JPJRS 2/2 (1999) 54-62

The guest in Selva Rathinam SJ Dept, of Scripture, JDV, Pune

It was my summer vacation. As usual I methods, realisation and transmission, was on my way to Perumalmalai in the thus: Kodaikanal hills of Tamil Nadu to prac­ A special transmission outside the tise Zen meditation at “Bodhi-Zendo” scriptures; under the guidance of Fr. Ama Samy No dependence on words and let­ SJ, the only qualified Zen meditation ters. teacher in India. Coming to know of my Directly pointing to the heart-mind. plan, some theology students who met Seeing into one’s Nature and at­ me on the way put this question to me, taining Buddhahood.1 “Can we afford to spend time in medi­ tation facing the wall when millions of 2. The Quest in Zen Buddhism our countrymen are suffering?”. Yes, this is the question which I grapple with The quest here is for liberation, in this paper. What is Zen and what is freedom.2 This liberation is not merely the quest in Zen Buddhism? individual and otherworldly, but it is also communitarian and this-worldly. “It must 1. What is Zen? be remembered that Buddhism origi­ nated as a liberation movement. The When we arrive at “Bodhi-Zendo” Buddhist meditation and philosophy are for Zen meditation the administrator primarily soteriologies or ways of libera­ gives us a pamphlet which contains an tion. There can be no true Liberation introduction to Zen. The first point states Theology for the East without such in­ that “the word “Zen” is a Japanese modification of the Sanskrit word depth encounter and experience”.3 But, ‘dhyana’ (Pali, ‘Jhana’). ‘Dhyana’ be­ when we talk about liberation as the came in China ‘Ch’an or “Ch’an-na” quest in Zen Buddhism, what kind of lib­ and in Japan, ‘Zen’ or Zenna. “Zen” is eration are we talking about? “The Zen originally Zen Buddhism, which is a sect quest is, first and foremost, a religious of Buddhism. According to quest”.4 By religious quest what I mean legends, a certain from is a spiritual quest as opposed to a ma­ South India - from Kanjeevaram, ac­ terial one.5 In a material quest one looks cording to one legend - went to China for fulfilment in power, prestige, wealth in the 5lh-6,h'century and taught this form and health, but in a spiritual quest one of meditation. From China Zen Bud­ searches for meaning in life in the face dhism spread to Korea and to Japan. of human frailty, limitation, suffering and An ancient verse describes the Zen death. When one begins to search for

54 Jnanadeepa 1999, Vol. 2, No.2 meaning one begins the Zen quest. absent but there is a tree, a brook, birds When one finds it, one becomes enlight­ and fish. When one dies completely, he ened. This enlightenment or is the wakes up to the reality of everything. primary goal of Zen. Now, what is the Here the world is no more anthropocen- way in which Zen achieves its goal? tric but reality as such. Here one is en­ lightened about his true self and this is 3. The Ox-herding Pictures of what is shown by the presence of Na­ Zen6 ture in this picture. Dogen (1200-1253) As we climb up the steps to enter says in his Shobogenzo, “To study the into the meditation hall at “Bodhi-Zendo” Way (satori) is to study the self. To in Perumalmalai, we see on the wall the study the self is to forget the self. To ten pictures of the so-called “The Ox forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is and His Herdsman”. The ten pictures to remove the barriers between one’s are these which illustrate the way of Zen: self and others. At that time, there is no trace of enlightenment, though enlight­ 1. The Search for the Bull; enment itself continues [into one’s daily 2. Discovering the Footprints; life] endlessly”.7 In the tenth, man is 3. Perceiving the Bull; back in the world with wisdom and com­ 4. Catching the Bull; passion. It is an advaitic reality. 5. Taming the Bull; The starting point in the first pic­ 6. Riding the Bull home; ture is seeking and looking for libera­ 7. The Bull forgotten; tion. One can talk about liberation only 8. Both Bull and Self forgotten; when there is a situation of oppression, 9. Return to the Source and Origin; suffering and alienation. In the religious 10.Entering the Market Place with context we call this alienation “sin”. Open Hands. Gautama went out of his palace looking The Bull here represents the ulti­ for liberation, after having experienced mate reality, the True Self. In the first, this dukkha, suffering. This looking for one searches for it. In the second, one also implies a tremendous faith, hope discerns a suitable way, perhaps under and love. If the starting point is one of a guru, to realise it. In the third, one ex­ sin, alienation, then the final picture is periences the true reality. In the fourth one of reconciliation, relationship with one gets hold of the bull which struggles oneself, with others and with the whole to get away. In the fifth, the bull is reality. This is what in Christian termi­ tamed. In the sixth, not only is there an nology is called “salvation”. The pictures absence of struggle but also there is in between are the liberative processes peace and joy. In the seventh, man is for the Zen students from the dualistic alone and lonely. This is the anthropo- realm to the non-dualistic realm. The centric world. In the eighth, even the process in-between is the paschal mys­ man has vanished and there is only noth­ tery where one passes over from fal­ ingness and emptiness. Here one lets sity to truth, from darkness to light and go of everything. In the ninth, man is from death to life. The goal of Zen is

