VIIITHE KOAJ^
XJENisauniqueproductoftheOrientalmindanditsunique-
nessconsists,sofarasitspracticalaspectgoes,initsmethodical
trainingofthemindinordertomatureittothestateofsatori,
whenallitssecretsarerevealed.Zenmaybecalledaformof
mysticism,butitdiffersfromallotherformsofitinsystem,in
discipline,andinfinalattainment.BythisImeanprincipally
thekoanexerciseandzaz^n.
Z.O'Zen,oritsSanskritequivalentdhyana,meanssittingcross-
leggedin quietude andin deep contemplation. Thepractice
originatedinIndiaandspread allovertheEast.It hasbeen
goingonthroughcenturiesnow,andthemodernfollowersof
Zenstillstrictlyobserveit.Inthisrespectzazenistheprevailing
practicalmethod ofspiritual disciplineintheEast, butwhen
itisusedinconnectionwiththekoanitassumesaspecialfeature
andbecomesthemonopolyofZen.
ToexplainfullywhatzazenorDhyanaisisnottheobject
ofthischapter,whichischieflyconcernedwiththekoanasthe
most essentialfeature ofZennow practisedin theFar East.
OriginallyinBuddhism,Dhyanawasoneofitsthreebranches
ofdiscipline:Sila(moralprecepts),Dhyana(contemplation),and
Prajna (wisdom). Good Buddhistsarcsupposedto bemorally
observantofallthepreceptslaiddownbytheBuddha,tobe
thoroughlyversedinthemethodsforkeepingtheirinordinate
passionswellundercontrol,andfinallytobeintellectual^enough
toknowalltheintricaciesoflogicintheadvancementofBudd-
histmetaphysics. Whenamanlacksinanyofthesequalifica-
tionshecannotbesaidtobeaverygoodfollowerofSakyamuni.
Butastimewentondifferentiationtookplace,andsomeBudd-
histscametoemphasizeoneofthethreemorestronglythanthe
*Forafullertreatmentofthesubject,seemy^enEssays,II.
*Prajnaisthehighestpowerofintuitionwhichsoundsthedepthsofour
•otJ-life,andisnaturallymuchmorethanmerelyintellectual.Forfurther
informationreadachapteronthePr^naparamitainmy^enEssays,III.