THE TRAINING OF THE MIND AND THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
1. The Method of Instruction Adopted by Zen Masters.
Thus far we have described the doctrine of Zen inculcated by both
Chinese and Japanese masters, and in this chapter we propose to
sketch the practice of mental training and the method of practising
Dhyana or Meditation. Zen teachers never instruct their pupils by
means of explanation or argument, but urge them to solve by
themselves through the practice of Meditation such problems as--'What
is Buddha?' What is self?' 'What is the spirit of Bodhidharma?'
'What is life and death?' 'What is the real nature of mind?' and so
on. Ten Shwai (To-sotsu), for instance, was wont to put three
questions[FN#229] to the following effect: (1) Your study and
discipline aim at the understanding of the real nature of mind.
Where does the real nature of mind exist? (2) When you understand
the real nature of mind, you are free from birth and death. How can
you be saved when you are at the verge of death? (3) When you are
free from birth and death, you know where you go after death. Where
do you go when your body is reduced to elements? The pupils are not
requested to express their solution of these problems in the form of
a theory or an argument, but to show how they have grasped the
profound meaning implied in these problems, how they have established
their conviction, and how they can carry out what they grasped in
their daily life.
[FN#229] The famous three difficult questions, known as the Three
Gates of Teu Shwai (To Sotsu San Kwan), who died in 1091. See Mu Mon
Kwan, xlvii.
A Chinese Zen master[FN#230] tells us that the method of instruction
adopted by Zen may aptly be compared with that of an old burglar who
taught his son the art of burglary. The burglar one evening said to
his little son, whom he desired to instruct in the secret of his
trade: "Would you not, my dear boy, be a great burglar like myself?"
"Yes, father," replied the promising young man." "Come with me,
then. I will teach you the art." So saying, the man went out,
followed by his son. Finding a rich mansion in a certain village,
the veteran burglar made a hole in the wall that surrounded it.
Through that hole they crept into the yard, and opening a window with
complete ease broke into the house, where they found a huge box
firmly locked up as if its contents were very valuable articles. The
old man clapped his hands at the lock, which, strange to tell,
unfastened itself. Then he removed the cover and told his son to get
into it and pick up treasures as fast as he could. No sooner had the
boy entered the box than the father replaced the cover and locked it
up. He then exclaimed at the top of his voice: "Thief! thief! thief!
thief!" Thus, having aroused the inmates, he went out without taking
anything. All the house was in utter confusion for a while; but
finding nothing stolen, they went to bed again. The boy sat holding
his breath a short while; but making up his mind to get out of his
narrow prison, began to scratch the bottom of the box with his
finger-nails. The servant of the house, listening to the noise,
supposed it to be a mouse gnawing at the inside of the box; so she
came out, lamp in hand, and unlocked it. On removing the cover, she
was greatly surprised to find the boy instead of a little mouse, and
gave alarm. In the meantime the boy got out of the box and went down
into the yard, hotly pursued by the people. He ran as fast as
possible toward the well, picked up a large stone, threw it down into
it, and hid himself among the bushes. The pursuers, thinking the
thief fell into the well, assembled around it, and were looking into
it, while the boy crept out unnoticed through the hole and went home
in safety. Thus the burglar taught his son how to rid himself of
overwhelming difficulties by his own efforts; so also Zen teachers
teach their pupils how to overcome difficulties that beset them on
all sides and work out salvation by themselves.
[FN#230] Wu Tsu (Go So), the teacher of Yuen Wu (En Go).
2. The First Step in the Mental Training.
Some of the old Zen masters are said to have attained to supreme
Enlightenment after the practice of Meditation for one week, some for
one day, some for a score of years, and some for a few months. The
practice of Meditation, however, is not simply a means for
Enlightenment, as is usually supposed, but also it is the enjoyment
of Nirvana, or the beatitude of Zen. It is a matter, of course, that
we have fully to understand the doctrine of Zen, and that we have to
go through the mental training peculiar to Zen in order to be
Enlightened.
