Zen And Supernatural Power
: THE TRAINING OF THE MIND AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATIONYoga[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 following traditions
clearly show this spirit: When Fah Yung (Ho-yu) lived in Mount Niu
Teu[FN#251] (Go-zu-san) he used to receive every morning the
offerings of flowers from
supernatural powers. But after his Enlightenment by the instruction
of the Fourth Patriarch, the birds ceased to make offering, because
be became a being too divine to be seen by inferior animals. Hwang
Pah (O-baku), one day going up Mount Tien Tai (Ten-dai-san), which
was believed to have been inhabited by Arhats with supernatural
powers, met with a monk whose eyes emitted strange light. They went
along the pass talking with each other for a short while until they
came to a river roaring with torrent. There being no bridge, the
master bad to stop at the shore; but his companion crossed the river
walking on the water and beckoned to Hwang Pah to follow him.
Thereupon Hwang Pah said: 'If I knew thou art an Arhat, I would have
doubled you up before thou got over there!' The monk then understood
the spiritual attainment of Hwang Pah, and praised him as a true
Mahayanist. On one occasion Yang Shan (Kyo-zan) saw a stranger
monk flying through the air. When that monk came down and approached
him with a respectful salutation, he asked: 'Where art thou from?
'Early this morning,' replied the other, 'I set out from India.'
'Why,' said the teacher, 'art thou so late?' 'I stopped,' responded
the man, 'several times to look at beautiful sceneries.' Thou mayst
have supernatural powers,' exclaimed Yang Shan, 'yet thou must give
back the Spirit of Buddha to me.' Then the monk praised Yang Shan
saying: 'I have come over to China in order to worship
Manyjucri,[FN#252] and met unexpectedly with Minor Shakya,' and,
after giving the master some palm leaves he brought from India, went
back through the air.'[FN#253]
[FN#250] 'Yoga Aphorisms of Patanyjali,' chap. iii.
[FN#251] A prominent disciple of the Fourth Patriarch, the founder
of the Niu Teu School (Go-zu-zen) of Zen, who died in A.D. 675.
[FN#252] Manyjucri is a legendary Bodhisattva, who became an object
of worship of some Mahayanists. He is treated as a personification
of transcendental wisdom.
[FN#253] Hwui Yuen (E-gen) and Sho-bo-gen-zo.
It is quite reasonable that Zenists distinguish supernatural powers
from spiritual uplifting, the former an acquirement of Devas, or of
Asuras, or of Arhats, or of even animals, and the latter as a nobler
accomplishment attained only by the practisers of Mahayanism.
Moreover, they use the term supernatural power in a meaning entirely
different from the original one. Lin Tsi (Rin-zai) says, for
instance: There are six supernatural powers of Buddha: He is free
from the temptation of form, living in the world of form; He is free
from the temptation of sound, living in the world of sound; He is
free from the temptation of smell, living in the world of smell; He
is free from the temptation of taste, living in the world of taste;
He is free from the temptation of Dharma,[FN#254] living in the world
of Dharma. These are six supernatural powers.[FN#255]
[FN#254] The things or objects, not of sense, but of mind.
[FN#255] Lin Tsi Luh (Rin-zai-roku).
