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Meditation
- Spirituality -Intuition - Self Realization- Enlightenment
ZEN
Zen
is the way of spontaneous - the effortless effort, the way
of intuition.
What
is Zen? (The historical question)
Historically,
Buddhism originates in the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
Around 500 B.C. he was born a Sakyan prince at Kapliavastu,
Lumbini, Nepal. At the age of 29, deeply troubled by the suffering
he saw around him, he renounced his privileged life, his wife
and child, and went out among the Shramana (shaman) acetics
to seek understanding. After 6 years of struggle he finally
understood the meaning of enlightenment under the legendary
Bo-tree. After this he was recognized as a Buddha (meaning
"The Awakened One"). He taught for some forty years
then died at Kusinagara in Oudh, India. According to the Mahayana
tradition the Buddha did not actually die, because the Buddha
is a spiritual entity called the Dharmakaya. Only the corpse
of Siddhartha Gautama remained behind where it was given the
burial of a Chakravartin (Wheel King).
The very first sermon was delivered by the
Buddha in Benares on the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold
Path. He taught that proper religious practice consists in
the avoidance of sensualism and physical austerities, called
the Middle Way. In the Four Noble Truths, he declared the
truth of suffering; its nature or cause; its ending, and the
correct means to accomplish the end of suffering.
The school of Zen Buddhism begins with a Central
Asian Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma arriving in Southern
China (470-475 C.E.) who belonged to the Lanka School which
later became known as Zen (C. Ch'an). Based on the _Lankavatara
Sutra_, the doctrine of the Lanka School mainly concerned
itself with the study of Mind, both its absolute nature, and
its evolved nature. It is believed by scholars that Bodhidharma
lived and taught in Northern China for about fifty years.
The original practitioners of the Lanka School were noted
for the ascetic (C. t'ou-t'o) life, living faraway from human
dwelling places.
Not until the ninth century did the name Ch'an
(J. Zen) become adopted. Early Zen became associated with
enlightenment rather than physical seated meditation. During
the Sung period of China Zen was synonymous with Buddha Mind
(C. fo-hsin), not seated meditation as it is commonly believed
by present day Japanese Zen teachers and their followers.
Around 1200 A.D. Ch'an Buddhism spread from China to Japan
where it is called (at least in translation) Zen Buddhism
and known primarily in its Japanese form.
What is Zen? (The
spiritual question)
This question basically asks
"What is the fundamental nature of Mind?" It appears
in various guises throughout Zen literature, from "What
is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?"
to "The One hand clapping sound." The question penetrates
into the heart of the matter and can only be answered in a
flash of intimate intuition in which the truth of Mind is
seen to be the substratum of existence. As to the role of
practice, or what the Chinese Zennists call "cultivation",
Zen is paradoxically the cultivation of non-cultivation, recognizing
that we need only remove the illusion of non-enlightenment
to become enlightened.
Why do Zen writings
seem like nonsense?
One of the central points of Zen is intuitive comprehension.
When we come to realize the fundamental nature of Mind, Zen
becomes super-logical. On the other hand, when we attempt
to examine the nature of Mind through emotions, ego-pain,
mental pictures, and discursive ideas based on sense perception,
Zen seems like nonsense. Because all things arises from Mind,
Mind cannot be measured through its creations because the
latter are not as perfect as Mind itself. On the other hand,
in directly coalescing with Mind everything makes perfect
sense just as they are, as they arise from Mind. All things
thus reveal the pure function of Buddha Mind. Just so, we
see the natural world as a manifestation of the cosmic Buddha.
When the Zen master Joshu wipes crumbs off his robe he is
demonstrating the primordial power of Mind to move his body
perfectly--although he is no longer attached to his body,
now being Mind.
What is meditation?
Meditation refers to contemplation, generally, the contemplation
of both the body within and the living principle of Buddhism.
The Buddhist Sanskrit term for meditation is BHAVANA which
literally means the action of promoting, or the same, attending.
Because we are potentially pure Mind, mentally attending to
the body calms it down and makes it peaceful and less violent.
In this meditation, we neither cling to thought forms and
emotions, nor reject them. This is called Shamatha (C. chih)
meditation. In Vipashyana (C. kuan), or insight meditation,
Mind is directed to recollecting itself because it suffers
from spiritual amnesia, having in the past followed its generations,
forgetting its native whereabouts. Through Vipashyana meditation
we come to uncover the nature of Mind itself. As a result,
we observe that all phenomena are changing, momentary, and
finite; that in fact they arise from the pure source of Mind
itself and return to it moment to moment. Thus we begin to
see that all things are like a dream, a sudden flash of lightning,
or bubbles in a body of water. In seeing this way, we reside
in the fixed immovable source of things, this being Mind.
