculatcsilk; letyourone thoughtbe