The first step in the mental training is to become the master of
external things. He who is addicted to worldly pleasures, however
learned or ignorant he may be, however high or low his social
position may be, is a servant to mere things. He cannot adapt the
external world to his own end, but he adapts himself to it. He is
constantly employed, ordered, driven by sensual objects. Instead of
taking possession of wealth, he is possessed by wealth. Instead of
drinking liquors, he is swallowed up by his liquors. Balls and music
bid him to run mad. Games and shows order him not to stay at home.
Houses, furniture, pictures, watches, chains, hats, bonnets, rings,
bracelets, shoes--in short, everything has a word to command him.
How can such a person be the master of things? To Ju (Na-kae) says:
"There is a great jail, not a jail for criminals, that contains the
world in it. Fame, gain, pride, and bigotry form its four walls.
Those who are confined in it fall a prey to sorrow and sigh for ever."
To be the ruler of things we have first to shut up all our senses,
and turn the currents of thoughts inward, and see ourselves as the
centre of the world, and meditate that we are the beings of highest
intelligence; that Buddha never puts us at the mercy of natural
forces; that the earth is in our possession; that everything on earth
is to be made use of for our noble ends; that fire, water, air,
grass, trees, rivers, hills, thunder, cloud, stars, the moon, the
sun, are at our command; that we are the law-givers of the natural
phenomena; that we are the makers of the phenomenal world; that it is
we that appoint a mission through life, and determine the fate of man.
3. The Next Step in the Mental Training.
In the next place we have to strive to be the master of our bodies.
With most of the unenlightened, body holds absolute control over
Self. Every order of the former has to be faithfully obeyed by the
latter. Even if Self revolts against the tyranny of body, it is
easily trampled down under the brutal hoofs of bodily passion. For
example, Self wants to be temperate for the sake of health, and would
fain pass by the resort for drinking, but body would force Self into
it. Self at times lays down a strict dietetic rule for himself, but
body would threaten Self to act against both the letter and spirit of
the rule. Now Self aspires to get on a higher place among sages, but
body pulls Self down to the pavement of masses. Now Self proposes to
give some money to the poor, but body closes the purse tightly. Now
Self admires divine beauty, but body compels him to prefer
sensuality. Again, Self likes spiritual liberty, but body confines
him in its dungeons.
Therefore, to get Enlightened, we must establish the authority of
Self over the whole body. We must use our bodies as we use our
clothes in order to accomplish our noble purposes. Let us command
body not to shudder under a cold shower-bath in inclement weather,
not to be nervous from sleepless nights, not to be sick with any sort
of food, not to groan under a surgeon's knife, not to succumb even if
we stand a whole day in the midsummer sun, not to break down under
any form of disease, not to be excited in the thick of
battlefield--in brief, we have to control our body as we will.
Sit in a quiet place and meditate in imagination that body is no more
bondage to you, that it is your machine for your work of life, that
you are not flesh, that you are the governor of it, that you can use
it at pleasure, and that it always obeys your order faithfully.
Imagine body as separated from you. When it cries out, stop it
instantly, as a mother does her baby. When it disobeys you, correct
it by discipline, as a master does his pupil. When it is wanton,
tame it down, as a horse-breaker does his wild horse. When it is
sick, prescribe to it, as a doctor does to his patient. Imagine that
you are not a bit injured, even if it streams blood; that you are
entirely safe, even if it is drowned in water or burned by fire.
E-Shun, a pupil and sister of Ryo-an,[FN#231] a famous Japanese
master, burned herself calmly sitting cross-legged on a pile of
firewood which consumed her. She attained to the complete mastery of
her body. Socrates' self was never poisoned, even if his person was
destroyed by the venom he took. Abraham Lincoln himself stood
unharmed, even if his body was laid low by the assassin. Masa-shige
was quite safe, even if his body was hewed by the traitors' swords.
Those martyrs that sang at the stake to the praise of God could never
be burned, even if their bodies were reduced to ashes, nor those
seekers after truth who were killed by ignorance and superstition.
