DOCSLIB.ORG

Sam Van Schaik THEZEN SPIRIT OF

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sam Van Schaik THEZEN SPIRIT OF sam van schaik THEZEN SPIRIT OF THE SACRED LITERATURE SERIES THE SPIRIT OF ZEN i ii THE SPIRIT OF ZEN SAM VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SACRED LITERATURE TRUST YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW HAVEN AND LONDON iii Copyright © 2018 Sam van Schaik All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press) without written permission from the publishers. For information about this and other Yale University Press publications, please contact: U.S. Office: [email protected] yalebooks.com Europe Office: [email protected] yalebooks.co.uk Set in Arno Pro by IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd Printed in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall Library of Congress Control Number: 2018942946 ISBN 978-0-300-22145-9 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 iv 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The International Sacred Literature Trust was established to promote understanding and open discussion between and within faiths and to give voice in today’s world to the wisdom that speaks across time and traditions. What resources do the sacred traditions of the world possess to respond to the great global threats of poverty, war, ecological disaster, and spiritual despair? Our starting-point is the sacred texts with their vision of a higher truth and their deep insights into the nature of humanity and the universe we inhabit. The publishing program is planned so that each faith community articulates its own teachings with the intention of enhancing its self-understanding as well as the understanding of those of other faiths and those of no faith. The Trust especially encourages faiths to make available texts which are needed in translation for their own communities and also texts which are little known outside a particular tradition but which have the power to inspire, console, enlighten, and transform. These sources from the past become resources for the present and future when we make inspired use of them to guide us in shaping the contemporary world. Our religious traditions are diverse but, as with the natural environ- ment, we are discovering the global interdependence of human hearts and minds. The Trust invites all to participate in the modern experi- ence of interfaith encounter and exchange which marks a new phase in the quest to discover our full humanity. v vi To Aaron and Kristian vii viii CONTENTS Preface xi PART I Introducing Zen 1 1 The Practice of Zen 3 2 Zen and the West 19 3 The History of Zen 31 4 The Lost Texts of Zen 47 5 Early Zen Meditation 63 PART II The Masters of the Lanka 83 6 Manuscripts and Translation 85 7 Jingjue: Student of Emptiness 88 8 Gun.abhadra: Introducing the Lan˙kāvatāra 102 9 Bodhidharma: Sudden and Gradual 114 10 Huike: The Buddha Within 129 11 Sengcan: Heaven in a Grain of Sand 141 12 Daoxin I: How to Sit 150 13 Daoxin II: Teachings for Beginners 168 14 Hongren: The Buddha in Everything 181 15 Shenxiu: Zen in the World 194 Notes 209 References 244 Index 250 ix x PREFACE In this book, I have tried to strike a balance between introducing readers to Zen, and providing a translation that brings something new even to those who are very familiar with the tradition. I have done this by looking at the continuities between one of the earliest Zen texts and the practice of Zen through the centuries, down to the present day. Traditional presentations of religions tend to emphasize constant truths, while academics often delight in discovering disjunctions and contradictions. I have sought a middle way here as well, showing the changes the Zen tradition has gone through over time and in different cultural settings, while tracing threads of continuity that make it possible for us to talk about a ‘Zen tradition’ at all. Naturally, quite a bit of this book is about meditation. If readers who are new to Zen are interested in taking up meditation practice, there are some excellent books written by Zen teachers, some of which are listed in the References. I defer here to the advice given by James Ishmael Ford to anyone interested in beginning Zen medita- tion: if the Zen path sounds right for you, I would suggest you start by taking up the practice of Zen meditation pretty much right now. You can get the basics out of many good books: John Daishin Buksbazen’s Zen Meditation in Plain English would be a good way to start, as would Robert Aitken’s Taking the Path of Zen. A visit to a local Zen group of any flavor can provide some hands- on instruc- tion that can clarify most beginning questions. xi xii PREFACE You don’t have to sign up for anything other than an introduc- tory class, nor, I strongly suggest, should you. Just check things out. If you like the group, perhaps keep going from time to time. But do begin to sit at home regularly. Cultivate a discipline.1 Turning to the scholarly side of this book, this is my first published translation of a Chinese text of some length, and I owe a debt of grati- tude to those who have made it possible. First and foremost, for encouraging me to learn and translate Classical Chinese, and for reading and offering many helpful comments and corrections on this text, I offer grateful thanks to Imre Galambos. I am also grateful for Sinological advice offered by colleagues at the British Library, including Susan Whitfield, Emma Goodliffe and Mélodie Doumy. I would also like to thank Nathalie Monnet of the Bibliothèque nationale de France for her insights