The Quest in Zen Buddhism 55 achieved with a well defined method either foot up on the opposite thigh. Such which is called . a posture gives a balanced state of muscle while sitting and helps to sit a 4. The Method of Zazen8 long time without fatigue. There is a simple and reasonable After the foundation is thus set, you way to do it. Let me give this method deal with your hands. You put one hand from my own experience, so that it will upon the other, palms up, and let the tips be easy for anyone to practise. First of of both thumbs touch each other. The all, as to “where and when”, find a tidy hands are then placed on the lap with place without much noise. Any place both elbows kept slightly away from the could be suitably calm early in the morn­ body and with the shoulders kept free ing. At Bodhi-Zendo we usually start at from tension. Then you straighten your six in the morning except on some days spine and pull in your chin a little, when when we start at five. We, as has been you feel that the end of your nose and said in Zen circle, “sit an incense stick’s your navel are lying on the same line burning” since it gives a comfortable perpendicular to the floor. odour of peaceful atmosphere and a help Then keep your eyelids half shut in some other places in measuring time. or cast down the line of your vision natu­ For a comfortable sitting it is important rally so as to see the area about one to put on loose-fitting clothes and avoid metre before you. When we gaze at sitting when very tired, very sleepy, very anything for a long time, we are apt to hungry or just after a meal. get dull in mind, therefore “half opened After finding an adequate place eyes” indicate that we should not be and time, you need two ordinary flat and excessively watchful. By shutting the thick cushions, one over the other, then eyes one may fall into blunt stillness and seat yourself on the thick cushion. The may not be able to exercise the vivid cushion lying under the buttocks will shift and effective Susokukan (B reath- the weight of the upper half of your body Counting Meditation). You keep your to the front and you can stabilise your mouth closed and breathe naturally whole body. Then swing the upper half through your nostrils, preferably deep or of your body slowly, back and forth, abdominal breathing. So much about right and left, for more stability. your posture in Zazen and now you are There are two methods of cross­ counting your own breaths. legged sitting; one is full-lotus and the other half-lotus. The former is the 4.1. How to practise Susokukan method in which you draw your right Start counting your natural breaths foot on to the left thigh, and then draw in your mind. You put an inhalation to­ up your left foot on to the right thigh. I gether with the following exhalation and took this regular posture, but it some­ count “ (wa...n)” etc. Though experi­ times gives pain to one who has a fat entially it is found effective, those who body or short legs. In such cases, half­ are already happy with another mode lotus is permitted where you draw up of counting can continue it. If you want

