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1968 Vol.1 No.4A: to Read Or Not to Read

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1968 Vol.1 No.4A: to Read Or Not to Read JUNE/JULY 1968 TEL. (716) 473-9180 VOL. I, NO. 4 TO READ OR NOT TO READ? the printed page. In Zen it is em~ phasized, "Hear the truth, believe it, Philip Kapleau practice it." Not read the truth, but HEAR it, for the truth spoken by one If to realize our innate purity and who has experienced it has a detonating wisdom we need to renounce dualistic power unmatched by the written word, thinking, cease playing with concepts, no matter how eloquent or elegant. At and stop clinging to opjnions and be­ all events, the prohibition is against liefs--as the Zen roasters endlessly unrestricted reading before enlighten­ remind us--it follows that indiscri­ minate reading, a potent incubator of ment, not after. random thoughts, must be sharply cur­ To function adequately in society tailed. ·In the Japanese Zen monas­ we all need a certain amount of formal teries novices are encouraged to read education and this of course entails only the life stories of the masters reading and study. Such study and and patriarchs in order to inspire learning can be accomplished much more . them in their own practice. Roshi effectively by a student who has through Yasutani admonishes his students that zazen developed the capacity to restrain the less reading they do before en­ random thoughts and concentrate his lightenment the better, especially mind than by one who has not. That so books ABOUT Zen or philosophy, since many college students and professors this type of reading more than any are now regularly practicing zazen in other fills the ,nind with sticky con­ Zen centers throughout the United States cepts and notions. Roshi Harada once only proves the value to them of zazen stated that the Sixth Patriarch 1 s in their studies and daily lives. unique experience of enlightenment simply through hearing the Diamond There are. other reasons why Zen sutra recited could be attributed, in teachers frown on intemperate reading. part at least, to his illiteracy, i.e., The unrestrained, almost compulsive to the fact that his mind was undefiled reading of newspapers, magazines, pop­ by the idle speculations which exten­ ular novels--almost anything one can sive reading and study foster. Needless lay one's hands on--like excessive to say, Roshi Harada, himself a former drug-taking, dulls the mind and blunts college professor, did not advocate il­ its capa~ity for creative thinking. literacy as an aid to enlightenment. Too much reading can lead to a glut­ tony for~useless facts and a pride in These stricures against reading in possession of them, qualities hardly the Zen temple, it should be noted, are conducive to spiritual progress. Again, aimed at disciples who, since they have few working individuals can find time · ready access to their teacher· and there­ for extended involvement with the print­ fore can HEAR the truth directly from ed page and zazen. Or if ~hey have time him, need not get it devitalized from for both, they will find that long (( The. mind of the Zen adept i5 fa.ut- re.a..d.y like a. dY'a.Wr, bow. " stretches of reading, especially of which, having the ceep ring of truth, facta and theories, tire the brain and of unmistakable personal experience, enervate the body, paralyzing the de­ awakens the mind, stirs the heart and sire for zazen. fires the imagination. The good book does more than supply tangential in­ The effect of zazen on the mind and formation about Zen; it clearly charts body is just the. reverse. Through prop­ the way, then shakes and moves the er sitting, body and mind are unified reader into treading it. In short, it and energiz-ed even as the nervous sys­ gets him out of the armchair and on to tem is relaxed and inner tensions eli­ the sitting mat. minated. Mental clarity and physical vigor invariably f ollow. Nor is this Confining ourselves to a limited all. In his book SHOBOGENZO Zen mas­ number of books in the field of Bud­ ter Dagen points out that "If you sit dhism, with the emphasis on Zen, the properly, random thoughts will grad­ following are recommended with a label ually disappear ;. illusions~ delusions, attached reading, "Warning: harmful if wicked and depraved though ts will go taken in ·excess." The last six books away by themselves . A pure, unstained, are .in that position not because they ~irror-like, crystal-clear mind will are, as books, less valuable than the appear. Necessary though ts and feel­ others but simply because they deal ings will arise spontaneously, like with Buddhism as a whole rather than flowing spring water.