into the manuscripts from the Pelliot collection in Paris. I am also immensely grateful for the work of scholars and practi- tioners whose work has helped my understanding of the history, texts, practice and indeed spirit of Zen. For this book in particular I would like to mention Wendi Adamek, Christoph Anderl, Charlotte Joko Beck, Marcus Bingenheimer, Jeffrey Broughton, Thomas and Jonathan Cleary, Huw Davies, Bernard Faure, James Ishmael Ford, Griffith Foulk, Taigen Dan Leighton, Carmen Meinert, John McRae, Jan Nattier, Bill Porter, James Robson, Morten Schlütter, Robert Sharf, Jonathan Silk, Kirill Solonin and Kazuaki Tanahashi. And for showing how the principles of Mahayana Buddhism are manifested in daily life, I owe immeasurable thanks to Lama Jampa Thaye. There are an increasing number of excellent resources for studying and translating Classical Chinese. Two of the best are the Digital Dictionary of Buddhism and the Chinese Text Project, the results of the tireless work of Charles Muller and Donald Sturgeon respectively. Images of many of the manuscripts containing the Masters of the Lanka are available on the website of the International Dunhuang Project, and digital transcriptions have recently been made available PREFACE xiii by the Dunhuang Manuscript Full Text Digitization Project. In the original spirit of the internet, all of these resources are free to use. My work on this translation was supported by the European Research Council, funders of the project Beyond Boundaries: Religion, Region, Language and the State (ERC grant agreement no. 609823) – a small example of the many good things that have come out of the European Union. The idea for the book was first suggested by Malcolm Gerratt at Yale University Press, and after his retirement the project was overseen by Robert Baldock; the editors were Rachael Lonsdale and Clarissa Sutherland, and the copy-editor was Beth Humphries. I am thankful for their professional work and guidance. At an early stage, Sarah Shaw offered sage advice which helped to shape the book. Finally, I thank my wife Ananda, daughters and family for their kind- ness, forbearance and support. xiv part i INTRODUCING ZEN 1 2 CHAPTER ONE ! THE PRACTICE OF ZEN Peace of mind Cannot be summed up in words; True understanding of it Comes from your own heart. Daoxin in Masters of the Lanka Peace of mind The earliest Zen teachers talked about meditation in terms of peace of mind, a state free of the anxieties and irritations which afflict us all. They taught that this peace is not to be obtained through our usual preference of surrounding ourselves with what we like and banishing what we dislike. Instead, it is to be found by getting to grips with the nature of our own minds.1 This insight is at the heart of Zen. The Buddha’s teachings are based on the principle that we want to be free from suffering, but are going about it in the wrong way. Thus the Buddha’s four noble truths begin with suffering, though ‘suffering’ is really too narrow a transla- tion for the word he used, duh.ka. The dictionary translation of duh.ka is wider, encompassing ‘uneasiness, pain, sorrow, trouble, difficulty’.2 Some translators prefer ‘unsatisfactoriness’. In any case, while most of us are not always suffering, if we stop and look within, there are few times that we can say we are free from a feeling of unease, or the sense of something missing, expressed by that awkward word ‘unsatisfactoriness’. Ultimately, we can’t escape suffering itself, because we cling to the things we want and need even 3 4 INTRODUCING ZEN though it is the nature of the universe to change, so at some point we have to lose them. To have peace of mind, then, is to be free from suffering, to be able to face whatever happens with equanimity.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies
    PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series Number 17 2015 Special Issue: Fiftieth Anniversary of the Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai Pacific World is an annual journal in English devoted to the dissemination of his- torical, textual, critical, and interpretive articles on Buddhism generally and Shinshu Buddhism particularly to both academic and lay readerships. The journal is distributed free of charge. Articles for consideration by the Pacific World are welcomed and are to be submitted in English and addressed to the Editor, Pacific World, 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704-1589, USA. Acknowledgment: This annual publication is made possible by the donation of BDK America of Moraga, California. Guidelines for Authors: Manuscripts (approximately twenty standard pages) should be typed double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Notes are to be endnotes with full biblio- graphic information in the note first mentioning a work, i.e., no separate bibliography. See The Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition), University of Chicago Press, §16.3 ff. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all quotations and for supplying complete references. Please e-mail electronic version in both formatted and plain text, if possible. Manuscripts should be submitted by February 1st. Foreign words should be underlined and marked with proper diacriticals, except for the following: bodhisattva, buddha/Buddha, karma, nirvana, samsara, sangha, yoga. Romanized Chinese follows Pinyin system (except in special cases); romanized Japanese, the modified Hepburn system. Japanese/Chinese names are given surname first, omit- ting honorifics. Ideographs preferably should be restricted to notes.
