AN INTRODUCTIONTO ZENBUDDHISM
Others.Somewere moralists morethananythingelse, others
werestudentsofDhyana,andstillothersweredevotedtothe
mastery ofintellectual subtleties implied in theteachingsof
Buddhism.ZenfollowersmaybeconsideredpractisersofDhyana,
butinZenDhyanahasceasedtobeunderstoodinitsprimitive
sense;forZenhas nowits ownobjectinthepracticeofthis
particularIndianformofspiritualexercises.
According to the MahayanaSastra quoted in the Dhyana-
ParamitaSystematicallyExpoundedbyChi-shaDaishi,thefounder
oftheT*ien-taisect,Dhyanaispractisedinordertofulfilthe
fourgreatvows*cherishedbyeverypiousBuddhist
:Dhyanaisthestorageofgoodwisdom.
Andthefarmofblissfulmerits;Likeuntowaterfreefromimpurities,
Dhyanawashosallthedustofp>assion;Dhyanaisthearmourwroughtofvajra,
Whichshieldsthewearerfromthearrowsof
evildesires;
Thoughyoumaynotyethaveattainedtoa
stateofnon-doing,
YouarealreadygainingtowardsNirvana;ForyouwillgaintheVajra-samadhi,
YouwillbreakinpiecestheHindrancesand
Restrictions,thoughmountain-hightheyare,
YouwillattaintheSixMiraculousPowers,
Andyouwillbeabletodelivernumberless
beings;WhenthedustofAnnoyancerisessohighas
toscreentheheavenlysun,
Greatshowersmaywa»hitaway,
ThewindofIntellectualElnlightenmentmay
removeit,
ButitisDhyanathatwilldestroyitaltogether.Dhyanacomes from the root dhi, meaning "to perceive",
"toreflectupon","tofixthemindupon";whiledhietymologi-callymayhavesomeconnectionwithdha,"tohold","tokeep",
*I.Allsentientbeings,howeverinfinite,Ivowtosave.2.Allthepassions,
howeverinexhaustible,Ivowtocutasunder.3.Alltheholyteachings,how-
everinnumerable,Ivowtolearn.4.AlltheBuddha-ways,howeverunsur-
passable,Ivowtofulfil.