Tradition says that Buddha once spoke nothing in the lecture room but showed a flower to his disciples. A disciple, Mahakasyapa, smiled. Buddha taught the truth without words, and Mahakasyapa understood.
Bodhidharma or Da-mo in Chinese (? - 536)) came to China from India in the sixth century. The Chinese emperor met him and said, “I have built temples. And I have contributed many things to the monks. What merits shall I get?" Bodhidharma answered, “Nothing". Then the emperor asked, “What is truth?" Bodhidharma, “No clouds in the fine sky, no saintliness." The emperor said, “Who are you?" “I don't know!" Bodhidharma practised Zen meditation for nine years in a Chinese temple. Then a few Chinese became his diciples. This was the beginning of Zen Buddhism. (Zen, ch'an in Chinese, dhyana in Sanskrit, means “meditation" in Japanese.)
The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch of Hui-neng (638-713) and The Recorded Sayings of Ch'an Master Lin-ji Hui-chao of Chen Prefecture of Lin-ji (?-866) are the most important books of Chinese Zen philosophy.
Hui-neng said, “You have the seed of enlightenment in yourself. But you can not attain enlightenment, if your mind wanders. Steady your mind, and cling to nothing. Wisdom always shines. But you are attached to the objects and your self is coverd by the clouds of delusion. Do not stay inside nor outside. You will be free, if you give up desires."
Lin-ji said, “Over the physical body there sits the true Ego that is all the time coming in and out from one's sense organs. Look at this true Ego!" He said, “Enlightenment will come, if we stop seeking outside ourselves." “Do not seek outside." does not mean on the other hand, “Sink in the depths of inside." He taught that we should not try to look at this true Ego mystically inside or outside, but rather that we should notice that this true Ego was always active in/through us. He said, “The pure light of your heart is your inner Buddha. You have the Ego. Why do you search further?" It is important for the Zen Buddhist to be free from outside-inside seeking, and to experience his ever present Ego that is active here and now. Lin-ji said that the man who would study Buddhism should be conscious of his own stable Ego. He would continue to depend on changing phenomena and never become free, if he did not become conscious of his Ego. Man would miss the Buddha if he searched after Him. There was no other way than to be true to one's self.
Zen Buddhists show the ten stages of meditation by ten pictures of a boy and a bull which is the symbol of the true Self. 1. The boy is searching after the bull. (A footnote adds that it is not necessary to search after it because he does not lose it.) 2. He finds the footprints of the bull. 3. He sees the bull's back. 4. He catches the bull which struggles violently. 5. The bull becomes obedient. 6. The boy sits on the bull. 7. He comes back home and there is no bull. (A footnote refers to the fact that it is not necessary to paint the bull because it becomes one with the boy.) 8. Nothing is painted. The boy becomes one with the whole world. This is the stage of Emptiness. 9. An idylic landscape is painted. 10. An old man plays with children.
A monk visited a master who lived on a mountain. He talked with him till evening. Then the master said that he should come back. The monk asked him for a light because it was dark outside. The master brought a candle, and put out the candle when the monk took it. That was moment for enlightenment for the monk.
A monk said to his master, “I have lived in this temple twenty years. And you have taught me nothing about Buddhism." The master answered, “I told you “thank you", when you brought me a cup of tea. I said to you “good morning", when you said to me "good morning". I have already taught you all about Buddhism."
A monk wanted to know the highest truth. The master said to him, “Eat the cookies." Zen masters dislike abstract explanations, but they try to suggest direct experience. Lofty truth becomes vivid in the act of eating cookies.
A monk vainly tried to solve the problem of how to escape from an abyss-like situation. A master said to him, “Who is in the abyss?" The monk did not understand what the master had said. The master called him, “Hey you!" “Yes, master", the monk answered. “You are here!" The master taught him that he was not in an abyss.
Another monk said to the master, “I want to be free." The master asked, “Who makes you unfree?" “No, no one." “Then you are free."
A monk asked the master about the Ego before birth. The master said, "I will not answer, because I can speak only about my experience. You should have your own answer." Afterward the monk experienced his Ego before birth, and thanked the master. He would not have such experience if the master had explained the Ego experience.
A monk asked the master, “Who is Buddha?" The master answered, "You are you." The master tried to make him conscious of his own Ego.
One day an old lady visited a Zen master. She asked him how she could be saved. The master said to her, “People go to heaven. You go to hell." He thought that one could have no peace of soul if one wished to be saved, and that one would be saved if one decided to fall into hell. Then hell would disappear for the very decision to go to hell.
Mumonkan Zen is the most famous book of Zen dialogues for meditation. The purpose of Zen meditation is to experience the Ego and to be free.
Dogen (1200-1253) was born in Japan and studied in China. He saw an old monk working on a summer's midday. Dogen asked, “How old are you?" The old monk answered, “Sixty eight." Dogen said: “Why don't you make a young monk work?" “He is not me." “Certainly. But it is very hot. Why do you have to work now?" “Should I wait sometime?" Dogen could not answer. It was only then that he had the experience that his Ego became free from his body and soul. He wrote, “The study of Buddhism is the study of one's own Ego. The whole world will prove one's Ego when one becomes selfless."
Hakuin (1685-1768), a Japanese Zen master, made a new koan, a question for meditation: We know the sound of two hands clapping, but what is the sound of one hand clapping? - Intellectual answers will be denied by a Zen master. The truly experiential answer comes when the meditator's whole being becomes one with the question. And the answer is really simple.
It is not so difficult to sit on the top of a hundred foot column. The Zen Buddhist tries to make one step more into the air from the top of the column. It is not difficult to cut something into two halves. Zen Buddhist tries to cut it into one whole.
