Samurai Universal Life Is Universal Spirit
These considerations naturally lead us to see that Universal ...
Bodhidharma And His Successor The Second Patriarch
China was not, however, an uncultivated[FN#29] land for the s...
Zen After The Downfall Of The Ho-jo Regency
Towards the end of the Ho-Jo period,[FN#90] and after the dow...
Zen In The Dark Age
The latter half of the Ashikaga period was the age of arms an...
Zen And The Regent Generals Of The Ho-jo Period
No wonder, then, that the representatives of the Samurai clas...
Introduction Of Zen Into China By Bodhidharma
An epoch-making event took place in the Buddhist history of C...
The Second And The Third Patriarchs
After the death of the First Patriarch, in A.D. 528, Hwui Ko ...
The Honest Poverty Of The Zen Monk And The Samurai
Secondly, the so-called honest poverty is a characteristic of...
The Usual Explanation Of The Canon
An eminent Chinese Buddhist scholar, well known as Ten Dai Da...
Epicureanism And Life
There are a good many people always buoyant in spirit and mir...
Zen Under The Toku-gana Shogunate
Peace was at last restored by Iye-yasu, the founder of the To...
An Illusion Concerning Appearance And Reality
To get Enlightened we must next dispel an illusion respecting...
The Theory Of Buddha-nature Adequately Explains The Ethical States Of Man
This theory of Buddha-nature enables us to get an insight int...
The Parable Of A Drunkard
Now the question arises, If all human beings are endowed with...
Origin Of Zen In India
To-day Zen as a living faith can be found in its pure form on...
Real Self
If there be no individual soul either in mind or body, where ...
Difficulties Are No Match For The Optimist
How can we suppose that we, the children of Buddha, are put a...
Buddha Dwelling In The Individual Mind
Enlightened Consciousness in the individual mind acquires for...
The Method Of Instruction Adopted By Zen Masters
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Pessimistic View Of The Ancient Hindus
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No Need Of The Scriptural Authority For Zen
Some Occidental scholars erroneously identify Buddhism with the
primitive faith of Hinayanism, and are inclined to call Mahayanism, a
later developed faith, a degenerated one. If the primitive faith be
called the genuine, as these scholars think, and the later developed
faith be the degenerated one, then the child should be called the
genuine man and the grown-up people be the degenerated ones;
similarly, the primitive society must be the genuine and the modern
civilization be the degenerated one. So also the earliest writings
of the Old Testament should be genuine and the four Gospels be
degenerated. Beyond all doubt Zen belongs to Mahayanism, yet this
does not imply that it depends on the scriptural authority of that
school, because it does not trouble itself about the Canon whether it
be Hinayana or Mahayana, or whether it was directly spoken by Shakya
Muni or written by some later Buddhists. Zen is completely free from
the fetters of old dogmas, dead creeds, and conventions of
stereotyped past, that check the development of a religious faith and
prevent the discovery of a new truth. Zen needs no Inquisition. It
never compelled nor will compel the compromise of a Galileo or a
Descartes. No excommunication of a Spinoza or the burning of a Bruno
is possible for Zen.
On a certain occasion Yoh Shan (Yaku-san) did not preach the doctrine
for a long while, and was requested to give a sermon by his assistant
teacher, saying: Would your reverence preach the Dharma to your
pupils, who long thirst after your merciful instruction? Then ring
the bell, replied Yoh Shan. The bell rang, and all the monks
assembled in the Hall eager to bear the sermon. Yoh Shan went up to
the pulpit and descended immediately without saying a word. You,
reverend sir, asked the assistant, promised to deliver a sermon a
little while ago. Why do you not preach? Sutras are taught by the
Sutra teachers, said the master; Castras are taught by the Castra
teachers. No wonder that I say nothing.[FN#110] This little
episode will show you that Zen is no fixed doctrine embodied in a
Sutra or a Castra, but a conviction or realization within us.
[FN#110] Zen-rin-rui-shu and E-gen.
To quote another example, an officer offered to Tung Shan (To-zan)
plenty of alms, and requested him to recite the sacred Canon. Tung
Shan, rising from his chair, made a bow respectfully to the officer,
who did the same to the teacher. Then Tung Shan went round the
chair, taking the officer with him, and making a bow again to the
officer, asked: Do you see what I mean? No, sir, replied the
other. I have been reciting the sacred Canon, why do you not
see?[FN#111] Thus Zen does not regard Scriptures in black and white
as its Canon, for it takes to-days and tomorrows of this actual life
as its inspired pages.
[FN#111] Zen-rin-rui-sha and To-zan-roku.
Next: The Usual Explanation Of The Canon
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