    [Show full text]
  • SNOW LION PUBLI C'ltl Olss JANET BUDD 946 NOTTINGHAM DR
    M 17 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY 14851 Permit No. 746 SNOW LION PUBLI C'lTl OLsS JANET BUDD 946 NOTTINGHAM DR REDLANDS CA SNOW LION ORDER FROM OUR NEW TOLL FREE NUMBER NEWSLETTER & CATALOG 1-800-950-0313 SPRING 1992 SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS PO BOX 6483, ITHACA, NY 14851, (607)-273-8506 ISSN 1059-3691 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2 Nyingma Transmission The Statement of His Holiness How 'The Cyclone' Came to the West the Dalai Lama on the Occasion by Mardie Junkins of the 33rd Anniversary of Once there lived a family in the practice were woven into their he danced on the rocks in an ex- village of Joephu, in the Palrong lives. If one of the children hap- plosion of radiant energy. Not sur- the Tibetan National Uprising valley of the Dhoshul region in pened to wake in the night, the prisingly, Tsa Sum Lingpa is Eastern Tibet. There was a father, father's continuous chanting could especially revered in the Dhoshul mother, two sisters, and two be heard. region of Tibet. As we commemorate today the brothers. Like many Tibetan fam- The valley was a magical place The oldest of the brothers was 33rd anniversary of the March ilies they were very devout. The fa- with a high mountain no one had nicknamed "The Cyclone" for his 10th Uprising in 1959,1 am more ther taught his children and the yet climbed and a high lake with enormous energy. He would run optimistic than ever before about children of the village the Bud- milky white water and yellow crys- up a nearby mountain to explore the future of Tibet.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prayer, the Priest and the Tsenpo: an Early Buddhist Narrative from Dunhuang
    JIABS Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Volume 30 Number 1–2 2007 (2009) The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (ISSN 0193-600XX) is the organ of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Inc. As a peer-reviewed journal, it welcomes scholarly contributions pertaining to all facets of Buddhist EDITORIAL BOARD Studies. JIABS is published twice yearly. KELLNER Birgit Manuscripts should preferably be sub- KRASSER Helmut mitted as e-mail attachments to: [email protected] as one single fi le, Joint Editors complete with footnotes and references, in two diff erent formats: in PDF-format, BUSWELL Robert and in Rich-Text-Format (RTF) or Open- Document-Format (created e.g. by Open CHEN Jinhua Offi ce). COLLINS Steven Address books for review to: COX Collet JIABS Editors, Institut für Kultur- und GÓMEZ Luis O. Geistesgeschichte Asiens, Prinz-Eugen- HARRISON Paul Strasse 8-10, A-1040 Wien, AUSTRIA VON HINÜBER Oskar Address subscription orders and dues, changes of address, and business corre- JACKSON Roger spondence (including advertising orders) JAINI Padmanabh S. to: KATSURA Shōryū Dr Jérôme Ducor, IABS Treasurer Dept of Oriental Languages and Cultures KUO Li-ying Anthropole LOPEZ, Jr. Donald S. University of Lausanne MACDONALD Alexander CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland email: [email protected] SCHERRER-SCHAUB Cristina Web: http://www.iabsinfo.net SEYFORT RUEGG David Fax: +41 21 692 29 35 SHARF Robert Subscriptions to JIABS are USD 40 per STEINKELLNER Ernst year for individuals and USD 70 per year for libraries and other institutions. For TILLEMANS Tom informations on membership in IABS, see back cover.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter-N Cetasika (Mental Factors) 2.0. Introduction
    44 Chapter-n Cetasika (Mental Factors) 2.0. Introduction In the first chapter, Citta (Consciousness) has been introduced. In this chapter, Cetasika (Mental factors) which means depending on citta will be discussed in detail with reference to the Abhidhamma pitaka by dividing topics and subtopics related to the present chapter. In the eighty-nine types of consciousness, enumerated in the first chapter, fifty-two mental factors arise in varying degree.There are seven concomitants common to every consciousness. There are six others that may or may not arise in each and every consciousness. They are termed Pakinnakas or Ethically variable factors. All these thirteen are designated Annasamanas, a rather peculiar technical term. Anna means other, samana means common. Sobhanas (Good), when compared with Asobhanas (Evil), are called Aiina (other) 'being of the opposite category'. Thus the Asobhanas are in contradistinction to Sobhanas. These thirteen become moral or immoral according to the types of consciousness in which they occur. 45 The fourteen concomitants are invariably found in every type of immoral consciousness. The nineteen are common to all type of moral consciousness. The six are moral concomitants which occur as occasion arises. Therefore these fifty-two (7+6+14+19+6=52) are found in all the types of consciousness in different proportions. In this chapter all the 52- mental factors are enumerated and classified. Every type of consciousness is microscopically analysed, and the accompanying psychic factors are given in details. The types of consciousness in which each mental factor occurs, is also described. 2.1. Definition of Cetasika Cetasika=cetas+ika When citta arises, it arises with mental factors that depend on it.
