The term "Zen master" (C., Chanshi; J., Zenji) literally means someone who is a master of Zen or dhyana (meditation). The term is not what I shall call an institutional term in the example of "professor" or "doctor." In China, the accustomed label for anyone who taught the practice of dhyana was Chanshi (禪師). But outside of China it was generally Yogacara master (瑜伽師).
What these Chanshi taught was spiritual realization by means of meditational/introspective practice, but not necessarily adherence to a strict sitting posture. Coupled with this, the doctrine they taught was strictly founded on the basis of direct realization of the absolute (e.g., pure Mind, One Mind, unborn Mind, Buddha-nature, etc.).
Those, by comparison who taught the discourses of the Buddha had an important role of helping the student to understand what Buddhism was generally about. The job of the Yogacara/Zen master its seems was more difficult and advanced, helping the veteran student, directly, to see what the finger tip of the discourses was actually pointing to. If there was any kind of order, the teaching of the Chanshi was not for those who had an insufficient understanding of the discourses of the Buddha.
Presently, that Zen finds itself teaching zazen to people who have little if any understanding of the discourses of the Buddha should tell us something about the sorry state that it is in. But this is not all. The study of koans without prior study of the discourses of the Buddha is perhaps a worse path than just learning how to sit, observing one's thoughts and breath. The intention of koans is to cure those who are attached to their intellect as if it could penetrate the mystery of the Buddha's awakening. As I have pointed out before, before one gets close to the so-called no-gate checkpoint (無門關), they have to go to their wits' end. This means to be naturally presuppositionless which proves to be much more difficult than at first glance.
The main role of the Zen master has always been to guide the more advanced student to gnosis which instantly follows when mind is completely shorn of all disturbance which becomes the Mind to Mind transmission. Getting to this point is what meditation is all about which begins by helping us to put an end to a confused, disturbed mind.
So I see. While this remains a good translation of a very important important text, the translator is nonetheless leaving things open to confusion in this instance; here it means 'yogi', and not 'Master of Yogacara' - which 'Yogacara master' looks suspiciously similar to.
Posted by: JB | February 04, 2016 at 01:14 AM
JB: My source was from a dissertation by Chan Yiu Wing on the Dharmatrāta-Dhyāna-Sūtra.
Posted by: thezennist | February 03, 2016 at 11:45 PM
瑜伽師 does not indicate Yogacara master, it means 'Yogi' simply put, and generally refers to 'Acarya', as in Tantric Buddhism, or a ritual specialist, again connected to the performance of esoteric rituals.
Incidentally, in China, 禪師 is one of the few titles which may be accorded a layman practitioner, unlike Dharma/Vinaya/Shastra master, which are exclusively monastic titles.
Contrast that with Japan, where only Dogen gets the title of 'Zenji', followed by the abbot of the head Soto temple.
Posted by: JB | February 02, 2016 at 12:06 AM