DOCSLIB.ORG

Zen and Zen Buddhism: an Overview

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Zen and Zen Buddhism: an Overview Zen and Zen Buddhism: An Overview Shudo Ishii, Akihiko Masuda and Kayla Sargent Keywords Zen Á Buddhism Á History of Zen Buddhism Á Chinese Zen Á Chan Zen and Zen Buddhism have a long history. A The term Zen (禅) itself sits upon a rich his- consensus among Zen Buddhism practitioners tory. It can be used to describe similar but and scholars is that Zen Buddhism began with varying concepts or practices depending on the Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism context and culture with which it is used. The (Dumoulin 2005), who incorporated dhyana (i.e., term Zen is derived from the Japanese pronun- a form of Zen meditation with Indian origins) ciation of the Chinese word Chan (禪), which into his training. As Zen meditation can be traced came from the Sanskrit word dhyana or the Pali back to India prior to the time of Gautama word jhana. In Japanese Zen Buddhism, the term Buddha, the history of Zen Buddhism actually is often considered synonymous with yoga (瑜 began before Buddhism itself. For a moment, 伽) or samadhi (三昧, an ultimate state of con- imagine the tropical climate of India: It must centration achieved through meditation). In have been quite natural for the students of practice, Zen is often understood as the act of diverse spiritual traditions to meditate tranquilly adjusting one’s mind by seeing and reflecting the under a tree or on a stone as they explored the true nature of the universe. As such, Zen is also meaning of the way. called Zenjo (禅定) because the Sanskrit dhyana also emphasizes the adjustment, settlement, and concentration of the mind, which is roughly translated as jo (定) in Japanese. Prior to his awakening or enlightenment, Gau- Translated and Edited by Akihiko Masuda and Kayla Sargent. tama Buddha was said to seek teachings from two sages, Ajara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. S. Ishii (&) According to Keitoku Dentō-roku (景徳傳燈録 in Komazawa University, Tokyo, Japan Japanese; The Record of the Transmission of the e-mail: [email protected] Lamp), one of the most widely read ancient Chan A. Masuda Á K. Sargent texts, Gautama Buddha sought the samadhi of University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA e-mail: [email protected] nothingness (i.e., nondiscrimination) and the samadhi of neither-perception-nor-nonperceptions K. Sargent fi e-mail: [email protected] from these teachers (see Daoyuan and Whit eld © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 17 A. Masuda and W.T. O’Donohue (eds.), Handbook of Zen, Mindfulness, and Behavioral Health, Mindfulness in Behavioral Health, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-54595-0_2 18 S. Ishii et al. 2015, p. 76). As noted below, these forms of capturing the Middle Way of not affirming samadhi were considered the two highest stages of self-centered desires as well as that of not falling Zen meditation. However, once the Buddha into a pattern of excessive pursuit of samadhi awakened to these states, he questioned the practice through meditation practice. of Zen meditation for the purpose of achieving these Even after the death of Gautama Buddha, states. Gautama Buddha then left those teachers and zazen training continued in Buddhism and has moved to Bodh Gaya of India and attained the subsequently been transmitted through genera- enlightenment of the Middle Way (中道; Chudo in tions of Buddhist monks. It is also worth noting Japanese) under the famous Bodhi Tree (Japan that zazen was integrated into various forms of Buddhist Federation 1978). The Middle Way spiritual training in India, including Buddhism, describes the profoundly influential Noble Eight- because it was believed to have a mystical power. fold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, Generally speaking, it is said that Zen Bud- right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right dhism was transmitted to China from India in the mindfulness, and right samadhi. Although transi- sixth century by Bodhidharma (菩提達磨; Bodai tioning away from zazen for the purpose of attain- Daruma in Japanese) of India. In Zen Buddhism, ing the ultimate state of mind, Gautama Buddha Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder (i.e., the continued to practice zazen for the rest of his life. first patriarch) of Zen Buddhism as well as the Earlier Buddhist texts categorize the world 28th patriarch of Buddhism overall. From