Generally speaking, two things work together to cover up the soul or heart of Zen; even making a counterfeit Zen. The first, which I have mentioned before on this blog, is Zen’s secularization. The second is the institutionalization of Zen. This reminds me somewhat of a great artist or sage who has recently died. What his message was, over time, becomes gradually obscured, even turned into something else. In order to keep his memory alive an institution is created. All of his writings are housed in it. This includes photographs and other memorabilia. In the case of Zen, we can’t expect to be helped by studying a Zen which has been secularized, that is, a Zen which helps us to cope with the day to day world in which we learn, for example, that “If you live with a difficult person, that’s nirvana” (Joko Beck). Nor will the institution be of much help. It is just a place to gather and discuss various hypotheses about what Zen means or what Buddha-nature is. It also serves to give us the illusion that our teacher is enlightened or at least we can be like him.
Finding real, unaltered Zen is like finding real gold which is no easy task. For the average Zennist it is very difficult to understand how Reiun was enlightened when he saw the peach blossoms, or how Kyogen gained awakening on hearing some tile hit bamboo while he was raking, or Tozan on seeing his own reflection in the water became awakened. Despite the difficulty in our understanding of this what has to be noted is that the satori or awakening is outside of secularization and institutionalization. For some this is a bitter pill to swallow insofar as they have invested a great deal of time in the institution of Zen. It is somewhat like going to ten years of dragon killing school only to find out there are no dragons.
The serious student of Zen should be concerned with what Kyogen realized or what Hakuin realized when he heard the churr of a cricket. Something definitely happened. These special moments which seem to open up the student to awakening are really moments when the last presupposition dies, so to speak. The stirring of the mind suddenly stops. And in the stopped state we see pure Mind which is the substance of the universe. There is nothing more to see. But the ramifications of this awakening, which will later unfold, are truly extraordinary. This is the bhumis of the Bodhisattva.
I am absolutely sure that few will understand what I just blogged. Most will find fault with it. But when I was a budding Zen student it did matter to me what these Zen masters realized that made them masters. Here we can see the real power of Zen that does not rely on being secularized or turned into and institution. In fact, the institution is trying to tell us it cannot help us. It is kind of like a place for the marginally insane who still have not understood that Zen wants us to see beyond the phenomenal veil that covers us and hides our Buddha-nature.
Thanks for this wise advice all. I had become so attached to the institution that I had lost sight of the essence.
Posted by: 100percentprole | April 03, 2016 at 10:31 AM
deep and genuine desire within your soul is the fist precondition. If you have that, you may be temporarily frustrated at times, even most of the time, and often. But, eventually if your desire is true and pure, you will get there. Ultimately, it will be you who determines whether you recive the gift of the truth, So having or not finding another person, ateacher, a guru, will not be what is essential finally. The truth, God, will reveal itself based on its own wisdom and its knowledge of you. You only need to be willing and ready to recive it. It is all counterintuitive. Its the opposite of what it seems. Its when you surrender, stop trying. Let go. Which can only be found by yourself within yourself. Let humility be your true teacher. take humility as far as you can go.
Posted by: smith | March 29, 2016 at 02:04 PM
A true zen teacher is always closer to you, than your eyes and ears can discern.
Posted by: Avalon | March 29, 2016 at 02:38 AM
I have searched and studied. I do not know of a Zen teacher alive worthy of the robes. I am heartbroken.
Posted by: 100percentprole | March 28, 2016 at 03:44 PM