Spiritual Alternative # 3: Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism (which is known as Chan in China, where it originated; Son in Korea; and Thien in Vietnam, and is based on the Sanskrit word dhyana, which is usually translated as "absorption" in modern English, but sometimes simply as "meditation"), according to its practitioners, is, as famous proponent of Zen Buddhism Masao Abe translates it, "[a]n independent transmission outside the teaching of the scriptures, [d]irectly pointing to man's Mind, [a]wakening of one's (Original-) Nature, thereby actualizing one's own Buddhahood" (attributed to Bodhidharma, founder of the Chan/Zen tradition, who is depicted as the transmitter of this tradition from India to China, and not its founder, in traditional Zen accounts).  However, like all traditions Zen Buddhism has a history.  It is not an ahistorical essence or a “wafting cloud in the sky” (D.T. Suzuki, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, p. 41), at least not in practice.  

Zen Buddhism has definitive practices: zazen or seated meditation, of which there are several kinds (see The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau Roshi, pp. 31-44, 141-142), and contemplation of koans, or non-logical statements designed to snap the mind out of its ordinary modes of cognition, at least after several years of intense practice, including some preliminary training in seated meditation.  It even has formal rituals, such as the chanting of sutras and the performance of funerals by Zen Buddhist monks (see The Other Side of Zen by Duncan Ryuken Williams and Soto Zen in Medieval Japan by William Bodiford for information on how such aspects of Zen Buddhism developed in Medieval Japan).  

Zen Buddhism has a rigid code of discipline (more rigid than most other forms of monastic Buddhism, in fact - see The Zen Monastic Experience by Robert Buswell and The Empty Mirror by Janwillem van de Wetering for Western accounts of contemporary Zen monasticism, the former in Korea and the latter in Japan; see The Baizhang Zen Monastic Regulations for a sample of some of the rules and regulations that Zen monks have historically been expected to follow).  It is very hierarchical and very traditional, as the mind of awakening has allegedly been passed from master to disciple for many generations, and respect for and obedience to one’s master is still expected in East Asian Chan/Son/Zen/Thien training.  (I will note here that there is one feature of Zen Buddhism that has been over-emphasized by those who see Zen as an exotic, foreign practice, and under-emphasized by those with a mere philosophical interest in Zen Buddhism: the use, by Zen masters, of the keisaku or kyosaku, or a stick used to hit disciples in order to help rouse them to awakening.  I will not go into details about this here.)

Still, the goals of Zen Buddhism are quite similar to those of Philosophical Daoism.  The primary goal of practitioners of Zen Buddhism is to transcend all limitations and dualities, including oneness or any concept of oneness (which is dualistic because it is exclusive of diversity or many-ness).  In principle, it is amoral, and only considers morality valuable if it aids one in practicing meditation and the other traditional practices of Zen.   

At the same time, it really is part of Buddhism, so it also (again, in principle) accepts the traditional cosmology of Buddhism, including its idea of continuous rebirth in the six realms of existence until awakening or buddhahood is realized.  That Zen Buddhists have historically been more likely to interpret these teachings nonliterally than other Buddhists (again, “more likely” – many, and probably even most Chan and Zen Buddhists historically interpreted these teachings literally, but that has changed in the last century, as it has for many “modernist” Buddhists in Asia and the West) does not negate the fact that they have been present in Zen Buddhism, as they are present in some of the Mahayana sutras upon which Zen Buddhism is based, such as the Lankavatara Sutra.   

In addition, Zen Buddhism is a Mahayana tradition, meaning it regards the bodhisattva, or the one who aspires to full buddhahood out of compassion for all sentient beings (the basis of this aspiration is known as bodhicitta, or the mind of awakening), as the ideal which all sentient beings should seek.  (Heinrich Dumoulin, a Catholic priest, made this point most forcefully in his book Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China (Volume 1) - not to be confused with Dumoulin's earlier edition of this work called A History of Zen Buddhism, which has Catholic triumphalist claims that are utterly inappropriate in a scholarly work on the history of a religion, even if they would not be objectionable in an apologetic work - fortunately, Dumoulin changed his approach for later editions.)

Zen Buddhism excels in its methodology.  Zazen, especially the form of it known as shikantaza (which is the practice of “just sitting” with the mind both fully alert and relaxed, without the aid of counting the breath or any other “crutch,” and is extremely difficult - Kapleau's Three Pillars of Zen, pp. 60-62, provides an excellent description of this practice), for those capable of it, as well as contemplation of a koan, are very effective means (at least for those who rigorously practice them for many years) for freeing the mind from its habitual tendency to set up dualities between likes and dislikes, and thus awakening a person to his or her original nature.  

To clarify, real Zen has the power to do this.  Armchair Zen, or the practice of sitting around discussing the “Zen of” every topic under the sun, or of identifying states of great joy or even occasional feelings of oneness with nature with Zen, while perhaps warranting nothing more than a light smile (and certainly not any kind of self-righteous condemnation), does not have the power to liberate the mind from all dualities, or, more accurately, to introduce a person to his or her original nature, to who he or she has always been but has not recognized before due to attachment to various likes and dislikes.  One does not need to remove these attachments; rather one only needs to recognize the buddha-nature of the mind, and upon the realization of this, likes and dislikes, which are lacking in any intrinsic existence or essential nature, will vanish of their own accord.  Still, it is better, at all stages of practice, to have as few attachments as possible, which I suspect is the rationale for the strict discipline of Zen monasteries historically.