this into three realms: the world of desire (i.e., phys- perspective, China became the birthplace of Zen ical and material world), the world of form (i.e., Buddhism as a religious organization when the energy world), and the world of formlessness (see teaching of Bodhidharma was transmitted to his Shankman 2008). A detailed account of this Chinese disciple, Huike (慧可; Eka in Japanese; ancient Buddhist perspective is beyond the scope 487–593), who became the second patriarch of of this chapter. However, worth noting briefly are Zen Buddhism. the four levels of dhyana (zen) as well as the four The philosophy of Zen Buddhism was said to levels of samadhi in the formless realm described fully develop during the time of the sixth patri- in these texts. It is said that upon mastery of the arch, Huineng (慧能; Eno in Japanese; 638– four dhayas in the realms of form, one can move 713). Subsequently, Baizhang Huaihai (百丈懷 toward the four formless samadhi in the realm of 海; Hyakujo Ekai in Japanese; 720–814) estab- formlessness. The four levels of dhyana are said lished the Pure Rules of Baizhang (百丈清規; to correspond to the four levels of attainment in Hyakujo Shingi in Japanese), an early set of rules the realm of formlessness. According to Shank- for Zen monastic discipline, and Zen Buddhism man, these four levels of dhyana are “distinctive rapidly grew to become a major religious and meditative states of high concentrations in which cultural force. Zen Buddhism faced a significant the mind becomes unified” (p. 32). The four threat between the years of 845 and 846 when levels of samadhi in the formless realm are Chinese Emperor Wuzong persecuted and dev- the samadhi of boundless space, of boundless astated Buddhist schools in an effort to cleanse consciousness, of nothingness, and of neither- China of foreign influences. However, some Zen perception-nor-nonperception. schools survived as their practices did not rely on According to an ancient Buddhist story, when texts or sutras, and these became the leading Gautama Buddha attained the highest stage of sects of Chinese Zen. samadhi in the realm of formlessness (i.e., that of Zen Buddhism was also transmitted to Korea neither-perception-nor-nonperception), he from the seventh to ninth centuries, and subse- brought himself back to the fourth level of quently to Japan in the twelfth century. In more dhayna. He did so because the fourth level of recent years, Zen was transmitted from Asian dhayna represents the optimal balance between areas to the West, and it has become a global meditation practice and samadhi while also phenomenon since. In attempting to understand Zen and Zen Buddhism: An Overview 19 “what Zen is,” we must explore the significance the twentieth century, also discussed the signifi- of Chinese Zen in the development and prolif- cance of Shenhui extensively throughout his eration of Zen worldwide. career (see McRae 1993). As noted above, the discovery of the Dun- huang manuscripts elicited a revision of the his- Establishment of Zen Buddhism tory of Zen Buddhism. For example, Rinzai and and Its Philosophy Soto sects of Zen Buddhism previously consid- ered the famous encounter between Bodhid- As mentioned above, Zen can be traced origi- harma and Emperor Wu (502–555) as a historical nally to India, but Zen Buddhism as a major fact (see Ferguson 2011, pp. 14–16). This epi- religious organization originated in China. sode was included both in the Blue Cliff Record Although Bodhidharma of India was said to have (碧巌録; Hekiganroku in Japanese) and in the moved to China, disseminating his teachings Book of Equanimity (從容錄;Shōyōroku in through Huike, Zen was actually introduced to Japanese), the fundamental scripts of Rinzai Zen China gradually. Prior to the arrival of Bodhid- (Linji School) and Soto Zen (Caodong School), harma, China had already been exposed to Zen respectively. However, this encounter is now meditation since 67 A.D., when Buddhism was considered a fiction created by Shenhui. first introduced to China. It is speculated that The Blue Cliff Record is a collection of koans Chinese people were intrigued by Buddhism originally compiled in China during the Song when it was introduced to them for the first time; Dynasty in 1125, subsequently expanded into its this is less so because of its formal teachings and present form by the Rinzai Zen master Yuanwu practices and more so a result of the mystic Keqin (1063–1135; 圜悟克勤; Engo Kokugon in powers that the foreign monks of Buddhism were Japanese). A