The Elusiveness and Effectiveness of Zen Buddhism.

        India’s trade routes served as an incredible vehicle of influence for religion and philosophy. Because of its international connections, many important people traveled to such great lengths as China and Japan.  One such man was Bodhi-Dharma, who landed in 520 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Wu.  Bodhi-Dharma went on to be the father of the Zen school of Buddhism in China.  He reportedly described Zen as “a special transmission outside of the scriptures.  There is no need for dependence on words and letters…Seeing into one’s nature, which is identical with all reality, justifies Buddha-life and led to the attainment of Buddhahood.” He passed along his teachings to Hui-k’o, and it was under the Third Patriarch that Zen fell under the influence of Taoism, which avows that one should ignore societal requirements and seek nothing artificial or unnatural, just those things which are aligned with the processes of nature. This wasn’t the last modification; Zen continued to transform and change over time.

Although many people today know this religion as Zen, it wasn’t until it had reached Japan that it acquired its present day nomenclature.  In China, it is still referred to as Chan. By the seventh century, Zen had reached Japan.  It was not until the twelfth century that a monastery in Kyoto was founded and the religion took off. By this time, the school had been split into two followings in China; they formed Japanese counterparts quickly.  

The two lasting approaches to Buddhism are Rinzai and Soto.  Rinzai focuses on sudden enlightenment through irrational teaching puzzles or meditation problems; there are known as koan.  Its counterpart, the Soto sect, advocates the pursuit of zazen, or cross legged meditation with an empty mind and silent lips.  Soto does not believe in the sudden enlightenment that is offered by Rinzai.  As the Buddhist traditions were losing popularity in China, these forms of Zen grew quickly in Japan.

The medieval military men in Japan grasped Buddhism eagerly.  It became a warrior creed for many, because they believed it called for action, intense self discipline and for scorn of death.  Here it was mixed with small aspects of Shintoism and utilized by the Japanese as justification for their belligerent wartime activities.  

        When one practices Zen, the objective is to reach Satori, which is described as “a sort of inner perception of Reality itself.”  It is also explained to be the world of “non-descrimination, non-differentiation, or two-ness becomes one-ness and yet equally seen as two.”  Unfortunately, little is written on how to reach this cryptically depicted state of enlightenment, but what is surely the right way to start is to restrain one’s mind to the point of total control, perhaps through the employment of Dhyana.  This technique enables a follower to relax the body and banish thought so that one may focus entirely on the koan practices.  

        Two examples of koan problems are: “A sound is made by the clapping of two hands.  What is the sound of one hand?” and “When the Many are reduced to the One, to what is the One to be reduced?”  These types of questions usually involve a choice between two responses, neither of with is realistic or even possible, causing the seeker to reflect on the problem of life, according to Zen.  Students must realize that in life, they must surpass the two earthly alternatives of assertion and denial, which hide the Truth and are not realistic options.  

Zen represents a true blending of cultures and the East’s power of influence over the west.  R.H. Blyth has written that “Zen is the most precious possession of Asia.  With its beginnings in India, development in China, and final practical application in Japan, it is today the strongest power in the world.” This faith has had a lasting relationship with each culture it touches, because it has found a way to transcend rituals, written records, and the standard activities that others require.  Even when the believers were persecuted in India or China, they were able to continue practicing because they did not rely on the written texts, statues or concrete representations that were often demolished by those seeking to do away with Buddhism. Blyth’s statement is a testament to the devotion that many have to Zen, which has had a strong impact on the Western world.

Zen reached the West in 1906, by way of Dr. Suzuki’s “Sermons of the Buddhist Abbot.”  This was published in Chicago and led to Dr. Suzuki presenting Zen to England the following year, in the Journal of the Pali Text Society. The time period following World War II left to an upsurge in Europeans and Americans seeking truth beyond the religions that had “failed” them, and the writings on Zen grew rapidly. Alan Watts has stated that there are three principle groups that have grasped Zen as an important tool of study.  

The first of these is philosophical groups, which place emphasis on looking beyond logic and scientific empiricism.  The second is the scientific world, specifically those working in psychotherapy, which treats mental and emotional disorders. He also alleges that the art world has seen much of an impact by Zen, especially in American architecture and ceramics.  

To an outsider, Zen is a true paradox.  It is not a true religion, for there is no worship, no religious rites or ceremonies, and no sacred text. It cannot be called a philosophy, for it does not teach, it simply provides the means for one to learn. Not only does it not educate, it fails to offer anything to truly learn, other than what is in oneself.  There are countless quotations in which Zen masters are asked to describe their practice and do not respond with words, only with silent meditation as an explanation; this can often confuse strangers.  And, yet, the harder one tries to understand it, the more elusive it gets.  The final illogicality of this school is that the end result is called enlightenment; however, the true goal is to take exercises like koans and reach self-understanding.  It creates an interesting boundary between spiritual enlightenment and simply being self-conscious. 

Works Referenced

Franck, Frederick, ed., Zen and Zen Classics.Vintage Books: New York. 1978.

Chang, Lit-Sen. Zen-Existentialism: The Spiritual Decline of The West; a Positive Answer to the Hippies. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.: USA. 1969.

Thapar. Romila. A History of India: vol 1. Penguin Books: London. 1966.

Alan W. Watts. The Spirit of Zen. John Murray Publishing: London. 1958