    [Show full text]
  • American Buddhist Response to the Land
    Kaza, Stephanie. 1997. American Buddhist Response to the Land: Ecological Practice at Two West Coast Retreat Centers, in Buddhism and Ecology: The Interconnection between Dharma and Deeds, eds. Mary Evelyn Tucker and Duncan Ryuken Williams, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997, pp. 219-248. American Buddhist Responseto the Land: Ecological Practice at Two West Coast Retreat Centersr StephanieKaza From a theoreticalperspective, Buddhist philosophy appears to be highly congruentwith an ecologicalworldview. Respected Buddhist teacherssuch as His Holinessthe Dalai Lama andVietnamese Zen masterThich Nhat Hanh frequentlypoint to the interdependenceof human life and the environment.2American Buddhist scholars, includingmany of thosein this volume,show the basesin text and principle for a Buddhist environmentalphilosophy'3 But how do iheselinks translateinto actualpractice'l Do American Buddhists "walk their talk"? In this articleI look at two AmericanBuddhist centers to assess the extent of ecologicalpractice at an institutionallevel. Retreat centersact as fbcal pointsfor transmittingBuddhist values both to committedBuddhist practitioners and to the visiting public. To the extentthat practiceplaces reinforce ecological caretaking with spiritualprinciples, they provide a foundationfbr moralcommitment to the environment.It is clear to many leading environmental thinkersthat science,technology, and economics alone will not solve the environmentalcrisis.a lnstead, they call for cultural transfor- mation basedon religigus,moral, or spiritual valuesof deep care of and concernfor the earth.How do American Buddhistcenters contributeto this cultural shift? What in their efforts is distinctly Buddhist and what reflectsthe existing culture or reactionto it? Where are the points of tension around ecologicalpractice in Buddhistcenters? And on what institutionalelements do these practicesdepend? 220 Buddhism and Ecologl- This articleis a preliminaryreport of work in progressassessing environmentalpractices at diverseAmerican Buddhist centers in the UnitedStates.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Buddhist Metaphysics: the Making of a Philosophical Tradition
    EARLY BUDDHIST METAPHYSICS This book provides a philosophical account of the major doctrinal shift in the history of early Theravada tradition in India: the transition from the earliest stratum of Buddhist thought to the systematic and allegedly scholastic philosophy of the Pali Abhidhamma movement. Conceptual investigation into the development of Buddhist ideas is pursued, thus rendering the Buddha’s philosophical position more explicit and showing how and why his successors changed it. Entwining comparative philosophy and Buddhology, the author probes the Abhidhamma’s shift from an epistemologically oriented conceptual scheme to a metaphysical worldview that is based on the concept of dhamma. She does so in terms of the Aristotelian tradition and vis-à-vis modern philosophy, exploiting Western philo- sophical literature from Plato to contemporary texts in the fields of philosophy of mind and cultural criticism. This book not only demonstrates that a philosophical inquiry into the conceptual foundations of early Buddhism can enhance our understanding of what philosophy and religion are qua thought and religion; it also shows the value of fresh perspectives for traditional Buddhology. Combining philosophically rigorous investigation and Buddhological research criteria, Early Buddhist Metaphysics fills a significant gap in Buddhist scholar- ship’s treatment of the conceptual development of the Abhidhamma. Noa Ronkin received her PhD from the University of Oxford. She is currently a lecturer in the Introduction to the Humanities Programme and a Research Fellow at the Center for Buddhist Studies, Stanford University. Her research interests include a range of issues associated with Indian Theravada Buddhist philosophy and psychology, the Abhidhamma tradition and comparative Indian philosophy.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Revised Edition