Is it not a great pity to see a man endowed with divine spirit and
power easily upset by a bit of headache, or crying as a child under a
surgeon's knife, or apt to give up the ghost at the coming of little
danger, or trembling through a little cold, or easily laid low by a
bit of indisposition, or yielding to trivial temptation?
[FN#231] Ryo an (E-myo, died 1411), the founder of the monastery of
Sai-jo-ji, near the city of Odawara. See To-jo-ren-to-roku.
It is no easy matter to be the dictator of body. It is not a matter
of theory, but of practice. You must train your body that you may
enable it to bear any sort of suffering, and to stand unflinched in
the face of hardship. It is for this that So-rai[FN#232] (Ogiu) laid
himself on a sheet of straw-mat spread on the ground in the coldest
nights of winter, or was used to go up and down the roof of his
house, having himself clad in heavy armour. It is for this that
ancient Japanese soldiers led extremely simple lives, and that they
often held the meeting-of-perseverance,[FN#233] in which they exposed
themselves to the coldest weather in winter or to the hottest weather
in summer. It is for this that Katsu Awa practised fencing in the
middle of night in a deep forest.[FN#234]
[FN#232] One of the greatest scholars of the Tokugawa period, who
died in 1728. See Etsu-wa-bun-ko.
[FN#233] The soldiers of the Tokugawa period were used to hold such
a meeting.
[FN#234] Kai-shu-gen-ko-roku.
Ki-saburo, although he was a mere outlaw, having his left arm half
cut at the elbow in a quarrel, ordered his servant to cut it off with
a saw, and during the operation he could calmly sit talking and
laughing with his friends. Hiko-kuro (Takayama),[FN#235] a Japanese
loyalist of note, one evening happened to come to a bridge where two
robbers were lying in wait for him. They lay fully stretching
themselves, each with his head in the middle of the bridge, that he
might not pass across it without touching them. Hiko-kuro was not
excited nor disheartened, but calmly approached the vagabonds and
passed the bridge, treading upon their heads, which act so frightened
them that they took to their heels without doing any harm to
him.[FN#236]
[FN#235] A well-known loyalist in the Tokugawa period, who died in
1793.
[FN#236] Etsu-wa-bun-ko.
The history of Zen is full of the anecdotes that show Zen priests
were the lords of their bodies. Here we quote a single example by
way of illustration: Ta Hwui (Dai-ye), once having had a boil on his
hip, sent for a doctor, who told him that it was fatal, that he must
not sit in Meditation as usual. Then Ta Hwui said to the physician:
"I must sit in Meditation with all my might during my remaining days,
for if your diagnosis be not mistaken, I shall die before long." He
sat day and night in constant Meditation, quite forgetful of his
boil, which was broken and gone by itself.[FN#237]
[FN#237] Sho-bo-gen-zo-zui-mon-ki, by Do-gen.
4. The Third Step in the Mental Training.
To be the lord of mind is more essential to Enlightenment, which, in
a sense, is the clearing away of illusions, the putting out of mean
desires and passions, and the awakening of the innermost wisdom. He
alone can attain to real happiness who has perfect control over his
passions tending to disturb the equilibrium of his mind. Such
passions as anger, hatred, jealousy, sorrow, worry, grudge, and fear
always untune one's mood and break the harmony of one's mind. They
poison one's body, not in a figurative, but in a literal sense of the
word. Obnoxious passions once aroused never fail to bring about the
physiological change in the nerves, in the organs, and eventually in
the whole constitution, and leave those injurious impressions that
make one more liable to passions of similar nature.
We do not mean, however, that we ought to be cold and passionless, as
the most ancient Hinayanists were used to be. Such an attitude has
been blamed by Zen masters. "What is the best way of living for us
monks?" asked a monk to Yun Ku (Un-go), who replied: "You had better
live among mountains." Then the monk bowed politely to the teacher,
who questioned: "How did you understand me?" "Monks, as I
understood," answered the man, "ought to keep their hearts as
immovable as mountains, not being moved either by good or by evil,
either by birth or by death, either by prosperity or by adversity."