56 Jnanadeepa 1999, Vol. 2, No.2 to know why this method is called the in the place of seventy or you bear a Pleasant Path to Truth, you will have to thought in mind, owing to pains in legs train yourself until you can “count etc. Do it slowly and steadily in view of breaths without counting”. The whole the fact that scarcely any one succeeded course can be divided into three courses: in doing it to perfection in six months or the first course (counting one to hun­ one year. dred), the second course (counting one I cannot forget the advice Fr. to ten) and the final course (virtually no Amasamy gave me in 1979 when I be­ counting). This division is based upon gan to practise Zen under his guidance. the degree of one’s fulfilment of three I did exactly as he said. I am ever thank­ requisites. Were it not for the three req­ ful to him because it is due to his guid­ uisites which make Susokukan an out­ ance that I could continue my practice standing act of self-training, the whole till today and go beyond the first stage. thing seems to be so easy that you may Hence, it is very important to do it say you can have it done straight away. “slowly and steadily”. Once a person is The three requisites are: accustomed to it, then he will not be 1. Do not miscount your breaths. happy without meditation. 2. Do not let anything else into you. The second course wherein one 3. As soon as you fail in step two, counts only one to ten could be much restart from step one. simpler, if the same allowances as with When put in writing, they are as those in the first course were made. But simple as that. When you really want to it is essential to know that in the second perform in line with them, you will im­ course the three requisites work in their mediately find it strenuous. Let me il­ fullness. As a matter of fact, under the lustrate this in the following way. While guidance of Fr. Neudecker, my Zen at meditation if a mosquito were to pass teacher in Rome, I entered this stage. I before your eyes keep on counting your could feel my strenuous effort there breath. Were you to entertain a thought bearing fruits now. about the passing mosquito it would lead Finally, as to the third course, it to a second, a third and a fourth thought must be said that the course will not be until you are drifting far away from your mastered by simply practising focus and entering into a world of Susokukan, even by doing it as long as memory and imagination. twenty years or a generation. Time to Among the three requisites, the be spent does not count here; only the second one is the hardest, while the third depth of devotion counts. The words one should be observed with honesty and “slowly and steadily” are for those in decisiveness. Now facing an undeniable the first and second courses, but for fact that a beginner can hardly do the those in the third course the guiding first course of Susokukan perfectly, words are: “Do it with zeal and urge”. allowances are made to such an extent There is a famous Zen saying, “To the that you can continue breath-counting brave, Truth comes in an eyes’ twin­ in such cases as you wrongly count fifty kling; for the timid, trillions of years pass

The Quest in Zen Buddhism 57 before awakening”. Attentive Zxizen will What we practise at Fr. Amasamy’s minimise the time to be spent in passing Bodhi Zendo is Susokukan or Gyonen through the path. (concentration of mind on one thought) while walking. Kinhin is done by stand­ In the third course, one is not ing erect, with both hands crossed be­ cognisant of breath, not, therefore, fore the breast, palms toward you, with counting breaths but just leaves all this the chin pulled in a little so that you cast with oblivion. Simultaneously, one is in your eye on the part of the floor two Susokukan state and not in any way in metres before you when doing a round a trance. I can say with confidence that quietly in the Zen hall, clockwise in the I can enter into the arena of this initial regular way. When you practise accomplishment more often now if not Susokukan in kinhin, you will so ar­ for the whole hour of meditation. This range your breath that the first left foot can be called the growth in “Dharma step forward will come with the inhala­ Power” needed to enter into the train­ tion, the next right foot step with the ing with a Zen-master as Zen student. exhalation and so on. The general prin­ With this I believe that I can enter ciple of Susokukan (“thir” when left into the more complete course (i.e., foot moves forward and “teen” with the Zen subject given by one’s Zen mas­ same movement of the right foot) ap­ ter). The koan training will open and plies here, except that in a group we must strengthen the “Dharma sight”. I am yet walk with an equal pace and space. to step into this field in full swing. The Zen system works with the aim of for­ 4.3. Samu and Mess mation of a man who will live his life Samu (work training) may be farm­ with such confidence that he can tell ing, house cleaning, weeding and floor others, “I am here in the right way of scrubbing etc. Before setting out to work Being”, and in training there of a fol­ the leader gives instruction, and ten min­ lower in a Zen School will turn each and utes before winding up the work she every idea occurring to him right into gives a winding-up signal by knocking Truth and will walk through the Path on a wood block. After putting back the with the steady and vigorous steps of instruments she asks for the report of the real Being. the work and before concluding Samu she speaks a few words for betterment, 4.2. Kinhin or Meditative walking if any. Samu is for further power to in­ Susokukan in Zazen posture is tegrate myself. It has a deeper mean­ not the only way to grow Sammal (medi­ ing than the usual enthusiasm in doing tative) power. The same effect can be things. Here one’s “whole self’ is so expected from meditative action. An old directed within the “work itself’ as the saying has it: “Zen exercise in action by two selves are merged into one self. far exceeds that in stillness”. For the Supposing that garden cleaning is the exceeding effect kinhin is devised. work for me to do in Sam u, I should not Kinhin has its origin in group walking in be like a paid gardener whose duty is the Zen hall with recitation of Sutra. just to clean the garden. If I attend well

