A Taste of Zen

Zen is a form of Buddhism from Japan that places great emphasis on meditation. The word Zen is an abbreviated form of the word Zenna, which comes from the Chinese Ch'an na (or Ch'an for short), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word Dhyana meaning meditative absorption.

Zen is traditionally described as being:

All schools of Zen Buddhism trace their ancestry back to the historical Buddha. It is said that during a sermon at Vulture Peak the Buddha held up a flower and smiled. One of his followers Kashyapa (Mahakasyapa) grasped the essence of the teaching from this simple act. The teaching has been passed on from Master to disciple by direct Transmission ever since.

The 28th. Indian Patriarch, Bodhidharma, took the teaching of the Dhyana School of Buddhism to China and became the first Chinese Patriarch in about 500 CE. Soon after his arrival he was summoned to an audience with Emperor Liang Wi Di and was asked what he thought was the merit of the Emperor's material support of Buddhism. Bodhidharma is said to have replied "none at all". He then traveled to northern China and spent nine years sitting in meditation at a monastery facing a wall. Legend has it that he cut off his eyelids to keep from sleeping.

The Transmission continued through five more Chinese Patriarchs and then the line began to split, leading to the formation of different schools of Zen. Before the split into different lineages, Ch'an Buddhism was taken to Vietnam by a pupil of the 3rd Patriarch and to Korea by various monks, where it became known as Son Buddhism. It was in China that Dhyana Buddhism met the native Taoist religion and took on similarities. Zen Buddhism started to build up its own literature containing many stories of past Masters, such as those in the Denkoroku (Transmission of the Light), written by Keizan Jokin 1267 1325 CE in Japan.

Of the schools of Zen only Rinzai, Ogaki and Soto have survived to the present day in Japan. Though other forms have survived in the Chinese Ch'an tradition and in Vietnam. Rinzai was brought to Japan in the 12th. Century CE by Essai Zenji. Soto Zen was brought to Japan by Dogen Zenji in 1227 CE. Rinzai Zen flourished, appealing to the Samurai in Japan, and Soto Zen is said to be favoured by the farming classes. All schools of Zen still trace their lineage back to the historical Buddha and chant the line of succession in monasteries every day in gratitude.

The Soto and Rinzai schools are in many ways similar, but the most noticeable differences are in the form of the mediation. In Soto Zen meditators still sit facing the wall and usually have no 'object' of meditation. In Rinzai the meditators face the centre of the room and are often given a koan by their teacher as an 'object' for mediation. The koan is a sort of riddle that cannot be solved by intellectual reasoning, and are often based on stories about the Patriarchs and Masters. One quite famous koan is 'one hand clapping' we all know what sound two hands can make when clapped, so what is the sound made by one hand? BUT it is important to undertake this type of meditation only under the guidance of a qualified teacher!

The form of sitting meditation, zazen, favoured by the Soto school is called shikantaza (this could be translated as 'nowt but sitting'!). The posture is very important so you must receive training from a monk or qualified teacher to ensure that you do it properly.

Both schools chant similar scriptures (such as the Heart Sutra) in their ceremonies, keep the same precepts, have festival days in common and insist that monks and nuns are self supporting by including working meditation in their daily schedule.

In a monastery or on retreat, periods of zazen are interspersed with walking meditation, kinhin, so that you do not seize up in a sitting position! The walking meditation is done with the same meditative awareness as the sitting and posture is also very important. Kinhin is done at different speeds in different traditions and the hand posture varies slightly also.

In monasteries, as well as periods of formal meditation (sitting, walking, and more sitting), there are ceremonies where scriptures are chanted and homage is paid to the teachers and Ancestors. Meals are eaten in a very formal way, after the chanting of scriptures and vows. Reverence is paid to the food and none is wasted.

Generally reverence is paid to all people and things in respect of their Buddha Nature and out of gratitude to the help that they give us in our training.

In Japan Zen Buddhism has influenced many aspect of the culture, with its simplicity and respect for all things: e.g. the 'Tea Ceremony', art, gardening, origami, food presentation, flower arranging and the martial arts.

Zen has attracted a lot of attention in the west. In Britain this was mostly through the books of Christmas Humphreys, Alan Watts and D T Suzuki. For many people the idea of enlightenment without having to study the scriptures is attractive (we all like the idea of 'short cuts'). Ironically the Rinzai koans stimulated a lot of intellectual interest. But the reality is that Zen relies just as heavily on scriptures, teachings and ceremonies as many other forms of Buddhism. It is true that Soto Zen teaches that we are already enlightened but just don't realise it but that does not mean that there is no effort involved!

Dogen Zenji wrote in his Rules for Meditation:"...Although the Buddha had great wisdom at birth, He sat in training for six years; although Bodhidharma transmitted the Buddha Mind, we still hear the echoes of his nine years facing the wall. The Ancestors were very diligent and there is no reason why we people of the present day cannot understand. All you have to do is cease from erudition, withdraw within and reflect upon yourself. Should you be able to cast off body and mind naturally, the Buddha Mind will immediately manifest itself; if you want to find it quickly you must begin at once."

Zen does not seem to spend as much time as other schools of Buddhism, contemplating the laws of Karma and Rebirth. There is a sort of attitude that these laws exist and will apply to us whether we 'believe' in them or not. There is an urgency to Zen, we need not put off until tomorrow or our next life what we can do today! If we spend our life speculating how close to enlightenment we are, we are only delaying the moment; in Zen there is a strong belief that we can all be enlightened in this present moment if we choose.

In this country there are two main Soto Zen groups. The International Zen Association U K follow the teachings of Taisen Deshimaru Roshi, through their Bristol based French monk Jean Baby. They are a lay organisation who have regular meetings and longer retreats. They chant the scriptures in Japanese.

The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives follow the teachings of English born Jiyu Kennett Roshi and in the UK are based at Throttles Hole Buddhist Abbey in Northumbria. They are a monastic order, who chant in English plainsong, and are supported by a strong lay following, some of which form regional groups. They prefer to use English words to replace the use of Japanese terms and so they call zazen 'serene reflection meditation'.

There are also Rinzai Zen groups. The London Zen Centre under the direction of the Venerable Myokyo ni (Irmgard Schloegl) are closely linked to the Buddhist Society, and are based in a house in London, donated by Christmas Humphreys.

In the USA there are many groups. The followers of Daisan Sogaku Harada Roshi have established a form that draws from both Soto and Rinzai traditions. These American Zen Masters Philip Kapleau Roshi, John Daido Loori, Robert Aitkin Roshi and others have published many useful books on Zen Buddhism for the western practitioner.

The Vietnamese Zen monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, has settled in the south of France, but has followers throughout the west including the UK. Once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr., his many books with his profoundly simple message are a joy to read.