Tao-ing Zen

Zen Buddhism should be treated more like Taoism which goes off in two quite different directions: philosophical and religious.  Philosophical Taoism (300 B.C.) we know by The Book of Lao-tzu (the all too familiar Tao Te Ching) and the second book, The Book of Chuang-tzu.  The Taoist religion, which emerged much later than philosophical Taoism (between 150 and 1200 C.E.), is comprised of six major sects. 

Those familiar with the religious institution of Japanese Zen are aware of the importance and dominance of rituals which even include zazen or seated meditation.  Yet, the traditional spirit of Zen is iconoclastic and like philosophical Taoism insofar as it is introspective.  It doesn't work well in an institutional setting.  Real Zen, I dare say, is not found in an official training monastery with Zen monks sitting mindlessly.

Zen becomes a problem when it turns into an institutional religion which means that it is a sectarian phenomenon.  But why should Zen be such?  It is not sectarian if we see in its beginnings that it wants us to realize Buddha Mind (fo-hsin).  Zen understood, early on, that the awakened Mind is continually being transmitted to all sentient beings if only they made the effort to clear away the worldly dust from their eyes and receive it.  This has nothing to do with being an official member of a Zen sect.

The probability of awakening to Mind (bodhicitta), I would argue, is greatest where institutional religion has not set foot; where, in addition, Buddhist texts and Zen texts are venerated and treated, not as ends in themselves, but as so many fingers pointing to the moon of awakening.  If we can call such Zen ‘philosophical Zen’, borrowing from Taoism, this might be a good start for Zen’s rehabilitation.  Some of the Zen that as emerged in the West I would characterize as philosophical Zen as opposed to religious Zen which tries to project institutional authority.

 

Comments

[Solon]

For lovers of Buddhism, this is a nice news source/channel:

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=44,6297,0,0,1,0

[Solon]

Sighs.

When you quote that Soto-Baka! with this ; "Isn’t everything a hallucination? It’s only because we don’t recognize this hallucination as a hallucination that we wander around in life and death. " it doesn't mean just because he realized the spell of samsara , that he managed to break the spell after 65 years of shikantaza. Shikantaza is nothing more than a quaint form of zombified ass-budo aka among rinzai practicioners as the lethal art of the dead ass LOL.

Just because Einstein supposedly said , "reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." didn't mean he managed to realize buddha nature and thus break the spell of samsara.

You need to reconsider your approach to Japanese Zen Buddhism and especially what you are really looking for, in its diverse spectrum of sects.

[Bone Marrow Zen]

Solon: From the same text, Kodo Sawaki says:

' Isn’t everything a hallucination? It’s only because we don’t recognize this hallucination as a hallucination that we wander around in life and death.
'

Doesn't sound like he loved phenomena so much after all.

[Hugh Mussbejokin]

Interesting that you use the terms "transmit" and "receive". I remember attending a debate between Rupert Sheldrake and the Bishop of London, in which the former compared the brain to a radio receiver. Tickles me that some pay their Licence Fee and are still tuned to the wrong station.

[Solon]

Only a hardcore soto monk would say something preposterous like that. And dear ol´Kodo Sawai was a heavy-duty, first-rate soto monk (read phenomenalist). Anyone having followed this blog for a while or having had some nice spiritual experiences or even mere samadhis, should be able to instantly see where dear ol´Kodo went off the rails.

..."Considered by some to be the most important Japanese Zen master of the 20th century"...yeah riiight. You read that on wiki huh? Why not travel to Japan and visit some of the few remaining rinzai grandmasters. You would learn a thing or two about what zen really is about when you experience your first lightning bolt of pure dharma juice from the Buddhas!