ZEN A HIGHER AFFIRMATION
forit,forgettingthatitisnotafterallsoverydifficulttoreach
ahigherformofaffirmation,wherenocontradictingdistinctions
obtainbetweennegationandassertion.ItisduetoZenthatthis
higheraffirmationhasfinallybeenreachedbymeansofastick
ofbamboointhehandoftheZenmaster.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthisstickthusbroughtforward
can beanyoneofmyriadsofthingsexistingin thisworldof
particulars.Inthisstickwefindallpossibleexistencesandalso
allourpossibleexperiencesconcentrated.Whenweknowit
—
thishomelypieceofbamboo—weknowthewholestoryinamost
thoroughgoingmanner.Holdingitinmyhand,Iholdthewhole
universe.WhateverstatementImakeaboutitisalsomadeof
everythingelse.Whenone f>ointisgained,allotherpointsgo
withit.AstheAvatamsaka(Kegon)philosophyteaches:"The
OneembracesAll,andAllismergedintheOne.TheOneisAll,
andAllistheOne.TheOnepervadesAll,andAHisintheOne.
Thisissowitheveryobject,witheveryexistence."But,mind
you,hereisnopantheism,northetheoryofidentity.Forwhen
thestickofbambooisheldout beforeyouitisjustthestick,
thereisnouniverseepitomizedinit,noAll,noOne;evenwhen
itisstatedthat"Iseethestick"orthat"Hereisastick,"weall
missthemark.Zenisnomorethere,muchlessthephilosophy
oftheAvatamsaka.
IspokeoftheillogicalnessofZeninoneofthepreceding
chapters;thereaderwillnowknowwhyZenstandsinopposition
tologic,formalorinformal.ItisnottheobjectofZentolook
illogicalforitsownsake,buttomakepeopleknowthatlogical
consistencyisnotfinal,andthatthereisacertaintranscendental
statementthatcannotbeattainedbymereintellectualcleverness.
The intellectual groove of"yes" and "no" is quite accom-
modatingwhenthingsruntheirregularcourse;butassoonas
the ultimate questionof life comesup, theintellect fails to
answeritsatisfactorily. Whenwesay"yes",weassert,andby
assertingwelimitourselves.Whenwesay"no",wedeny,andto
denyisexclusion.Exclusionandlimitation,whichafterallare
thesamething,murderthesoul;forisitnotthelifeofthesoul
thatlivesinperfectfreedomandinperfectunity?Thereisno
fireedomorunityinexclusionorinlimitation.Zeniswellaware
ofthis.Inaccordancewiththedemandsofourinnerlife,there-