PRACTICAL ZEN
pretations. WhenTozan (Tung-shan, a disciple ofUnimon)
answered,"Threepoundsofflax,"tothequestion,"Whatisthe
Buddha?"—which,by theway, is thesame thingas asking,
"WhatisGod?"—hedidnotmeanthattheflaxhemighthave
beenhandUngatthetimewasavisiblemanifestationofBuddha,
thatBuddhawhenseenwithaneyeofintelligencecouldbemet
withineveryobject.Hisanswersimplywas,"Threepoundsof
flax."He didnot imply anythingmetaphysicalin this plain
matter-of-factutterance.Thesewordscameout ofhis inmost
consciousnessaswaterflowsoutofaspring,orasabudbursts
forthinthesun.Therewasnopremeditationorphilosophyonhis
part.Therefore,ifwewant tograspthemeaningof"Three
poundsofflax,"wefirsthavetopenetrateintotheinmostrecessof
Tozan'sconsciousnessandnottotrytofollowuphismouth.At
anothertimehemaygiveanentirelydifferentanswer,which
mightdirecdycontradicttheonealreadygiven.Logicianswill
naturallybenonplussed;theymaydeclarehimaltogetheroutof
mind.ButthestudentsofZenwillsay,"Itisrainingsogently,see
howfreshandgreenthegrassis,"andtheyknowwellthattheir
answerisinfullaccordwithTozan's"Threepoundsofflax."
ThefollowingwillperhapsshowfurtherthatZenisnotaform
ofpantheism, ifweunderstand by this any philosophy that
identifiesthevisibleuniversevnththehighestresdity,calledGod,
orMind,orotherwise,andstatesthatGodcannotexistinde-
pendentofhis manifestations.Infact, Zenissomethingmore
thanthis.InZenthereisnoplacefortime-wsistingphilosophical
discussion.Butphilosophyisalsoamanifestationoflife-activity,andthereforeZendoesnotnecessarilyshunit. Whenaphilo-
sophercomestobeenlightened,theZenmasterisneverloathtomeethimon hisown ground.Theearlier Zenmasterswere
comparativelytoleranttoward theso-called philosophersand
notsoimpatientasinthecaseofRinzai(Lin-chi,died867)or
Tokusan (Te-shan, 780-865),whosedealingswiththemwereswiftandmostdirect.Whatfollowsistakenfromatreatiseby
Daiju^ onsomeprinciplesofZencompiled in the eighth(or
*DaijuEkai,orTa-chuHui-haiinChinese,wasadiscipleofMa-tsu
(died788),andhiswork,whichmayberendered"ATreatiseontheEssence
ofSuddenAwakening",intwofascicles,give*theprincipalteachingsofZen
ASthenundentood.