AN INTRODUCTION TOZENBUDDHISM
hadfailed to produce thedesired effect, and their disciples
thereby had been farther and farther led astray. Especiallywas this thecase when Buddhism was first introduced into
China,withallitsIndianheritageofhighlymetaphysicalab-
stractions and most complicated systems ofYoga discipline,whichleftthemorepractical Chineseatalossastohowto
graspthecentralpointofthedoctrineofSakyamuni.Bodhid-
harma, theSixthPatriarch,Baso,and otherChinesemasters
noticedthisfact,andtheproclamationanddevelopmentofZen
was the natural outcome. By them satoriwas placed above
sutra-learning and scholarly discussions of the sastras and
was identified with Zen itself Zen, therefore, without
satori is like pepper without its pungency. But there is
alsosuchathingastoomuchattachmenttotheexperienceof
satori,whichistobedetested.
- Thisemphasizingofsatoriin Zenmakesthefactquite
significantthatZenisnotasystemofDhyana21spractisedin
IndiaandbyotherBuddhistschoolsinChina. ByDhyanais
generally understood a kindofmeditation orcontemplation
directed towardsomefixedthought; in HinayanaBuddhism
itwasthethoughtoftransiency,whileintheMahayanaitwas
moreoftenthedoctrineofemptiness.Whenthemindhasbeen
so trained astobeabletorealize astate ofperfectvoid in
whichthereisnotatraceofconsciousnessleft,eventhesense
ofbeingunconscioushavingdeparted;in otherwords, when
all forms ofmental activityare sweptawayclean fromthe
fieldofconsciousness,leavingthemindliketheskydevoidof
everyspeckofcloud, amerebroadexpanseofblue, Dhyana
issaidtohavereacheditsperfection.Thismaybecalledecstasy
ortrance,butitisnotZen.InZentheremustbesatori;there
mustbe a general mental upheaval which destroys the old
accumulationsofintellectionandlaysdownthefoundationfor
anewlife;theremustbetheawakeningofanewsensewhich
willreviewtheoldthingsfromahitherto undreamed-ofangle
ofobservation.InDhyana therearcnoneofthesethings,for
it is merely a quieting exerciseof mind. As such Dhyana
doubtlesshas its ownmerit, but Zenmust not beidentified
withit.