When a beginner asks a question like, “What is the meaning of Zen?” or “What is the goal of Zen?” their question has merit inasmuch at it helps to expose either the depth or shallowness of modern Zen and especially those who, while pretending to know something about Zen, actually know very little.
When the answer to such questions takes the form of something like “to put an end all suffering” or “to become one with the universe” surely the beginner has a sneaking suspicion that such answers ring hollow.
No doubt the correct or formal answer to such questions, which keeps to the general context of Zen, is to be found within the four slogans of Zen which supposedly have their beginning with the legendary Indian Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma (but if truth be known, they were put together as the four slogans during the Sung/Song dynasty). The slogans are:
A special transmission transcending the canon;
Without dependence upon words and letters;
Pointing directly to the mind of man;
Seeing into one's nature, realizing Buddhahood.
I am sure most beginner’s eyes are drawn to the last two slogans which contain the answer they are really looking for. In a nutshell, the real meaning or goal of Zen is to look within ourselves so as to be able to see, directly, our true nature, attaining thus, Buddhahood.
Looking at this from a Western religious perspective such a goal easily falls within mysticism but minus theistic interpretations. This kind of mysticism which is unfolded in the Buddhist canon, is the distinguishing (prajñâ) of our true nature from the psychophysical body (Five Aggregates), the latter being man’s mortal part which is subject to death and again birth (punarbhava). What, in addition, we can draw from this form of mysticism is there is no dependence of any kind on doctrinal allegiance. As is easy to prove, the Buddha put direct awakening—not doctrine—before all else, that is, seeing one’s true nature. Zen remains true to the Buddha’s intent where looking into one’s true nature is made the goal.
What is Zen or the goal of it, is a very good question. Let me put it this way in a highly condensed version; It is the instant awakening (skt. budh, jap. satori) into ones own true nature by the singular means and perfection of prajna (perfection of transcedental wisdom- power).
It is the spontaneous concentration/continous recollective mode, of the Mind, on the true nature/essence/substance of " itself", as such (tathata).
This entrance is Meditation, also known as Dhyan, Dhyana Paramita, dharana, Bi-guan(Pi-Kuan), chan, samadhi.
You do not DO meditation. Such attempts will always fail and produce unwholesome endresults (eg. non-entrance/dissonance/artificiality/samsara/dukkha).
Right Meditation (much like right view) as such, just happens, once it is properly "invited" through sufficient purity of mind through means of six paramitas. Thus when proper conditions of entrance (into princple/substance of Mind Only ( cittamatra) are met (which is not easily done due to vast amounts of karmic resistance - skt. klesa ), Self awakens (recollects at first its true nature) on the other shore (dharmakaya) in a symbolic and joyous birth, as a spiritual fetus (first realization of true self - bodhi-sattva/light-being). This is what avalokitesvara meant by the real beholding the real. From here on Zen Buddhism or chan buddhism, takes on, a completely new meaning to the one treading its razor sharp path.
In a way this is the spiritual mystery, impossible to comprehend in the limited confines of the consciousness (skt. vinnana), produced by the ordinary mind.
As the process of Self-purification is followed through the development and appliance of Prajna, which is the the enlightened quality of transcendental wisdom -power of pure, unborn, uncreated Mind, the path shines clearer than ever before through this actualized effect/maturity of the six paramitas.
What remains is to live (beyond the confining and temporal consciousness of birth and death) this spiritual and worldess mystery until its completeness , which also is known as the cultivation of the supreme principle/svabhava eg. pure substance of Mind Only.
This completeness occurs when right and complete universal knowledge (skt. brahmatatsattva) spontanously produces the perfectly releasing power (pari-nibbana) through Annutarasamyaksambodhi thus fullfilling/actualizing complete Buddhahood. To such a diamond Mind there are simply no sentient beings to save due to the real nature of self , dharmakaya, versus the dream/illusory realities of divided7unenlightened mind, samsara.
Posted by: minx | March 23, 2011 at 08:01 AM