Thing-in-itself Means Thing-knowerless
How, then, did philosophers come to consider reality to be unknowable and hidden behind or beyond appearances? They investigated all the possible presentations in different relationships, and put them all aside as appearances, and brooded on the th... Three Important Elements Of Zen
To understand how Zen developed during some four hundred years after the Sixth Patriarch, we should know that there are three important elements in Zen. The first of these is technically called the Zen Number--the method of practising Meditation by... True Dhyana
To sit in Meditation is not the only method of practising Zazen. We practise Dhyana in sitting, in standing, and in walking, says one of the Japanese Zenists. Lin Tsi (Rin-Zai) also says: To concentrate one's mind, or to dislike noisy places, and ... Universal Life Is Universal Spirit
These considerations naturally lead us to see that Universal Life is not a blind vital force, but Creative Spirit, or Mind, or Consciousness, which unfolds itself in myriads of ways. Everything in the universe, according to Zen, lives and acts, and... Wang Yang Ming (o-yo-mei) And A Thief
One evening when Wang was giving a lecture to a number of students on his famous doctrine that all human beings are endowed with Conscience,[FN#168] a thief broke into the house and hid himself in the darkest corner. Then Wang declared aloud that e... Where Does The Root Of The Illusion Lie?
Now let us examine where illusion lies hidden from the view of these religionists. It lies deeply rooted in the misconstruction of reality, grows up into the illusive ideas of appearances, and throws its dark shadow on life. The most fundamental e... Where Then Does The Error Lie?
Where, then, does the error lie in the four possible propositions respecting man's nature? It lies not in their subject, but in the predicate-that is to say, in the use of the terms 'good' and 'bad.' Now let us examine how does good differ from bad... Zazen And The Forgetting Of Self
Zazen is a most effectual means of destroying selfishness, the root of all Sin, folly, vice, and evil, since it enables us to see that every being is endowed with divine spirituality in common with men. It is selfishness that throws dark shadows on ... Zazen Or The Sitting In Meditation
Habit comes out of practice, and forms character by degrees, and eventually works out destiny. Therefore we must practically sow optimism, and habitually nourish it in order to reap the blissful fruit of Enlightenment. The sole means of securing m... Zen After The Downfall Of The Ho-jo Regency
Towards the end of the Ho-Jo period,[FN#90] and after the downfall of the Regency in 1333, sanguinary battles were fought between the Imperialists and the rebels. The former, brave and faithful as they were, being outnumbered by the latter, perishe... Zen After The Restoration
After the Restoration of the Mei-ji (1867) the popularity of Zen began to wane, and for some thirty years remained in inactivity; but since the Russo-Japanese War its revival has taken place. And now it is looked upon as an ideal faith, both for a ... Zen And Idealism
Next Zen makes use of Idealism as explained by the Dharmalaksana School of Mahayana Buddhism.[FN#197] For instance, the Fourth Patriarch says: Hundreds and thousands of laws originate with mind. Innumerable mysterious virtues proceed from the menta... Zen And Nirvana
The beatitude of Zen is Nirvana, not in the Hinayanistic sense of the term, but in the sense peculiar to the faith. Nirvana literally means extinction or annihilation; hence the extinction of life or the annihilation of individuality. To Zen, howe... Zen And Supernatural Power
Yoga[FN#250] claims that various supernatural powers can be acquired by Meditation, but Zen does not make any such absurd claims. It rather disdains those who are believed to have acquired supernatural powers by the practice of austerities. The fo... Zen And The Regent Generals Of The Ho-jo Period
No wonder, then, that the representatives of the Samurai class, the Regent Generals, especially such able rulers as Toki-yori, Toki-mune, and others noted for their good administration, of the Ho-jo period (1205-1332) greatly favoured Zen. They not...

The First Step In The Mental Training The Next Step In The Mental Training Life Consists In Conflict Bodhidharma And His Successor The Second Patriarch A Sutra Equal In Size To The Whole World The Five Ranks Of Merit Sutras Used By Zen Masters Great Men And Nature

The Usual Explanation Of The Canon Thing-in-itself Means Thing-knowerless The Errors Of Philosophical Pessimists And Religious Optimists The Introduction Of The So-to School Of Zen Three Important Elements Of Zen The Examination Of The Notion Of Self The Method Of Instruction Adopted By Zen Masters The Progress And Hope Of Life