58 Jnanadeepa 1999, Vol. 2, No.2 to the work, I will clean the garden, the Zen School, the other being the Zazen environment, together with my mind, the hall. appreciative one. Weed and dust in a garden are as good as stain and blur in 4.4. The Effects of Susokukan the mind. Unless I clean the two selves In this method of exercising Zazen in one and the same moment, real clean­ one refines oneself. This is “not to avoid liness will not be there. There is a problems or run away from difficulties. quartrain of an ancient Zen monk which We do not practise to escape. We prac­ is as follows: tise to have enough strength to confront Body bears Truth like the fruits lime- problems effectively. To do this, we must trees bear; be calm, fresh and solid”.9 That is why State of mind is like a mirror plain. we need to practise the art of Zazen. Incessantly cleaning with great care, This method of Self Observation has Let it not have one single stain. been employed in our country from time immemorial as the “Pleasant Path to Thus the cleaning should be done Truth”. It was handed down to China thoroughly regardless of the time to be with Buddhism and to Japan later on. spent on it. Once Rev. Tel of Tsuton was So the method of physical as well as picking up pin needles one by one in the mental training has a long tradition be­ gateway of the temple. A monk attend­ hind it. Obviously it is not Buddhism it­ ing upon him said, “Would you not re­ self, but it worked so effectively that frain from all that? Later on, the gate­ Buddhist leaders used it in their activi­ way will be swept clean anyway”. Rev. ties together with other ways of train­ Tel stared at his face and said, ‘A Zen ing in Buddhism. We would hear people monk should not say that. If you leave say that, when angry, first count your things behind by saying “always” and breath three times in silence before you “laters,” you will not be able to clean open your mouth or raise your fist to anything. Pick up a needle and you are others. I see much reason in this say­ cleaning that much’. ing, since, as one is aware, most furies Mess is another activity to be ex­ can hardly survive the dose to diminish plained. I must describe the way we self-agitation. “Zen Master Dogen has must eat in Zendo’s mess hall. We do pointed out that anxiety, when accepted, not eat with the feeling that we have is the driving force to enlightenment in the right to eat after paying a mess that it lays bare the human dilemma at charge. We are grateful even to the food the same time that it ignites our desire itself and the gratefulness is expressed to break out of it”.10 Be that as it may, by pressing both palms before eating. in the system of Susokukan, breath We are grateful to the provisions not counting is arranged in such a way that merely because of the energy given for one will be able to free oneself from the maintenance of our bodies, but also unredeemed conditionings and to keep- because of the Truth embodied in food. one’s mind and body in right state, We act at signals in the mess hall, which through its practice. Whenever one is one of the Two Silence Halls of the practises it, one will be able to be in

The Quest in Zen Buddhism 59 sound state of calmness, to make little with determination to self-awakening as fuss over trivials, to make natural deci­ is portrayed in the next two lines. sion on sudden happenings, and, accord­ Therefore, this is the compassion ingly, to protect oneself in an emergency. reached through the experience of the In short, the proper practice of it in one’s emptiness of the formless self. Here the daily life will make one take most suit­ enlightened become compassionate, able actions in the stream of varying transcending all codes and command­ scenes. Finally, it is needless to affirm ments! Let me illustrate this with a story how this art can make us better found in the Mumonkan (The Gateless “prayers”, and its medical application Gate), a collection of the twelfth cen­ can achieve even psychosomatic fitness. tury. Once the monks of the eastern hall 5. The Four Great Vows [of the monastery] were quarrelling with After finishing the above form of those of the western hall about a cat. meditation and before coming out of the To end the quarrel, Master Nan-c-h’uan meditation hall, all Zen students recite held up the cat and said: “All you monks daily the “Four Great Vows”: assembled here! If any one of you can Though the many beings are number­ say it [the right Zen word], I will spare less, this cat. If you cannot, I will kill it”. The I vow to save them all; monks stood silent and did not answer. Though delusive passion-and-thoughts Nan-ch’uan killed the cat.12 rise endlessly, Where do we find compassion I vow to renounce them all; here which is beyond all ethical laws? Though the Dharma is vast and fath­ In Buddhism it is not permitted to kill omless, any living being. Yet, the master kills a I vow to realize it fully; cat. Why? It is to make the monks real­ Though the Way of the Awakened is ize their true selves. This is the most unsurpassed, compassionate act! Let me explain. First I vow to walk along all the Way." of all, the monks did not utter the right Here one should not understand the Zen word because of their lack of self word “vow” in the way it is understood awakening. This lack leads to the killing in . In the latter it is made of the cat. Now at the moment of its before the personal God while in the killing they realize that so long as they former it is a universal demand that ev­ lack this self awakening they lead innu­ ery person by the very fact of being merable living beings to death. This kill­ human cannot but adhere to. The out­ ing of the cat shocks them and they re­ come and the quest of Zen is compas­ alize the oneness of their self with the sion as it is crystallized in the “Four Great cat and thus awaken to the self. Thus it Vows”. According to this the compas­ was for the goal of leading them to the sion found in the first two lines - to save self awakening that the master did this all and to renounce passions - is pos­ killing and therefore this is a compas­ sible only when we master the Dharma sionate act. Secondly, by killing a living

