Samurai Missionary Activity Of The Sixth Patriarch
As we have seen above, the Sixth Patriarch was a great genius...
The Creative Force Of Nature And Humanity
The innate tendency of self-preservation, which manifests its...
Change As Seen By Zen
Zen, like Hinayanism, does not deny the doctrine of Transienc...
Buddha Dwelling In The Individual Mind
Enlightened Consciousness in the individual mind acquires for...
Zen Under The Toku-gana Shogunate
Peace was at last restored by Iye-yasu, the founder of the To...
Bodhidharma And His Successor The Second Patriarch
China was not, however, an uncultivated[FN#29] land for the s...
Buddha-nature Is The Common Source Of Morals
Furthermore, Buddha-nature or real self, being the seat of lo...
Everything Is Living According To Zen
Everything alive has a strong innate tendency to preserve its...
The Social State Of Japan When Zen Was Established By Ei-sai And Do-gen
Now we have to observe the condition of the country when Zen ...
Buddha The Universal Life
Zen conceives Buddha as a Being, who moves, stirs, inspires,
...
Enlightened Consciousness Is Not An Intellectual Insight
Enlightened Consciousness is not a bare intellectual insight,...
Zen After The Restoration
After the Restoration of the Mei-ji (1867) the popularity of ...
The Next Step In The Mental Training
In the next place we have to strive to be the master of our b...
Sutras Used By Zen Masters
Ten Dai failed to explain away the discrepancies and contradi...
Life Change And Hope
The doctrine of Transcience never drives us to the pessimisti...
There Is No Mortal Who Is Purely Moral
By nature man should be either good or bad; or he should be g...
Zen And The Regent Generals Of The Ho-jo Period
No wonder, then, that the representatives of the Samurai clas...
The Manliness Of The Zen Monk And Of The Samurai
Thirdly, both the Zen monk and the Samurai were distinguished...
Bodhidharma's Disciples And The Transmission Of The Law[fn#31]
[FN#31] For details, see Chwen Tang Luh and Den Ka Roku, b...
Shakya Muni And The Prodigal Son
A great trouble with us is that we do not believe in half the...
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The World Is In The Making
Our assertion is far from assuming that life is now complete, and is
in its best state. On the contrary, it is full of defects and
shortcomings. We must not be puffed up with modern civilization,
however great victory it has scored for its side. Beyond all doubt
man is still in his cradle. He often stretches forth his hands to
get at his higher ideal, yet is still satisfied with worthless
playthings. It is too glaring a fact to be overlooked by us that
faith in religion is dying out in the educated circles of society,
that insincerity, cowardice, and double-tongue are found holding high
positions in almost ever community, that Lucrese and Ezzeling are
looking down upon the starving multitude from their luxurious palace,
that Mammon and Bacchus are sometimes preying on their living
victims, that even religion often sides with Contention and piety
takes part in Cruelty, that Anarchy is ever ready to spring on the
crowned beings, that philosophy is disposed to turn the deaf ear to
the petition of peace, while science provides fuel for the fire of
strife.
Was the golden age of man, then, over in the remote past? Is the
doomsday coming instead? Do you bear the trumpet call? Do you feel
the earth tremble? No, absolutely no, the golden age is not passed.
It is yet to come. There are not a few who think that the world is
in completion, and the Creator has finished His work. We witness,
however, that He is still working and working, for actually we hear
His hammer-strokes resounding through heaven above and earth beneath.
Does He not show us new materials for His building? Does He not
give new forms to His design? Does He not surprise us with
novelties, extraordinaries, and mysteries? In a word, the world is
in progress, not in retrogression.
A stream does not run in a straight line. It now turns to the right,
now to the left, now leaps down a precipice, now waters rich fields,
now runs back towards its source; but it is destined to find its
outlet in the ocean. So it is with the stream of life. It now leaps
down the precipice of revolution. Now it enriches the fertile field
of civilization. Now it expands itself into a glassy lake of peace.
Now it forms the dangerous whirlpool of strife. But its course is
always toward the ocean of Enlightenment, in which the gems of
equality and freedom, jewels of truth and beauty, and treasures of
wisdom and bliss can be had.
Next: The Progress And Hope Of Life
Previous: Each Smile A Hymn Each Kindly Word A Prayer
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