The principal goal of Zen Buddhism, and specifically of the practice of zazen, is the realization or recognition of one’s true nature, of seeing into one’s mind and recognizing that one has always been a buddha, though one has not realized it before.  This is awakening or bodhi (the most complete form of which is known as anuttara-samyak-sambodhi), and it is known in Japanese as kensho or satori (the latter being a “deeper” realization of one’s buddha-nature than the former - see The Three Pillars of Zen, p. 409).   

The goal of Zen Buddhism is not just to experience kensho or satori once, but to constantly remain in that state no matter what other activities one engages in on a daily basis (The Three Pillars of Zen, pp. 53-56).  This actualization of one’s intrinsic buddhahood in all situations is known in Japanese as mujodo no taigen (Ibid.).  As an initial matter, the Zen Buddhist disciple must learn to concentrate the mind one-pointedly (this is called joriki in Japanese), keeping out all external distractions or attachments (Ibid.).  This type of concentration takes time to learn for almost all people, but it is just the first step in the process of awakening.  Although awakening occurs “instantaneously” when it happens, it takes several years of training before most people get to the point where they can actually have this “instantaneous” experience of awakening. 

On the negative side, Zen Buddhism has a tendency to become excessively anti-intellectual, much as many other traditions (such as Advaita Vedanta) have a tendency to become overly-intellectual.  Unfortunately, it often happens that Zen Buddhists teach metaphysical doctrines, whether explicitly or implicitly, but immediately criticize others those who rationally examine or proclaim metaphysical doctrines (many of those who claim to follow the Advaitin sage Ramana Maharshi do the same thing).   

The problematic nature of this situation can best be addressed by accepting that on one level (let us call it that of the seeker, or one who is uncertain about the nature and goal of existence and is looking for answers) it is appropriate to analyze and evaluate any teachings, including the teachings of Zen Buddhism, to determine consistency, sensibility, and practicality, while on another level (let us call it that of the practitioner, or one who is committed to a particular tradition based on what he or she believes to be the certain, probable, or even possible nature and goal of existence), it is best, to put it bluntly, to shut up and practice what the tradition teaches so that one can make some real progress.   

This, of course, applies to all traditions, not just Zen Buddhism, but it seems particularly relevant to Zen Buddhism, since Zen (the “Buddhism” part is often dropped from its name in Western discourse, even though in its origins and in East Asia to this day it is plainly and explicitly a Buddhist tradition) is usually understood in the Modern West as D.T. Suzuki’s “wafting cloud,” that is, as beyond all concepts and speculation, and possible for any person to realize immediately, in the here and now, without years of dedicated practice under a qualified Zen Buddhist master.  (Of course, in theory Zen Buddhism teaches and has historically taught that it is possible to realize one’s true nature, to instantly recognize one’s intrinsic buddhahood at any time, but in practice very few people have ever realized their intrinsic buddhahood without first engaging in years of dedicated practice in zazen, the contemplation of koans, or both.)

RECOMMENDED READING:

The Three Pillars of Zen, by Philip Kapleau Roshi.  This is easily the best book on Zen Buddhism in the English language, as famous scholar of religion Huston Smith claimed.  I recommend it for those who wish to practice Zen Buddhism.  It gives some historical information about Zen Buddhism, but its emphasis is on the actual practice of Zen Buddhism.  

Zen Buddhism: A History, Volume 1 and Zen Buddhism: A History, Volume 2, by Heinrich Dumoulin.  These books describe Zen Buddhism and its historical development in the context of Mahayana Buddhism and the discourses (or sutras) that the Mahayana attributes to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni.  The first edition, A History of Zen Buddhism, is less a scholarly work than a work of Catholic triumphalism, so is not the best resource for those who wish to learn about Zen Buddhism.  

Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation, by Zen Master Dogen, translated by Carl Bielefeldt.  These are comprehensive manuals of meditation by perhaps Zen Buddhism's greatest master, Dogen.  Most Zen masters have held that one should study under a living master, but these are probably the best instructions on meditation or anybody who wants to try to practice on their own (which is very difficult to do).  

Shobogenzo, by Zen Master Dogen.  This is a very advanced philosophical and theoretical text by arguably the greatest Zen master, Dogen.  It is for very serious students of Buddhism or comparative philosophy.  

Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, translated by Red Pine.  This is probably the greatest theoretical introduction to Zen Buddhism, and it explains almost all of the theoretical foundations of the varieties of Zen Buddhism that have flourished in East Asia for over a thousand years.  

Manual of Zen Buddhism, with works translated by D.T. Suzuki.  This is Suzuki's greatest book, since it translates many of the texts that are and have long been central to Zen Buddhism.  Here, Zen Buddhism is not presented as a "wafting cloud in the sky," but as a tradition with a history, including texts it regards as significant.  

Zen and Western Thought, by Masao Abe.  I find Masao Abe's philosophical musings on Zen Buddhism, and his comparisons between Zen Buddhism and Western Philosophy, to be thought-provoking, but this is not the best place to start in learning about the practice, theory, or history of Zen Buddhism.
 
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism and Essays in Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki.  In my opinion, the works of D.T. Suzuki are not a good place to start in learning about Zen Buddhism, especially not the practice or the history thereof.  Nonetheless, his works are philosophically engaging at times, and need not be dismissed wholesale.  

For Western accounts of the Zen monastic experience, see The Empty Mirror by Janwillem van de Wetering and The Zen Monastic Experience by Robert Buswell.

For information about the social aspects of Zen Buddhism and other aspects of it that have not been historically emphasized in the West, see Soto Zen in Medieval Japan by William Bodiford and The Other Side of Zen by Duncan Ryuken Williams.