When we have no definition of a term like “Zen”one may then, personally and selectively, make up any definition we see fit. This is certainly the case with Zen these days. It tries to avoid defining itself, or the same, my personal definition of Zen is okay. This is sort of like the definition of pornography given by Supreme Court Justice, Potter Stewart who said, “I know it when I see it,” and in the case of Zen, “I know what Zen is not.” Of course Zen does have a definition. Bodhidharma, for example, defined Zen this way: Seeing your true nature is Zen.
An more technical definition of Zen is that it is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character 禪 which is the Chinese rendering of the Sanskrit word dhyāna which roughly can be translated as meditation, the aim of which is to realize Buddhahood. Recently, some hare brained author published a book, entitled, Not Zen. The author describing his book on Amazon writes,
Buddhism is not Zen. Mindfulness is not Zen. Zazen meditation is not Zen. Zen is a name that began with Bodhidharma and includes the Zen Patriarchs of China and the Masters that followed him, such as Huang Po and Joshu and the others in the Mumonkan, and even Tung Shan. They taught no practices, no means and no attainment.
Here, the author avoids any clarification of Zen especially when it comes to the definition of Zen. In this respect, Zen becomes almost meaningless even avoiding meditation which clears away the obstructions in our own minds which prevent us from seeing, directly, our true nature. Traditionally, the core of Zen is 明心見性, that is, illumination of Mind seeing one's true nature. This only happens when the everyday deluded mind suddenly stops for a split second. At that point one realizes the original Mind which is our true nature. Further describing this true nature the Samādhirāja Sutra says:
The true nature (svabhāva) of all phenomena is non-arisen (abhāva), signless, markless, unmanifest, not disappearing, inexpressible by letters, empty, quiescent from the outset, pure by its very nature.
Zen, in deed, does have a definition—an aim. By it we come to see, ultimately, what our thoughts are made of. This is the substance of this universe from which it is composed.
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