koan (公案) is a story, dialogue, believed to possess. The Dunhuang manuscripts, question, or statement, which is used in Zen a cache of important religious and secular doc- practice to provoke enlightenment. The book uments discovered in China’s Mogao Caves in includes Yuanwu’s annotations and commentary the early twentieth century, uncovered hidden on 100 Verses on Old Cases (頌古百則), a aspects of the complicated history of Zen compilation of 100 koans collected by Xuedou Buddhism. Zhongxian (980–1052; 雪竇重顯, Setcho). The In terms of the history of Zen Buddhism, the Book of Equanimity was compiled by Soto Zen Dunhuang manuscripts revealed that Heze master Wansong Xingxiu (万松行; 1166–1246), Shenhui (荷沢神会; Kataku Jinne in Japanese, first published in 1224. The book comprises a 684–758) played a crucial role in the establish- collection of 100 koans written by the Soto Zen ment of Chinese Zen as a religious organization.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • An Analytical Study of the Way of the Practice of Truc Lam Zen School in Vietnam
    AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE WAY OF THE PRACTICE OF TRUC LAM ZEN SCHOOL IN VIETNAM Bhikkhuni Bui Thi Thu Thuy (TN. Huệ Từ) A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University C.E. 2017 ii An Analytical Study of The Way of The Practice of Truc Lam Zen School in Vietnam Bhikkhuni Bui Thi Thu Thuy (TN. Huệ Từ) A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Graduate School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University C.E. 2017 (Copyright of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University) iii iv Thesis Title : An Analytical Study of the Way of The Practice of Truc Lam Zen School in Vietnam Researcher : Bhikkhuni Bui Thi Thu Thuy Degree : Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Thesis Supervisory Committee : Phramaha Somphong Khunakaro, Dr., Pāli IX, B.A. (Educational Administration), M.A. (Philosophy), Ph.D. (Philosophy) : Asst. Prof. Dr. Sanu Mahatthanadull, B.A. (Advertising), M.A. (Buddhist Studies), Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies) Date of Graduation: March 10, 2018 Abstract This thesis is qualitative research with three objectives: l) to study the origin and development of the Way of the Practice of TLZS, 2) to analyze the content of the way of practice of TLZS and 3) to study the influences of the way of the practice of TLZS in Vietnam. The research methodology used is primarily documentary; data were collected from Vietnamese Zen texts; Taisho Tipiṭaka sources. The need for the current study is significant and provides a comprehensive, emphasize the meaning and value of the way of practice TLZS in the history of Vietnam.
    [Show full text]
  • Just This Is It: Dongshan and the Practice of Suchness / Taigen Dan Leighton
    “What a delight to have this thorough, wise, and deep work on the teaching of Zen Master Dongshan from the pen of Taigen Dan Leighton! As always, he relates his discussion of traditional Zen materials to contemporary social, ecological, and political issues, bringing up, among many others, Jack London, Lewis Carroll, echinoderms, and, of course, his beloved Bob Dylan. This is a must-have book for all serious students of Zen. It is an education in itself.” —Norman Fischer, author of Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong “A masterful exposition of the life and teachings of Chinese Chan master Dongshan, the ninth century founder of the Caodong school, later transmitted by Dōgen to Japan as the Sōtō sect. Leighton carefully examines in ways that are true to the traditional sources yet have a distinctively contemporary flavor a variety of material attributed to Dongshan. Leighton is masterful in weaving together specific approaches evoked through stories about and sayings by Dongshan to create a powerful and inspiring religious vision that is useful for students and researchers as well as practitioners of Zen. Through his thoughtful reflections, Leighton brings to light the panoramic approach to kōans characteristic of this lineage, including the works of Dōgen. This book also serves as a significant contribution to Dōgen studies, brilliantly explicating his views throughout.” —Steven Heine, author of Did Dōgen Go to China? What He Wrote and When He Wrote It “In his wonderful new book, Just This Is It, Buddhist scholar and teacher Taigen Dan Leighton launches a fresh inquiry into the Zen teachings of Dongshan, drawing new relevance from these ancient tales.