Hereupon Yun Ku struck the monk with his stick and said: "You forsake
the Way of the old sages, and will bring my followers to perdition!"
Then, turning to another monk, inquired: "How did you understand me?"
"Monks, as I understand," replied the man, "ought to shut their eyes
to attractive sights and close their ears to musical notes." "You,
too," exclaimed Yun Ka, "forsake the Way of the old sages, and will
bring my followers to perdition!" An old woman, to quote another
example repeatedly told by Zen masters, used to give food and
clothing to a monk for a score of years. One day she instructed a
young girl to embrace and ask him: "How do you feel now?" "A
lifeless tree," replied the monk coolly, "stands on cold rock. There
is no warmth, as if in the coldest season of the year." The matron,
being told of this, observed: "Oh that I have made offerings to such
a vulgar fellow for twenty years!" She forced the monk to leave the
temple and reduced it to ashes.[FN#238]
[FN#238] These instances are quoted from Zen-rin-rui-shu.
If you want to secure Dhyana, let go of your anxieties and failures
in the past; let bygones be bygones; cast aside enmity, shame, and
trouble, never admit them into your brain; let pass the imagination
and anticipation of future hardships and sufferings; let go of all
your annoyances, vexations, doubts, melancholies, that impede your
speed in the race of the struggle for existence. As the miser sets
his heart on worthless dross and accumulates it, so an unenlightened
person clings to worthless mental dross and spiritual rubbish, and
makes his mind a dust-heap. Some people constantly dwell on the
minute details of their unfortunate circumstances, to make themselves
more unfortunate than they really are; some go over and over again
the symptoms of their disease to think themselves into serious
illness; and some actually bring evils on them by having them
constantly in view and waiting for them. A man asked Poh Chang
(Hyaku-jo): "How shall I learn the Law?" "Eat when you are hungry,"
replied the teacher; " sleep when you are tired. People do not
simply eat at table, but think of hundreds of things; they do not
simply sleep in bed, but think of thousands of things."[FN#239]
[FN#239] E-gen and Den-to-roku.
A ridiculous thing it is, in fact, that man or woman, endowed with
the same nature as Buddha's, born the lord of all material objects,
is ever upset by petty cares, haunted by the fearful phantoms of his
or her own creation, and burning up his or her energy in a fit of
passion, wasting his or her vitality for the sake of foolish or
insignificant things.
It is a man who can keep the balance of his mind under any
circumstances, who can be calm and serene in the hottest strife of
life, that is worthy of success, reward, respect, and reputation, for
he is the master of men. It was at the age of forty-seven that Wang
Yang Ming[FN#240] (O-yo-mei) won a splendid victory over the rebel
army which threatened the throne of the Ming dynasty. During that
warfare Wang was giving a course of lectures to a number of students
at the headquarters of the army, of which he was the
Commander-in-chief. At the very outset of the battle a messenger
brought him the news of defeat of the foremost ranks. All the
students were terror-stricken and grew pale at the unfortunate
tidings, but the teacher was not a whit disturbed by it. Some time
after another messenger brought in the news of complete rout of the
enemy. All the students, enraptured, stood up and cheered, but he
was as cool as before, and did not break off lecturing. Thus the
practiser of Zen has so perfect control over his heart that he can
keep presence of mind under an impending danger, even in the presence
of death itself.
[FN#240] The founder of the Wang School of Confucianism, a practiser
of Meditation, who was born in 1472, and died at the age of
fifty-seven in 1529.