    REVISED EDITION John Powers ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 1 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 2 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 3 Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism revised edition by John Powers Snow Lion Publications ithaca, new york • boulder, colorado ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 4 Snow Lion Publications P.O. Box 6483 • Ithaca, NY 14851 USA (607) 273-8519 • www.snowlionpub.com © 1995, 2007 by John Powers All rights reserved. First edition 1995 Second edition 2007 No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper. Designed and typeset by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Powers, John, 1957- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism / by John Powers. — Rev. ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-282-2 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-55939-282-7 (alk. paper) 1. Buddhism—China—Tibet. 2. Tibet (China)—Religion. I. Title. BQ7604.P69 2007 294.3’923—dc22 2007019309 ITTB_Interior 9/20/07 2:23 PM Page 5 Table of Contents Preface 11 Technical Note 17 Introduction 21 Part One: The Indian Background 1. Buddhism in India 31 The Buddha 31 The Buddha’s Life and Lives 34 Epilogue 56 2. Some Important Buddhist Doctrines 63 Cyclic Existence 63 Appearance and Reality 71 3. Meditation 81 The Role of Meditation in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism 81 Stabilizing and Analytical Meditation 85 The Five Buddhist Paths 91 4.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts
    The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts By Ramin Etesami A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the International Buddhist College, Thailand March, 20 Abstract The Tulku institution is a unique characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism with a central role in this tradition, to the extent that it is present in almost every aspect of Tibet’s culture and tradition. However, despite this central role and the scope and diversity of the socio-religious aspects of the institution, only a few studies have so far been conducted to shed light on it. On the other hand, an aura of sacredness; distorted pictures projected by the media and film industries;political propaganda and misinformation; and tendencies to follow a pattern of cult behavior; have made the Tulku institution a highly controversial topic for research; and consequently, an objective study of the institution based on a critical approach is difficult. The current research is an attempt to comprehensively examine different dimensions of the Tulku tradition with an emphasis on the issue of its orthodoxy with respect to the core doctrines of Buddhism and the social implications of the practice. In this research, extreme caution has been practiced to firstly, avoid any kind of bias rooted in faith and belief; and secondly, to follow a scientific methodology in reviewing evidence and scriptures related to the research topic. Through a comprehensive study of historical accounts, core Buddhist texts and hagiographic literature, this study has found that while the basic Buddhist doctrines allow the possibility for a Buddhist teacher or an advanced practitioner to “return back to accomplish his tasks, the lack of any historical precedence which can be viewed as a typical example of the practice in early Buddhism makes the issue of its orthodoxy equivocal and relative.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulletin of Tibetology
    Bulletin of Tibetology VOLUME 45 NO. 1 2009 NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY GANGTOK, SIKKIM The Bulletin of Tibetology seeks to serve the specialist as well as the general reader with an interest in the field of study. The motif portraying the Stupa on the mountains suggests the dimensions of the field. Bulletin of Tibetology VOLUME 45 NO. 1 2009 NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY GANGTOK, SIKKIM Patron HIS EXCELLENCY SHRI BALMIKI PRASAD SINGH, THE GOVERNOR OF SIKKIM Advisor TASHI DENSAPA, DIRECTOR NIT Editorial Board FRANZ-KARL EHRHARD ACHARYA SAMTEN GYATSO SAUL MULLARD BRIGITTE STEINMANN TASHI TSERING MARK TURIN ROBERTO VITALI Editor ANNA BALIKCI-DENJONGPA Guest Editor for Present Issue DANIEL A. HIRSHBERG Assistant Editors TSULTSEM GYATSO ACHARYA THUPTEN TENZING The Bulletin of Tibetology is published bi-annually by the Director, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok, Sikkim. Annual subscription rates: South Asia, Rs150. Overseas, $20. Correspondence concerning bulletin subscriptions, changes of address, missing issues etc., to: Administrative Assistant, Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok 737102, Sikkim, India ([email protected]). Editorial correspondence should be sent to the Editor at the same address. Submission guidelines. We welcome submission of articles on any subject of the history, language, art, culture and religion of the people of the Tibetan cultural area although we would particularly welcome articles focusing on Sikkim, Bhutan and the Eastern Himalayas. Articles should be in English or Tibetan, submitted by email or on CD along with a hard copy and should not exceed 5000 words in length. The views expressed in the Bulletin of Tibetology are those of the contributors alone and not the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
    [Show full text]
  • Jhana in Pali Buddhism
