Laid-back approach to Zen

Bankei (1622–1693) might not make it too well as a modern Zen teacher.  For one thing, he didn't rely on koans.  Another oddity, if we can call it that, he didn't insist on formal meditation:  maintaining a ramrod straight sitting posture with leg crossed for a certain length of time.  For Bankei, meditation went beyond just physical sitting.  Buddha Mind was just as present in zazen as it was in standing or walking.  For Bankei, even if a monk dozed off during zazen, that was okay.  According to Bankei sleeping doesn't obscure the Buddha Mind anymore than being awake automatically makes it manifest.  

This reminds me of one of my friends, Dennis, who used to sit in zazen when Shunyru Suzuki was Abbot at the San Francisco Zen Center, just before he died.  During zazen, Dennis had to take a piss, he just got up and did his business then sat back down on the zafu.  Old Suzuki never said a word although some of his student were—to put it mildly—flabbergasted.  Dennis, looking back, was following Bankei, who said, "Around here, if somebody has something to do while they're sitting, they're free to get up and do it; it's up to them, whatever they have a mind to do" (trans. Stephen Hodge). 

I like the laid-back approach.  For example, using a slant board, instead of sitting ramrod straight, and drinking Jasmine tea to stay awake are not unknown to Zen.  Pouring over Sutras are not unknown either.  Still, all this is insufficient to get us to an immediate glimpse of the unborn Mind.  We still have exhaust our presuppositions; to go to our wit’s end where there is nothing more to use or hang on to.  This is where the ox wanders.

 

Comments

[Kay]

The only thing you forgot to mention that among the things Bankei said were unnecessary : not just zazen and koan, but Sutra study and ritual chanting, too.

[Xsqfepj234rrqwgewrg3344]

The one and only UG Krishnamurti on Zen and Buddhism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZtqquJv5lU

[JK]

Very helpful post, thank you.