It was at the age of twenty-three that Haku-in got on board a boat
bound for the Eastern Provinces, which met with a tempest and was
almost wrecked. All the passengers were laid low with fear and
fatigue, but Haku-in enjoyed a quiet sleep during the storm, as if he
were lying on a comfortable bed. It was in the fifth of Mei-ji era
that Doku-on[FN#241] lived for some time in the city of Tokyo, whom
some Christian zealots attempted to murder. One day he met with a
few young men equipped with swords at the gate of his temple. "We
want to see Doku-on; go and tell him," said they to the priest. "I
am Doku-on," replied he calmly, "whom you want to see, gentlemen.
What can I do for you?" "We have come to ask you a favour; we are
Christians; we want your hoary head." So saying they were ready to
attack him, who, smiling, replied: "All right, gentlemen. Behead me
forthwith, if you please." Surprised by this unexpected boldness on
the part of the priest, they turned back without harming even a hair
of the old Buddhist.[FN#242]
[FN#241] Doku On (Ogino), a distinguished Zen master, an abbot of
So-koku-ji, who was born in 1818, and died in 1895.
[FN#242] Kin-sei-zen-rin-gen-ko-roku, by D. Mori.
These teachers could through long practice constantly keep their
minds buoyant, casting aside useless encumbrances of idle thoughts;
bright, driving off the dark cloud of melancholy; tranquil, putting
down turbulent waves of passion; pure, cleaning away the dust and
ashes of illusion; and serene, brushing off the cobwebs of doubt and
fear. The only means of securing all this is to realize the
conscious union with the Universal Life through the Enlightened
Consciousness, which can be awakened by dint of Dhyana.
5. Zazen, or the Sitting in Meditation.
Habit comes out of practice, and forms character by degrees, and
eventually works out destiny. Therefore we must practically sow
optimism, and habitually nourish it in order to reap the blissful
fruit of Enlightenment. The sole means of securing mental calmness
is the practice of Zazen, or the sitting in Meditation. This method
was known in India as Yoga as early as the Upanisad period, and
developed by the followers of the Yoga system.[FN#243] But Buddhists
sharply distinguished Zazen from Yoga, and have the method peculiar
to themselves. Kei-zan[FN#244] describes the method to the following
effect: 'Secure a quiet room neither extremely light nor extremely
dark, neither very warm nor very cold, a room, if you can, in the
Buddhist temple located in a beautiful mountainous district. You
should not practise Zazen in a place where a conflagration or a flood
or robbers may be likely to disturb you, nor should you sit in a
place close by the sea or drinking-shops or brothel-houses, or the
houses of widows and of maidens or buildings for music, nor should
you live in close proximity to the place frequented by kings,
ministers, powerful statesmen, ambitious or insincere persons. You
must not sit in Meditation in a windy or very high place lest you
should get ill. Be sure not to let the wind or smoke get into your
room, not to expose it to rain and storm. Keep your room clean.
Keep it not too light by day nor too dark by night. Keep it warm in
winter and cool in summer. Do not sit leaning against a wall, or a
chair, or a screen. You must not wear soiled clothes or beautiful
clothes, for the former are the cause of illness, while the latter
the cause of attachment. Avoid the Three Insufficiencies-that is to
say, insufficient clothes, insufficient food, and insufficient sleep.
Abstain from all sorts of uncooked or hard or spoiled or unclean
food, and also from very delicious dishes, because the former cause
troubles in your alimentary canal, while the latter cause you to
covet after diet. Eat and drink just too appease your hunger and
thirst, never mind whether the food be tasty or not. Take your meals
regularly and punctually, and never sit in Meditation immediately
after any meal. Do not practise Dhyana soon after you have taken a
heavy dinner, lest you should get sick thereby. Sesame, barley,
corn, potatoes, milk, and the like are the best material for your
food. Frequently wash your eyes, face, hands, and feet, and keep
them cool and clean.
[FN#243] See Yoga Sutra with the Commentary of Bhoja Raja
(translated by Rajendralala Mitra), pp. 102-104.
[FN#244] Kei-zan (Jo-kin), the founder of So-ji-ji, the head temple
of the So To Sect of Zen, who died at the age of fifty-eight in 1325.