Sometimes Zenists use the term as if it meant what we call Zen
Activity, or the free display of Zen in action, as you see in the
following examples. Tung Shan (To-Zan) was on one occasion attending
on his teacher Yun Yen (Un-gan), who asked: What are your
supernatural powers? Tung Shan, saying nothing, clasped his hands
on his breast, and stood up before Yun Yen. How do you display your
supernatural powers? questioned the teacher again. Then Tung Shan
said farewell and went out. Wei Shan (E-san) one day was taking a
nap, and seeing his disciple Yang Shan (Kyo-zan) coming into the
room, turned his face towards the wall. You need not, Sir, said
Yang Shan, stand on ceremony, as I am your disciple. Wei Shan
seemed to try to get up, so Yang Shan went out; but Wei Shan called
him back and said: I shall tell you of a dream I dreamed. The
other inclined his head as if to listen. Now, said Wei Shan,
divine my fortune by the dream. Thereupon Yang Shan fetched a
basin of water and a towel and gave them to the master, who washed
his face thereby. By-and-by Hiang Yen (Kyo-gen) came in, to whom Wei
Shan said: We displayed supernatural powers a moment ago. It was
not such supernatural powers as are shown by Hinayanists. I know
it, Sir, replied the other, though I was down below. Say, then,
what it was, demanded the master. Then Hiang Yen made tea and gave
a cup to Wei Shan, who praised the two disciples, saying: You
surpass Çariputra[FN#256] and Maudgalyayana[FN#257] in your wisdom and
supernatural powers.[FN#258]
[FN#256] One of the prominent disciples of Shakya Muni, who became
famous for his wisdom.
[FN#257] One of the eminent disciples of Shakya Muni, noted for his
supernatural powers.
[FN#258] Zen-rin-rui-sku.
Again, ancient Zenists did not claim that there was any mysterious
element in their spiritual attainment, as Do-gen says[FN#259]
unequivocally respecting his Enlightenment: I recognized only that
my eyes are placed crosswise above the nose that stands lengthwise,
and that I was not deceived by others. I came home from China with
nothing in my hand. There is nothing mysterious in Buddhism. Time
passes as it is natural, the sun rising in the east, and the moon
setting into the west.
[FN#259] Ei-hei-ko-roku.
More
-
The Irrationality Of The Belief Of Immortality
Occidental minds believe in a mysterious entity under the name of soul, just as Indian thinkers believe in the so-called subtle body entirely distinct from the gross body of flesh and blood. Soul, according to this belief, is an active principle th... The Law Of Balance
Nature governs the world with her law of balance. She puts things ever in pairs,[FN#216] and leaves nothing in isolation. Positives stand in opposition to negatives, actives to passives, males to females, and so on. Thus we get the ebb in opposit... The Law Of Balance In Life
It is also the case with human affairs. Social positions high or low, occupations spiritual or temporal, work rough or gentle, education perfect or imperfect, circumstances needy or opulent, each has its own advantage as well as disadvantage. The ... The Manliness Of The Zen Monk And Of The Samurai
Thirdly, both the Zen monk and the Samurai were distinguished by their manliness and dignity in manner, sometimes amounting to rudeness. This is due partly to the hard discipline that they underwent, and partly to the mode of instruction. The foll... The Method Of Instruction Adopted By Zen Masters
Thus far we have described the doctrine of Zen inculcated by both Chinese and Japanese masters, and in this chapter we propose to sketch the practice of mental training and the method of practising Dhyana or Meditation. Zen teachers never instruct ... The Mystery Of Life
Thus far we have pointed out the inevitable conflictions in life in order to prepare ourselves for an insight into the depth of life. We are far from being pessimistic, for we believe that life consists in confliction, but that confliction does not... The Next Step In The Mental Training
In the next place we have to strive to be the master of our bodies. With most of the unenlightened, body holds absolute control over Self. Every order of the former has to be faithfully obeyed by the latter. Even if Self revolts against the tyrann... The Parable Of A Drunkard
Now the question arises, If all human beings are endowed with Buddha-nature, why have they not come naturally to be Enlightened? To answer this question, the Indian Mahayanists[FN#171] told the parable of a drunkard who forgets the precious gems put... The Parable Of The Monk And The Stupid Woman
The confused or unenlightened may be compared with a monk and a stupid woman in a Japanese parable which runs as follows: One evening a monk (who was used to have his head shaved clean), getting drunk against the moral precepts, visited a woman, kno... The Parable Of The Robber Kih