60 Jnanadeepa 1999, Vol. 2, No.2 being fie is bound to go to hell. Yet, he is is steeped in compassion, no religious ready even to go to hell provided this suspension of the ethical can be justi­ makes the monks awaken to their true fied. It can cause great harm to the selves. Thus his primary concern is not wider society. The demolition of the his own self but compassion. “Of masjid and the churches, the violence course, those who are aware of the true let loose against the Christian mission­ self know that one must not commit any aries and the Dalits in our country are a breaches of the law of this world. But few examples for this. However, “it is a they also have the option to neglect the matter of course that anyone breaking ethical in favour of the religious”.13 We the law of this world, even for a reli­ find this synthesis of compassion with gious goal, must yield to the judgement the suspension of the ethical in the act of this very law”.15 The point of em­ of Abraham in the Hebrew Bible phasis here is this that one who lives in (Gen.22). Soren Kierkegaard when the ethical dimension alone will not be speaking of this act of Abraham says able to understand what compassion is. that it created “a teleological suspension As is given in the “Four Great Vows”, of the ethical”.14 In the Hebrew Bible it when one masters the dharma one lives is not permitted to kill one’s own son in a balanced way both in ethical as well even to the extent of concealing it from as in religious dimensions. It is for this his wife and kin. Thus, while being faith­ that one strives to become aware of the ful to his God, Abraham committed a true, formless self. The compassion great crime. Yet, what Kierkegaard which is bom out of it can become a means here is that in this case God’s great force in alleviating the sufferings command invalidated all ethical con­ of the world. Thus, this quest in Zen cerns and rules for a time. Here I see Buddhism can become relevant to all the importance of Zen. Unless a person persons at all times.

Notes 1. This is found at the beginning of the introductory pamphlet given at Bodhi-Zendo. 2. Cf. Ueda, Shizuteru, “Thoughts in Zen”, found in the collection of articles preserved at Bodhi-Zendo. 3. S. Ama, “The Way Of Zen”, in VJTR, 54 (1990) 2, p.73. 4. Ibid., p.82. 5. See Adolf Guggenbuhl-Craig, Marriage, Dead or Alive, Dallas, Texas: Spring Publica­ tion, 1977, who lists human desires into two categories: well-being and salvation. Ama Samy groups the Zen quest with the second in “The Way Of Zen” p. 77. 6. See Paul Reps, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1972, pp. 135­ 147. Cf. Ama Samy, “The Way of Zen”. . 7. Shobogenzo, translated by Yuho Yokoi, Tokyo: Sankibo, 1986, vol. 1, p. 2. 8. Much of this method in this paper is taken from the talk, “A guide to Susokukan Breath-Counting Meditation in Zen,” given by Eizan Tatsuta in Japan in 1974. This is found in the collection of articles preserved at Bodhi-Zendo. Since the same method is followed at Bodhi-Zendo in Perumalmalai, I present it here adapting it to my personal experience.

The Quest in Zen Buddhism 61 9. Thich Nhat Hanh, Touching Peace, Berkeley: Parallax Press, 1992. P. 17. 10. P. Kapleau, Zen Bow Newsletter, NY: Rochester Zen Centre Publication, 1969, p. 3. 11. This is found at the end of the introductory pamphlet given at “Bodhi-Zendo”. This is a slightly adapted translation. Cf. D. T. Suzuki, Manual of Zen Buddhism, London, Rider, 1950. 12 See Seiko, Hirata, ed., Mumonkan, in Zen no goroku, Tokyo: Chikuma, 1981, vol. 18, p. 62. 13. Eiko Kawamura-Hanaoka, “Compassion in Zen”, found in the collection of ‘Zen ar­ ticles' preserved at Bodhi-Zendo at Perumalmalai. p. 11. 14. Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling, edited and translated by Howeard V. Hong and Edna H. Hong, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983, p. 106. 15. Eiko Kawamura-Hanaoka, Op.cit., “Compassion in Zen, p. 12.

62 Jnanadeepa 1999, Vol. 2, No.2