He sets forth the doctrine of Zen and the method of practising Zazen
in his famous work, entitled Za-zen-yo-jin-ki.
'There are two postures in Zazen--that is to say, the crossed-leg
sitting, and the half crossed-leg sitting. Seat yourself on a thick
cushion, putting it right under your haunch. Keep your body so erect
that the tip of the nose and the navel are in one perpendicular line,
and both ears and shoulders are in the same plane. Then place the
right foot upon the left thigh, the left foot on the right thigh, so
as the legs come across each other. Next put your right hand with
the palm upward on the left foot, and your left hand on the right
palm with the tops of both the thumbs touching each other. This is
the posture called the crossed-leg sitting. You may simply place the
left foot upon the right thigh, the position of the hands being the
same as in the cross-legged sitting. This posture is named the half
crossed-leg sitting.'
'Do not shut your eyes, keep them always open during whole
Meditation. Do not breathe through the mouth; press your tongue
against the roof of the mouth, putting the upper lips and teeth
together with the lower. Swell your abdomen so as to hold the breath
in the belly; breathe rhythmically through the nose, keeping a
measured time for inspiration and expiration. Count for some time
either the inspiring or the expiring breaths from one to ten, then
beginning with one again. Concentrate your attention on your breaths
going in and out as if you are the sentinel standing at the gate of
the nostrils. If you do some mistake in counting, or be forgetful of
the breath, it is evident that your mind is distracted.'
Chwang Tsz seems to have noticed that the harmony of breathing is
typical of the harmony of mind, since he says: "The true men of old
did not dream when they slept. Their breathing came deep and
silently. The breathing of true men comes (even) from his heels,
while men generally breathe (only) from their throats."[FN#245] At
any rate, the counting of breaths is an expedient for calming down of
mind, and elaborate rules are given in the Zen Sutra,[FN#246] but
Chinese and Japanese Zen masters do not lay so much stress on this
point as Indian teachers.
[FN#245] Chwang Tsz, vol. iii., p. 2.
[FN#246] Dharmatara-dhyana-sutra.
6. The Breathing Exercise of the Yogi.
Breathing exercise is one of the practices of Yoga, and somewhat
similar in its method and end to those of Zen. We quote here[FN#247]
Yogi Ramacharaka to show how modern Yogis practise it: "(1) Stand or
sit erect. Breathing through the nostrils, inhale steadily, first
filling the lower part of the lungs, which is accomplished by
bringing into play the diaphragm, which, descending, exerts a gentle
pressure on the abdominal organs, pushing forward the front walls of
the abdomen. Then fill the middle part of the lungs, pushing out the
lower ribs, breastbone, and chest. Then fill the higher portion of
the lungs, protruding the upper chest, thus lifting the chest,
including the upper six or seven pairs of ribs. In the final
movement the lower part of the abdomen will be slightly drawn in,
which movement gives the lungs a support, and also helps to fill the
highest part of the lungs. At the first reading it may appear that
this breath consists of three distinct movements. This, however, is
not the correct idea. The inhalation is continuous, the entire chest
cavity from the lower diaphragm to the highest point of the chest in
the region of the collar-bone being expanded with a uniform movement.
Avoid a jerking series of inhalations, and strive to attain a
steady, continuous action. Practice will soon overcome the tendency
to divide the inhalation into three movements, and will result in a
uniform continuous breath. You will be able to complete the
inhalation in a couple of seconds after a little practice. (2)
Retain the breath a few seconds. (3) Exhale quite slowly, holding
the chest in a firm position, and drawing the abdomen in a little and
lifting it upward slowly as the air leaves the lungs. When the air
is entirely exhaled, relax the chest and abdomen. A little practice
will render this part of exercise easy, and the movement once
acquired will be afterwards performed almost automatically."
[FN#247] Hatha Yoga, pp. 112, 113.
7. Calmness of Mind.
The Yogi breathing above mentioned is fit rather for physical
exercise than for mental balance, and it will be beneficial if you
take that exercise before or after Meditation. Japanese masters
mostly bold it very important to push forward. The lowest part of
the abdomen during Zazen, and they are right so far as the present
writer's personal experiences go.