Chwang Tsz (So-shi) remarks in a humorous way to the following effect: The followers of the great robber and murderer Kih asked him saying: 'Has the robber also any moral principles in his proceedings?' He replied: 'What profession is there ... The Progress And Hope Of Life
How many myriads of years have passed since the germs of life first made appearance on earth none can tell; how many thousands of summers and winters it has taken to develop itself into higher animals, no scientist can calculate exactly. Slowly but... The Resemblance Of The Zen Monk To The Samurai
Let us point out in brief the similarities between Zen and Japanese chivalry. First, both the Samurai and the Zen monk have to undergo a strict discipline and endure privation without complaint. Even such a prominent teacher as Ei-sai, for example... The Second And The Third Patriarchs
After the death of the First Patriarch, in A.D. 528, Hwui Ko did his best to propagate the new faith over sixty years. On one occasion a man suffering from some chronic disease called on him, and requested him in earnest: Pray, Reverend Sir, be my ... The Sermon Of The Inanimate
The Scripture of Zen is written with facts simple and familiar, so simple and familiar with everyday life that they escape observation on that very account. The sun rises in the east. The moon sets in the west. High is the mountain. Deep is the ... 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 was introduced into Japan by Ei-sai and Do-gen. Nobilities that had so long governed the island were nobilities no more. Enervated by their luxuries, effeminated by their ease, made insi... The Spiritual Attainment Of The Sixth Patriarch
Some time before his death (in 675 A.D.) the Fifth Patriarch announced to all disciples that the Spirit of Shakya Muni is hard to realize, that they should express their own views on it, on condition that anyone who could prove his right realization... The Ten Pictures Of The Cowherd
[FN#275] The pictures were drawn by Kwoh Ngan (Kaku-an), a Chinese Zenist. For the details, see Zen-gaku-ho-ten. Besides these Five Ranks of Merit, Zenists make use of the Ten Pictures of the Cowherd, in order to show the different stages of ... The Theory Of Buddha-nature Adequately Explains The Ethical States Of Man
This theory of Buddha-nature enables us to get an insight into the origin of morality. The first awakening of Buddha-nature within man is the very beginning of morality, and man's ethical progress is the gradually widening expression of that nature... The Third Step In The Mental Training
To be the lord of mind is more essential to Enlightenment, which, in a sense, is the clearing away of illusions, the putting out of mean desires and passions, and the awakening of the innermost wisdom. He alone can attain to real happiness who has ... The Usual Explanation Of The Canon
An eminent Chinese Buddhist scholar, well known as Ten Dai Dai Shi (A.D. 538-597), arranged the whole preachings of Shakya Muni in a chronological order in accordance with his own religious theory, and observed that there were the Five Periods in th... 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. ... There Is No Mortal Who Is Non-moral Or Purely Immoral
The same is the case with the third and the fourth class of people who are assumed as non-moral or purely immoral. There is no person, however morally degraded he may be, but reveals some good nature in his whole course of life. It is our daily ex... There Is No Mortal Who Is Purely Moral
By nature man should be either good or bad; or he should be good as well as bad; or he should be neither good nor bad. There can be no alternative possible besides these four propositions, none of which can be accepted as true. Then there must be ... 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... Zen In The Dark Age
The latter half of the Ashikaga period was the age of arms and bloodshed. Every day the sun shone on the glittering armour of marching soldiers. Every wind sighed over the lifeless remains of the brave. Everywhere the din of battle resounded. Ou... Zen Is Iconoclastic
For the followers of Bodhidharma, however, this conception of Buddha seemed too crude to be accepted unhesitatingly and the doctrine too much irrelevant with and uncongenial to actual life. Since Zen denounced, as we have seen in the previous chapt... Zen Is Not Nihilistic
Zen judged from ancient Zen masters' aphorisms may seem, at the first sight, to be idealistic in an extreme form, as they say: Mind is Buddha or, Buddha is Mind, or, There is nothing outside mind, or, Three worlds are of but one mind. And it may al... Zen Under The Toku-gana Shogunate
Peace was at last restored by Iye-yasu, the founder of the Toku-gana Shogunate (1603-1867). During this period the Shogunate gave countenance to Buddhism on one hand, acknowledging it as the state religion, bestowing rich property to large monaster...