    [Show full text]
  • A Departure for Returning to Sabha: a Study of Koan Practice of Silence Jea Sophia Oh West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
    West Chester University Digital Commons @ West Chester University Philosophy College of Arts & Humanities 12-2017 A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence Jea Sophia Oh West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/phil_facpub Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons Recommended Citation Oh, J. S. (2017). A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence. International Journal of Dharma Studies, 5(12) http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40613-017-0059-7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Humanities at Digital Commons @ West Chester University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Philosophy by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ West Chester University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Oh International Journal of Dharma Studies (2017) 5:12 International Journal of DOI 10.1186/s40613-017-0059-7 Dharma Studies RESEARCH Open Access A departure for returning to sabha: a study of koan practice of silence Jea Sophia Oh Correspondence: [email protected] West Chester University of Abstract Pennsylvania, 700 S High St. AND 108D, West Chester, PA 19383, USA This paper deals with koan practice of silence through analyzing the Korean Zen Buddhist film, Why Has Boddhidharma Left for the East? (Bae, Yong-Kyun, Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the East? 1989). This paper follows Kibong's path along with the Buddha's journey of 1) departure, 2) journey in the middle way, and 3) returning with a particular focus on koan practice of silence as the transformative element of enlightenment.
    [Show full text]
  • Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit Name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit Dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist Influences (C
    7/11/2014 Zen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism[note 1] that Zen developed in China during the 6th century as Chán. From China, Zen spread south to Vietnam, northeast to Korea and Chinese name east to Japan.[2] Simplified Chinese 禅 Traditional Chinese 禪 The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Middle Chinese word 禪 (dʑjen) (pinyin: Chán), which in Transcriptions turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna,[3] which can Mandarin be approximately translated as "absorption" or "meditative Hanyu Pinyin Chán state".[4] Cantonese Zen emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature and the personal Jyutping Sim4 expression of this insight in daily life, especially for the benefit Middle Chinese [5][6] of others. As such, it de-emphasizes mere knowledge of Middle Chinese dʑjen sutras and doctrine[7][8] and favors direct understanding Vietnamese name through zazen and interaction with an accomplished Vietnamese Thiền teacher.[9] Korean name The teachings of Zen include various sources of Mahāyāna Hangul 선 thought, especially Yogācāra, the Tathāgatagarbha Sutras and Huayan, with their emphasis on Buddha-nature, totality, Hanja 禪 and the Bodhisattva-ideal.[10][11] The Prajñāpāramitā Transcriptions literature[12] and, to a lesser extent, Madhyamaka have also Revised Romanization Seon been influential. Japanese name Kanji 禅 Contents Transcriptions Romanization Zen 1 Chinese Chán Sanskrit name 1.1 Periodisation Sanskrit dhyāna 1.2 Origins and Taoist influences (c. 200- 500) 1.3 Legendary or Proto-Chán - Six Patriarchs (c. 500-600) 1.4 Early Chán - Tang Dynasty (c.