'If you feel your mind distracted, look at the tip of the nose; never
lose sight of it for some time, or look at your own palm, and let not
your mind go out of it, or gaze at one spot before you.' This will
greatly help you in restoring the equilibrium of your mind. Chwang
Tsz[FN#248] thought that calmness of mind is essential to sages, and
said: "The stillness of the sages does not belong to them as a
consequence of their skilful ability; all things are not able to
disturb their minds; it is on this account that they are still. When
water is still, its clearness shows the beard and eyebrows (of him
who looks into it). It is a perfect level, and the greatest
artificer takes his rule from it. Such is the clearness of still
water, and how much greater is that of the human spirit? The still
mind of the sage is the mirror of heaven and earth, the glass of all
things."
Forget all worldly concerns, expel all cares and anxieties, let go of
passions and desires, give up ideas and thoughts, set your mind at
liberty absolutely, and make it as clear as a burnished mirror. Thus
let flow your inexhaustible fountain of purity, let open your
inestimable treasure of virtue, bring forth your inner hidden nature
of goodness, disclose your innermost divine wisdom, and waken your
Enlightened Consciousness to see Universal Life within you. "Zazen
enables the practiser," says Kei-zan,[FN#249] "to open up his mind,
to see his own nature, to become conscious of mysteriously pure and
bright spirit, or eternal light within him."
[FN#248] Chwang Tsz, vol. v., p. 5.
[FN#249] Za-zen-yo-jin-ki.
Once become conscious of Divine Life within you, yon can see it in
your brethren, no matter how different they may be in circumstances,
in abilities, in characters, in nationalities, in language, in
religion, and in race. You can see it in animals, vegetables, and
minerals, no matter how diverse they may be in form, no matter how
wild and ferocious some may seem in nature, no matter how unfeeling
in heart some may seem, no matter how devoid of intelligence some may
appear, no matter how insignificant some may be, no matter how simple
in construction some may be, no matter how lifeless some may seem.
You can see that the whole universe is Enlightened and penetrated by
Divine Life.
8. Zazen and the Forgetting of Self.
Zazen is a most effectual means of destroying selfishness, the root
of all Sin, folly, vice, and evil, since it enables us to see that
every being is endowed with divine spirituality in common with men.
It is selfishness that throws dark shadows on life, just as it is not
the sun but the body that throws shadow before it. It is the
self-same selfishness that gave rise to the belief in the immortality
of soul, in spite of its irrationality, foolishness, and
superstition. Individual self should be a poor miserable thing if it
were not essentially connected with the Universal Life. We can
always enjoy pure happiness when we are united with nature, quite
forgetful of our poor self. When you look, for example, into the
smiling face of a pretty baby, and smile with it, or listen to the
sweet melody of a songster and sing with it, you completely forget
your poor self at that enraptured moment. But your feelings of
beauty and happiness are for ever gone when you resume your self, and
begin to consider them after your own selfish ideas. To forget self
and identify it with nature is to break down its limitation and to
set it at liberty. To break down petty selfishness and extend it
into Universal Self is to unfetter and deliver it from bondage. It
therefore follows that salvation can be secured not by the
continuation of individuality in another life, but by the realization
of one's union with Universal Life, which is immortal, free,
limitless, eternal, and bliss itself. This is easily effected by
Zazen.
9. Zen and Supernatural Power.
Yoga[FN#250] claims that various supernatural powers can be acquired
by Meditation, but Zen does not make any such absurd claims. It
rather disdains those who are believed to have acquired supernatural
powers by the practice of austerities. The following traditions
clearly show this spirit: "When Fah Yung (Ho-yu) lived in Mount Niu
Teu[FN#251] (Go-zu-san) he used to receive every morning the
offerings of flowers from hundreds of birds, and was believed to have
supernatural powers. But after his Enlightenment by the instruction
of the Fourth Patriarch, the birds ceased to make offering, because
be became a being too divine to be seen by inferior animals." "Hwang
Pah (O-baku), one day going up Mount Tien Tai (Ten-dai-san), which
was believed to have been inhabited by Arhats with supernatural
powers, met with a monk whose eyes emitted strange light. They went
along the pass talking with each other for a short while until they
came to a river roaring with torrent. There being no bridge, the
master bad to stop at the shore; but his companion crossed the river
walking on the water and beckoned to Hwang Pah to follow him.