    Samadhi & Jhana in Pali Buddhism Sati Center for Buddhist Studies Saturday Class April 30, 2016 Taught by Richard Shankman www.richardshankman.org “I considered . could jhana be the path to enlightenment? Then came the realization: ‘That is the path to enlightenment.’” The Buddha Mahasaccaka Sutta “There are five detrimental things that lead to the decay and disappearance of the true Dhamma. What are the five? Here the bhikkhus [monks], the bhikkhunis [nuns], the male lay followers, and the female lay followers dwell without reverence and deference towards the Teacher . towards the Dhamma . towards the Sangha . towards the training . without reverence and deference towards samadhi. These are the five detrimental things that lead to the decay and disappearance of the true Dhamma.” The Buddha Kassapasamyutta (SN16.13) Goals for the Class: 1) Understand the range of teachings on samadhi in the Pali tradition. 2) Understand the relationship between samadhi and insight meditation. 3) Understand the nature of jhana. 4) Understand the main controversies and disagreements about samadhi and its place in meditation practice. And Most Important of All: 5) Inform and Support Your Practice 1 1 Samdhi in the Pali Suttas Samadhi is usually translated as concentration. It more accurately means “undistracted”. Two ways samadhi is understood: 1) One-pointed on a single object. Ultimately, experience of change is lost because only aware of a single point. “Exclusive”. 2) Mind becomes unmoving, but not on a single object. Aware of a broad range of experience. “Inclusive”. 1. Right Samadhi The suttas say explicitly that right Samadhi is a condition for seeing directly and clearly into the true nature of things: “Bhikkhus, develop concentration.
    [Show full text]
  • Beat Zen, Square Zen: Buddhism in American Culture
    Beat Zen, Square Zen: Buddhism in American Culture HUMN 303 • Section 01 • CRN: 16468 • ARHC/DUSC/EGHU Fall 2012 • TR 2:30–3:52 pm • BIO 221 Dr. James Mark Shields • #577-1336 • [email protected] Office hours: W 10:00–12:00, or by appointment • Marts 3C This seminar examines, interprets and explores the arrival and impact of Buddhism in the West generally, and the encounter of Buddhism with American culture in particular. Buddhism ‘arrived’ in the US in the late 19th and early 20th century in two forms: first, through immigration of Asian laborers to Hawaii and the West coast; second, through the combined adoption of Buddhism by Westerners and the promotion of Buddhism by a few Asian monks and scholars. Over time, a distinctly Western form of Buddhism would develop on the basis of the writings of figures like Paul Carus, D. T. Suzuki and Alan Watts. This movement would be picked up and developed further in the postwar period by a group of writers, artists and cultural dropouts known as the Beats, from which it would infiltrate mainstream American popular culture. The primary objective of this seminar is to introduce students to ‘Western Buddhism’ as a hybrid religio- cultural project emerging out of the work of figures such as Carus, Suzuki, Watts, Hermann Hesse, Chögyam Trungpa, Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, and Philip Glass. Students will be asked to respond analytically and critically to a number of key works—including novels, poetry, philosophy, works of art, music and performance as well as film, television programs and commercial media—that present variations of “Western Buddhism.” This will be accomplished via a number of short writing assignments (“engagement pieces”) as well as in the context of regular class and online discussion and presentations.
    [Show full text]
  • American Buddhism As a Way of Life
    American Buddhism as a Way of Life Edited by Gary Storhoff and John Whalen-Bridge American Buddhism as a Way of Life SUNY series in Buddhism and American Culture ——————— John Whalen-Bridge and Gary Storhoff, editors American Buddhism as a Way of Life Edited by Gary Storhoff and John Whalen-Bridge Cover art: photo credit © Bernice Williams / iStockphoto.com Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2010 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Michael Campochiaro Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data American Buddhism as a way of life / edited by Gary Storhoff and John Whalen-Bridge. p. cm. — (SUNY series in Buddhism and American culture) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4384-3093-5 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4384-3094-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Buddhism—United States. 2. Buddhism and culture—United States. I. Storhoff, Gary. II. Whalen-Bridge, John. BQ732.A44 2010 294.30973—dc22 2009033231 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Gary Storhoff dedicates his work on this volume to his brother, Steve Storhoff.
    [Show full text]