Bodhidharma or Da-mo in Chinese (? - 536)) came to China from India in the sixth century. The Chinese emperor met him and said, “I have built temples. And I have contributed many things to the monks. What merits shall I get?" Bodhidharma answered, “Nothing". Then the emperor asked, “What is truth?" Bodhidharma, “No clouds in the fine sky, no saintliness." The emperor said, “Who are you?" “I don't know!" Bodhidharma practised Zen meditation for nine years in a Chinese temple. Then a few Chinese became his diciples. This was the beginning of Zen Buddhism. (Zen, ch'an in Chinese, dhyana in Sanskrit, means “meditation" in Japanese.)
The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch of Hui-neng (638-713) and The Recorded Sayings of Ch'an Master Lin-ji Hui-chao of Chen Prefecture of Lin-ji (?-866) are the most important books of Chinese Zen philosophy.
Hui-neng said, “You have the seed of enlightenment in yourself. But you can not attain enlightenment, if your mind wanders. Steady your mind, and cling to nothing. Wisdom always shines. But you are attached to the objects and your self is coverd by the clouds of delusion. Do not stay inside nor outside. You will be free, if you give up desires."
Lin-ji said, “Over the physical body there sits the true Ego that is all the time coming in and out from one's sense organs. Look at this true Ego!" He said, “Enlightenment will come, if we stop seeking outside ourselves." “Do not seek outside." does not mean on the other hand, “Sink in the depths of inside." He taught that we should not try to look at this true Ego mystically inside or outside, but rather that we should notice that this true Ego was always active in/through us. He said, “The pure light of your heart is your inner Buddha. You have the Ego. Why do you search further?" It is important for the Zen Buddhist to be free from outside-inside seeking, and to experience his ever present Ego that is active here and now. Lin-ji said that the man who would study Buddhism should be conscious of his own stable Ego. He would continue to depend on changing phenomena and never become free, if he did not become conscious of his Ego. Man would miss the Buddha if he searched after Him. There was no other way than to be true to one's self.
Zen Buddhists show the ten stages of meditation by ten pictures of a boy and a bull which is the symbol of the true Self. 1. The boy is searching after the bull. (A footnote adds that it is not necessary to search after it because he does not lose it.) 2. He finds the footprints of the bull. 3. He sees the bull's back. 4. He catches the bull which struggles violently. 5. The bull becomes obedient. 6. The boy sits on the bull. 7. He comes back home and there is no bull. (A footnote refers to the fact that it is not necessary to paint the bull because it becomes one with the boy.) 8. Nothing is painted. The boy becomes one with the whole world. This is the stage of Emptiness. 9. An idylic landscape is painted. 10. An old man plays with children.
A monk visited a master who lived on a mountain. He talked with him till evening. Then the master said that he should come back. The monk asked him for a light because it was dark outside. The master brought a candle, and put out the candle when the monk took it. That was moment for enlightenment for the monk.
A monk said to his master, “I have lived in this temple twenty years. And you have taught me nothing about Buddhism." The master answered, “I told you “thank you", when you brought me a cup of tea. I said to you “good morning", when you said to me "good morning". I have already taught you all about Buddhism."
A monk wanted to know the highest truth. The master said to him, “Eat the cookies." Zen masters dislike abstract explanations, but they try to suggest direct experience. Lofty truth becomes vivid in the act of eating cookies.
A monk vainly tried to solve the problem of how to escape from an abyss-like situation. A master said to him, “Who is in the abyss?" The monk did not understand what the master had said. The master called him, “Hey you!" “Yes, master", the monk answered. “You are here!" The master taught him that he was not in an abyss.
Another monk said to the master, “I want to be free." The master asked, “Who makes you unfree?" “No, no one." “Then you are free."
A monk asked the master about the Ego before birth. The master said, "I will not answer, because I can speak only about my experience. You should have your own answer." Afterward the monk experienced his Ego before birth, and thanked the master. He would not have such experience if the master had explained the Ego experience.
A monk asked the master, “Who is Buddha?" The master answered, "You are you." The master tried to make him conscious of his own Ego.
One day an old lady visited a Zen master. She asked him how she could be saved. The master said to her, “People go to heaven. You go to hell." He thought that one could have no peace of soul if one wished to be saved, and that one would be saved if one decided to fall into hell. Then hell would disappear for the very decision to go to hell.
Mumonkan Zen is the most famous book of Zen dialogues for meditation. The purpose of Zen meditation is to experience the Ego and to be free.
Dogen (1200-1253) was born in Japan and studied in China. He saw an old monk working on a summer's midday. Dogen asked, “How old are you?" The old monk answered, “Sixty eight." Dogen said: “Why don't you make a young monk work?" “He is not me." “Certainly. But it is very hot. Why do you have to work now?" “Should I wait sometime?" Dogen could not answer. It was only then that he had the experience that his Ego became free from his body and soul. He wrote, “The study of Buddhism is the study of one's own Ego. The whole world will prove one's Ego when one becomes selfless."
Hakuin (1685-1768), a Japanese Zen master, made a new koan, a question for meditation: We know the sound of two hands clapping, but what is the sound of one hand clapping? - Intellectual answers will be denied by a Zen master. The truly experiential answer comes when the meditator's whole being becomes one with the question. And the answer is really simple.
It is not so difficult to sit on the top of a hundred foot column. The Zen Buddhist tries to make one step more into the air from the top of the column. It is not difficult to cut something into two halves. Zen Buddhist tries to cut it into one whole.