    [Show full text]
  • The Zen Koan; Its History and Use in Rinzai
    NUNC COCNOSCO EX PARTE TRENT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/zenkoanitshistorOOOOmiur THE ZEN KOAN THE ZEN KOAN ITS HISTORY AND USE IN RINZAI ZEN ISSHU MIURA RUTH FULLER SASAKI With Reproductions of Ten Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku A HELEN AND KURT WOLFF BOOK HARCOURT, BRACE & WORLD, INC., NEW YORK V ArS) ' Copyright © 1965 by Ruth Fuller Sasaki All rights reserved First edition Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 65-19104 Printed in Japan CONTENTS f Foreword . PART ONE The History of the Koan in Rinzai (Un-chi) Zen by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Koan in Chinese Zen. 3 II. The Koan in Japanese Zen. 17 PART TWO Koan Study in Rinzai Zen by Isshu Miura Roshi, translated from the Japanese by Ruth F. Sasaki I. The Four Vows. 35 II. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (i) . 37 vii 8S988 III. Seeing into One’s Own Nature (2) . 41 IV. The Hosshin and Kikan Koans. 46 V. The Gonsen Koans . 52 VI. The Nanto Koans. 57 VII. The Goi Koans. 62 VIII. The Commandments. 73 PART THREE Selections from A Zen Phrase Anthology translated by Ruth F. Sasaki. 79 Drawings by Hakuin Ekaku.123 Index.147 viii FOREWORD The First Zen Institute of America, founded in New York City in 1930 by the late Sasaki Sokei-an Roshi for the purpose of instructing American students of Zen in the traditional manner, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary on February 15, 1955. To commemorate that event it invited Miura Isshu Roshi of the Koon-ji, a monastery belonging to the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen and situated not far from Tokyo, to come to New York and give a series of talks at the Institute on the subject of koan study, the study which is basic for monks and laymen in traditional, transmitted Rinzai Zen.
    [Show full text]
  • Meeting of Minds.Pdf
    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Translation:Wang Ming Yee Geshe Thubten Jinpa, and Guo-gu Editing:Lindley Hanlon Ernest Heau Editorial Assistance:Guo-gu Alex Wang John Anello Production: Guo-gu Cover Design:Guo-gu Chih-ching Lee Cover Photos:Guo-gu Kevin Hsieh Photos in the book:Kevin Hsieh Dharma Drum Mountain gratefully acknowledges all those who generously contributed to the publication and distribution of this book. CONTENTS Foreword Notes to the Reader 08 A Brief Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism By His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama 22 A Dialogue on Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism His Holiness the 14 th Dalai Lama and Venerable Chan Master Sheng Yen 68 Glossary 83 Appendix About His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama About the Master Sheng Yen 2 Meeting of Minds Foreword n May 1st through the 3rd, 1998, His Holiness the O 14th Dalai Lama and Venerable Chan Master Sheng Yen presented In the Spirit of Manjushri: the Wisdom Teachings of Buddhism, at the Roseland in New York City. Tibet House New York and the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association sponsored the event, which drew some 2,500 people from all Buddhist traditions, as well as scholars of medicine, comparative religion, psychology, education, and comparative religion from around the world. It was a three-day discourse designed to promote understanding among Chinese, Tibetan, and Western Buddhists. His Holiness presented two-and-a-half days of teaching on Tibetan Buddhism. A dialogue with Venerable Master Sheng Yen, one of the foremost scholars and teachers of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, followed on the afternoon of the third day.
    [Show full text]
  • A Beginner's Guide to Meditation
    ABOUT THE BOOK As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Judy Lief, and many others. Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more. ROD MEADE SPERRY is an editor and writer for the Shambhala Sun magazine. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Meditation Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers Edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2014 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2014 by Shambhala Sun Cover art: André Slob Cover design: Liza Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is a Koan
    WHAT IS A KOAN AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH IT? Jeff Shore Koan practice is a catalyst to awaken as Gautama Buddha did. Early Chan (Chinese Zen) encounters and statements are precursors of koans. Eventually these impromptu encounters and statements led to the practice of focusing on the koan as one’s own deepest question. The point is to directly awaken no-self, or being without self. This was done through rousing the basic religious problem known as great doubt. This doubt calls into question the very nature of one’s being, and that of all others. Over time, koan cases and commentaries developed to explore and express awakening from a dream world or nightmare of isolation and opposition. Particularly in Japan, koan curricula developed to foster awakening and to refine it in all aspects of life. Scholars have examined koan practice in light of its history, texts, social and political contexts, and sectarian conflicts. The aim here is to clarify what koans are and how they are used in authentic practice. The koan tradition arose out of encounters between teachers and disciples in Tang Dynasty (618-907) China. The koans now used in monastic training and in lay groups worldwide grew out of this tradition. Admirers tend to consider koan practice a unique and peerless spiritual treasure. Critics see koan practice as little more than a hollow shell. There are good reasons for both views. By inviting readers to directly open up to their own great doubt, this paper provides a sense of what koan practice is from the inside.