° Further, one specifically with Zen. In addition to who through zazen experiences the true 'ffiE THREE PILLARS OF ZEN, the list in­ way "is not disturbed, nor do cs he cludes: dis.turb. 'i-Ie is filled with happiness, he is serene Rnd rure ... He is not 1. THE ZEN TEACHING or HUANG PO ON bound by anything, nor does he impose THE TRANSMISSION OF MIND, translated restraints on anything." by John Blofeld, hardcover, published by Rider & Co., London; paperback by Muso Kokushi, a Japanese Zen master Grove Press, N.Y., 1958, 135 pp. of the thirteenth century , once spoke of three types of students: 2. THE ZEN TEACHING OF HUI HAI ON .SUDDEN ILLUMINATION, . translated by 1) Those who throw off all entan­ John Blofeld, hardcover, published by gling conditions to apply themselves Rider & Co., 1962, 160 pp. wholeheartedly to the practice of Zen; 3. ZEN: POEMS, PRAYERS, SERMONS, 2) those who, not so single-minded, ANECDOTES, INTERVIEWS, edited and seek a solution in books or other ac­ translated by Stryk and Ikemoto, tivities; paperback only, published by Double­ day Anchor, 1965, 160 pp. 3) the lowest group, those who mouth the words of Buddhas or others instead 4. THE PRACTICE OF ZEN, by Chang of mining their own treasure. Chen-chi, hardcover, published by Nietzsche relates that when his eye­ Harper Bros.; also by Rider & Co., sight became too poor to read books he 1959, 199 pp. began at last to read himself. True 5. THE TIGER'S CAVE, compiled and wisdom~ after all, consists in the tr ans lated by Trevor Leggett, hard­ ability to read unwritten books. cover, published by Rider & Co., 1964, If misguided and undieted reading 191 Pr. is spiritually debilitating, what kind 6, THE ZEN KOAN, by Miura and Sasaki, is strengthening? 11 1hat book is good~ n hardcover and paperback, published by says Emerson, ' 1which puts me in a work­ the First Zen Institute of America in ing mood. n For one who wishes to. Japan; .available in the United States, realize his true nature and not merely 1965, 156 pp. theorize about it, that book is good -2- 7. THE PLATFORM SCRIP'rURE, translated specializing ·in Buddhist literature. by Wing-tsit Chan, hardcover~ published The material in .ZEN: POEMS, PRAYERS, by St. John's University Press, 1963, etc., :i.s from Japanese sources ::md con­ 193 pp. sists largely of writings of the mas­ 8. 11fu·T\mAL OF ZEN BUDDHISM, by D ~ T. ters. A few of the tr·anslations are Suzuki, hardcover and pai>erback. pub­ arbitrary and tend to sacrifice the lished by Grove Press, 1960, 192 pp. vigor of the original for the sake of style, but on the whole they are emi­ 9. THE EMBOSSED TEA KETTLE (of Zen nently readable. Master Hakuin) ~ tra1islated by .R.D.M. Shaw, hardcover, published by Allen & Although THE PRACTICE OF ZEN is not Unwin, London, 1963, 196 pp. squarely aimed at practice as the title suggests, it is nonetheless a valuable 10. THE WORLD OF ZEN, an anthology book. ·The discourses of the Chinese compiled by Nancy W. Ross, hardcover Zen masters together with their life and paperback, publisheel by Random stories, capably translated by Chang House, 1960, 362 pp. Chen-chi, a Buddhist scholar, are es­ 11. THE MATTER OF ZEN, by Paul Wien­ pecially helpful for practicers of Zen. pahl, . hardcover, published by -N. Y. THE TIGERiS CAVE is a series of University Press, 1964, 162 pp. able translations of Japanes~ Zen texts: 12. FOUNDATIONS bF TIBETAN MYSTI°CISM, chiefly a commentary on the Heart sutra by Lama Govinda, hardcover, published (Prajna-paramita), by a contemporary bJ E.P. Dutton, 1960, 370 pp. Zen master; YASENKANNA: an autobio­ graphical narrative by Zen Master Hakuin; 13. A BUDDHIST BIBLE, compiled by and a short sermon by the present Dwight Goddard, hardcover, published kancho (chief abbot) of the. Japanese by E~P. Dutton, 1952, 677 pp. Soto sect. 14. A SURVEY OF BUDDHISM, by Bhikshu In the Foreword to THE ZEN KOAN we Sangharakshita, hardcover, puplished read: 11 Since the subject proper -of THE by The Indian Institute of World Cul­ ZEN KOAN is Hakuin's system of koan ture, London, 1966,. 527 pp. study, and since long quotations from 15. BUDDHIST TEXTS THROUGH TflE AGES, · his writings fomprise a part of Isshu ed. by Edward Conze, hardcover and Roshi's text, that great master is in a paperback, 1954, 322 pp. sense the hero of this book.'.' It is these quotations, and several shorter 16. THE SURA..~GAMA SUTP~\, translated ones from other masters. which the prac­ by Chas. · Luk> hardcover, published by ti d.ng Zen student will find most in­ Rider & Co., London, 1966, 262 pp. formative and inspiring. 17. THE PILGRIMAGE OF . BUDDHISM, by Dr. Chan's translation of THE PLAT.­ J.13. Pratt, hardcover, published by FORM SC_RIPTURE at times makes this The MacMillan Co. 9 1928, _758 pp.
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