Both forms of meditation are vital in Zen Buddhism. But Shamatha
meditation alone cannot restore the nature of Mind which we
are unable to remember. The Zen adept also needs to meditate
on just what the nature of Mind exactly is. Insight meditation
as well, becomes impossible if the body is not relaxed and
calmed. If we are attached to violent thoughts and emotions,
unable to control our desires, Vipashyana meditation becomes
difficult to maintain.
How should a beginner
begin their study of Zen Buddhism?
First, it is always necessary to become familiar with the
language of Buddhism. If you are not familiar with the language
of Buddhism how can your friends help you and teach you about
the mysterious nature of Mind? If you, for example, don't
know what gold looks like, how can you begin your search?
You need, for instance, to learn the Four Noble Truths, understanding
what they mean. You need to know that the Four Noble Truths
pertain to the nature of Mind, that when Mind blindly clings
to its manifestations it comes to experience suffering, or
the same, disharmony (dukkha).
Beginners should be familiar with the canonical
works of Buddhism called the Tripitakas. In addition they
should read Mahayana scriptures of the Mahaprajnaparamita
class, most important the _Heart Sutra_ and the _Diamond Cutter
of Doubts_. In addition, students should read the foundational
Sutra of Zen Buddhism which is the Lankavatara Sutra. Other
Sutras such as the Shurangama, the Vimalakirit Nirdesha, and
the Shrimaladevi Sutra, are also extremely important to read.
As for Zen texts in particular, it is important
to read orthodox material such as the _The Zen Teaching of
Bodhidharma_; _The Platform Scripture_ by Hui Neng the Sixth
Patriarch of Zen Buddhism; _The Zen Teaching of Huang Po_
and _The Zen Teaching of Hui Hai_. Beginners should avoid
modern books on Zen if they do not teach Mind doctrine. Beginners
should first ground themselves in orthodox Zen classics and
traditional Buddhist literature avoiding non-Mind doctrine
publications. In so doing they will be able to reach the fruit
of the path sooner and come to know the joy of breaking the
bonds of rebirth. In reading proper and accepted books on
Zen Buddhism there will be no karmic error created either,
and thus no future cause for regret. Historically, in China,
Zen literature was by far the most widely published and read.
Traditional Zen masters studied all the major Sutras and were
very skilled in commenting on the arcane principles contained
in the various Sutras. Beginners should understand that Zen
Buddhism is the most direct teaching in Buddhism, and to become
a members one must be want to be a member. Just like an University,
Zen is only looking for a good people whom are intelligent,
free from religious pride, non-hating, and compassionate,
and above all are willing to learn the sublime doctrine of
the Buddhas.
What
is ZEN - Elephant and Flea?
Roshi
Kapleau agreed to educate a group of psychoanalysts about
Zen. After being introduced to the group by the director of
the analytic institute, the Roshi quietly sat down upon a
cushion placed on the floor. A student entered, prostrated
before the master, and then seated himself on another cushion
a few feet away, facing his teacher. "What is Zen?"
the student asked. The Roshi produced a banana, peeled it,
and started eating. "Is that all? Can't you show me anything
else?" the student said. "Come closer, please,"
the master replied. The student moved in and the Roshi waved
the remaining portion of the banana before the student's face.
The student prostrated, and left.
A second student rose to address the audience. "Do you
all understand?" When there was no response, the student
added, "You have just witnessed a first-rate demonstration
of Zen. Are there any questions?"
After
a long silence, someone spoke up. "Roshi, I am not satisfied
with your demonstration. You have shown us something that
I am not sure I understand. It must be possible to TELL us
what Zen is."
"If
you must insist on words," the Roshi replied, "then
Zen is an elephant copulating with a flea."
[Note:
I think you get some idea about what is Zen, If yes then go
through the other Zen stories and if it gone over your head
even then go through the other Zen Stories.]
Additional
Zen
and Taoist tales are among the oldest in human civilization.
Zen and Taoism are ancient religions offering profound insights
into the cosmos, human nature, intuition, and spirituality?
They are fun to read, and of course without a doubt, these
stories capture all sorts of truths about life to death. But
they are also witty, irony, entertaining, humorous, and puzzling,
even mind-bending most of times. The ancient teachers intended
these stories to be used by everyone, everywhere from the
home to work, during lunch, dinner, when you are happy, when
you are down. These are like a pearl and your best tools that
you can lift out of your pocket to help yourself and others.
So, read, talk, think, laugh and cry about the wondrous and
mysterious details of this thing we call Life. Then..., are
you ready for another sotry then go ahead... but remember
"In a Zen Garden you cannot see
all of it from any one viewpoint."
A
Philosopher Asks Buddha
A philosopher asked Buddha: `Without words, without the wordless,
will you you tell me truth?'
The Buddha kept silence.
The philosopher bowed and thanked the Buddha, saying: `With
your loving kindness I have cleared away my delusions and
entered the true path.'
After the philosopher had gone, Ananda asked the Buddha what
he had attained.
The Buddha replied, `A good horse runs even at the shadow
of the whip.'
Continue
with Zen Stories 1>
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Cosmos
of Happiness