    [Show full text]
  • Seon Dialogues 禪語錄禪語錄 Seonseon Dialoguesdialogues John Jorgensen
    8 COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM 8 SEON DIALOGUES 禪語錄禪語錄 SEONSEON DIALOGUESDIALOGUES JOHN JORGENSEN COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM VOLUME 8 禪語錄 SEON DIALOGUES Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 8 Seon Dialogues Edited and Translated by John Jorgensen Published by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism Distributed by the Compilation Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought 45 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-170, Korea / T. 82-2-725-0364 / F. 82-2-725-0365 First printed on June 25, 2012 Designed by ahn graphics ltd. Printed by Chun-il Munhwasa, Paju, Korea © 2012 by the Compilation Committee of Korean Buddhist Thought, Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism This project has been supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea. ISBN: 978-89-94117-12-6 ISBN: 978-89-94117-17-1 (Set) Printed in Korea COLLECTED WORKS OF KOREAN BUDDHISM VOLUME 8 禪語錄 SEON DIALOGUES EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY JOHN JORGENSEN i Preface to The Collected Works of Korean Buddhism At the start of the twenty-first century, humanity looked with hope on the dawning of a new millennium. A decade later, however, the global village still faces the continued reality of suffering, whether it is the slaughter of innocents in politically volatile regions, the ongoing economic crisis that currently roils the world financial system, or repeated natural disasters. Buddhism has always taught that the world is inherently unstable and its teachings are rooted in the perception of the three marks that govern all conditioned existence: impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Indeed, the veracity of the Buddhist worldview continues to be borne out by our collective experience today.
    [Show full text]
  • The Koan : Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism
    Introduction Koan Tradition: Self-Narrative an d Contemporary Perspective s STEVEN HEINE AND DALE S. WRIGHT Aims The term koa n (C . kung-an, literall y "public cases" ) refer s t o enigmati c an d often shockin g spiritual expressions based o n dialogica l encounters between masters and disciples that were used as pedagogical tools for religious training in th e Ze n (C . Ch'an) Buddhist tradition . Thi s innovative practic e i s one of the best-known and most distinctive elements of Zen Buddhism. Originating in T'ang/Sung China, the use of koans spread t o Vietnam, Korea, an d Japa n and now attracts international attention. What is unique about the koan is the way i n whic h i t i s thought t o embod y th e enlightenmen t experienc e o f th e Buddha an d Ze n masters through a n unbroken lin e of succession. Th e koan was conceived as both the tool by which enlightenment is brought abou t an d an expression of the enlightened mind itself. Koans ar e generally appreciate d today as pithy, epigrammatic, elusiv e utterances that see m to hav e a psycho- therapeutic effec t i n liberatin g practitioner s fro m bondag e t o ignorance , a s well a s fo r th e wa y they ar e containe d i n th e complex , multilevele d literary form o f koan collectio n commentaries . Perhap s n o dimensio n o f Asian reli - gions has attracted s o much interest and attention i n the West, from psycho - logical interpretations and comparative mystical theology to appropriations i n beat poetry and deconstractive literary criticism.
