IS ZEN NIHILISTIC?
theoryofSunyata(emptiness).^Evenamongthosescholarswho
arewell acquainted with thegeneral teaching ofMahayana
Buddhism,somestillclingtotheviewthatZenisthepractical
application of the "Sanron" (san-lun) philosophy, otherwise
known as the Madhyamikaschool. Sanron means the "three
treatises", which are Nagarjuna's MadhyamikaSastra and The
DiscourseofTwelveSections,andDeva'sDiscourseofOneHundred
Stanzas.Theycomprisealltheessentialdoctrinesofthisschool.
Nagarjunaisthoughttobeitsfounder,andastheMahayana
sutrasclassifiedundertheheadofPrajnaparamitaexpoundmore
orlesssimilarviews,thephilosophyofthisschoolissometimes
designatedas thePrajnadoctrine.Zen, therefore, theythink,
practicallybelongs tothis class;inother words,theultimate
signification ofZen would be theupholding ofthe Sunyata
system.
Toacertainextent,superficiallyatleast,thisviewisjusti-
fiable.Forinstance,readthefollowing
:"IcomeheretoseekthetruthofBuddhism,"adiscipleasked
amaster.
"Whydoyouseeksuchathinghere?"answeredthemaster.
"Why do you wander about, neglecting your own precious
treasureathome?Ihavenothingtogiveyou,andwhattruthof
Buddhism doyou desire tofind in my monastery?Thereis
nothing,absolutelynothing."Amasterwouldsometimessay:"IdonotunderstandZen.
Ihavenothingheretodemonstrate;therefore,donotremain
standing so, expecting to get somethingout ofnothing. Get
enlightenedbyyourself,ifyouwill.Ifthereisanythingtotake
holdof,takeitbyyourself."
Again: "True knowledge (bodhi) transcends all modes of
expression. Therehas been nothingfrom theverybeginning
whichonecanclaimashavingattainedtowardsenlightenment."
Or:"InZenthereisnothingtoexplainbymeansofwords,
thereisnothingtobegivenoutasaholydoctrine.Thirtyblows
whetheryou affirmor negate. Do not remainsilent; nor be
discursive."
*WhatthetheoryofSunyatareallymeansiaexplainedsomewhatin
detailinmyEssaysinZ^nBuddhism,ScriesIII,under"ThePhilosophyand
ReligionofthePrajnaparamiu-Sutra"(pp.207-88).