    [Show full text]
  • A Geographic History of Song-Dynasty Chan Buddhism: the Decline of the Yunmen Lineage
    decline of the yunmen lineage Asia Major (2019) 3d ser. Vol. 32.1: 113-60 jason protass A Geographic History of Song-Dynasty Chan Buddhism: The Decline of the Yunmen Lineage abstract: For a century during China’s Northern Song era, the Yunmen Chan lineage, one of several such regional networks, rose to dominance in the east and north and then abruptly disappeared. Whereas others suggested the decline was caused by a doctri- nal problem, this essay argues that the geopolitics of the Song–Jin wars were the pri- mary cause. The argument builds upon a dataset of Chan abbots gleaned from Flame Records. A chronological series of maps shows that Chan lineages were regionally based. Moreover, Song-era writers knew of regional differences among Chan lin- eages and suggested that regionalism was part of Chan identity: this corroborates my assertion. The essay turns to local gazetteers and early-Southern Song texts that re- cord the impacts of the Song–Jin wars on monasteries in regions associated with the Yunmen lineage. Finally, I consider reasons why the few Yunmen monks who sur- vived into the Southern Song did not reconstitute their lineage, and discuss a small group of Yunmen monks who endured in north China under Jin and Yuan control. keywords: Chan, Buddhism, geographic history, mapping, spatial data n 1101, the recently installed emperor Huizong 徽宗 (r. 1100–1126) I authored a preface for a new collection of Chan 禪 religious biogra- phies, Record of the Continuation of the Flame of the Jianzhong Jingguo Era (Jianzhong Jingguo xudeng lu 建中靖國續燈錄, hereafter Continuation of the Flame).1 The emperor praised the old “five [Chan] lineages, each ex- celling in a family style 五宗各擅家風,” a semimythical system promul- gated by the Chan tradition itself to assert a shared identity among the ramifying branches of master-disciple relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • Koans, Part 3: Selections from the Book of Equanimity Page 1 of 27 April 2020 Koans, Part 3: Selections from the Book of Equanim
    Koans, part 3: Selections from the Book of Equanimity Page 1 of 27 April 2020 Koans, part 3: Selections from the Book of Equanimity Comment by student t Public Domain, No Copyright The following Zen koans are selected from Shoyo-roku / Book of Serenity / The Book of Equanimity / The Book of Composure / Encouragement (Hermitage) Record by Wanshi Shogaku (Hongzhi Zhengjue) 1091–1157 with Introductions by Bansho Gyoshu (Wansong Xingxiu) 1166-1246. Translated by Sanbo Kyodan Society, 6 September 2014 version (from <https://terebess.hu/zen/shoyo-roku.html>). Introductions are omitted here; see the original for introductions and the complete collection of 100 koans. Preliminary note: Noun = a word that names something (person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea or action). Verb = a word that expresses existence, an act, or occurrence. In the Book of Equanimity, 'is' is the most common verb used in interrogative phrases: what is, when is, where is, who is, how is, is this, are you and are there. Is (be, am, are, was, were) = to equal in meaning, to have identity with, to have objective existence, to live, to take place. The ‘is’ interrogatives used by monks and students usually pertain to noun(1) equivalent to noun(2). The ‘equivalent’ question focus on nouns. Whereas, Zen teachers’ reply usually focus on verb: ‘is’ as an expression of existence, this, thus, now, to be, be here now, be in the moment, this moment, just simply be. At times, a Zen teacher demonstrates ‘is’ by raising a fist, or hold up a whisk, staff or bamboo stick. The difference between the equivalent-is (focusing on nouns) and existence-is (focusing on verb) points to 2 different spiritual paths: (1) ‘the path of salvation’, to finds salvation through noun: person (savior), place (paradise), thing (sacred object), or idea (knowledge, data, fact, gospel, information, law, scripture, sutra); and (2) ‘the path of being‘, to be, be here now, be in the moment, be at one with all things.
    [Show full text]