Thereupon Hwang Pah said: 'If I knew thou art an Arhat, I would have
doubled you up before thou got over there!' The monk then understood
the spiritual attainment of Hwang Pah, and praised him as a true
Mahayanist." "On one occasion Yang Shan (Kyo-zan) saw a stranger
monk flying through the air. When that monk came down and approached
him with a respectful salutation, he asked: 'Where art thou from?
'Early this morning,' replied the other, 'I set out from India.'
'Why,' said the teacher, 'art thou so late?' 'I stopped,' responded
the man, 'several times to look at beautiful sceneries.' Thou mayst
have supernatural powers,' exclaimed Yang Shan, 'yet thou must give
back the Spirit of Buddha to me.' Then the monk praised Yang Shan
saying: 'I have come over to China in order to worship
Manyjucri,[FN#252] and met unexpectedly with Minor Shakya,' and,
after giving the master some palm leaves he brought from India, went
back through the air.'"[FN#253]
[FN#250] 'Yoga Aphorisms of Patanyjali,' chap. iii.
[FN#251] A prominent disciple of the Fourth Patriarch, the founder
of the Niu Teu School (Go-zu-zen) of Zen, who died in A.D. 675.
[FN#252] Manyjucri is a legendary Bodhisattva, who became an object
of worship of some Mahayanists. He is treated as a personification
of transcendental wisdom.
[FN#253] Hwui Yuen (E-gen) and Sho-bo-gen-zo.
It is quite reasonable that Zenists distinguish supernatural powers
from spiritual uplifting, the former an acquirement of Devas, or of
Asuras, or of Arhats, or of even animals, and the latter as a nobler
accomplishment attained only by the practisers of Mahayanism.
Moreover, they use the term supernatural power in a meaning entirely
different from the original one. Lin Tsi (Rin-zai) says, for
instance: "There are six supernatural powers of Buddha: He is free
from the temptation of form, living in the world of form; He is free
from the temptation of sound, living in the world of sound; He is
free from the temptation of smell, living in the world of smell; He
is free from the temptation of taste, living in the world of taste;
He is free from the temptation of Dharma,[FN#254] living in the world
of Dharma. These are six supernatural powers."[FN#255]
[FN#254] The things or objects, not of sense, but of mind.
[FN#255] Lin Tsi Luh (Rin-zai-roku).
Sometimes Zenists use the term as if it meant what we call Zen
Activity, or the free display of Zen in action, as you see in the
following examples. Tung Shan (To-Zan) was on one occasion attending
on his teacher Yun Yen (Un-gan), who asked: "What are your
supernatural powers?" Tung Shan, saying nothing, clasped his hands
on his breast, and stood up before Yun Yen. "How do you display your
supernatural powers?" questioned the teacher again. Then Tung Shan
said farewell and went out. Wei Shan (E-san) one day was taking a
nap, and seeing his disciple Yang Shan (Kyo-zan) coming into the
room, turned his face towards the wall. "You need not, Sir," said
Yang Shan, "stand on ceremony, as I am your disciple." Wei Shan
seemed to try to get up, so Yang Shan went out; but Wei Shan called
him back and said: "I shall tell you of a dream I dreamed." The
other inclined his head as if to listen. "Now," said Wei Shan,
"divine my fortune by the dream." Thereupon Yang Shan fetched a
basin of water and a towel and gave them to the master, who washed
his face thereby. By-and-by Hiang Yen (Kyo-gen) came in, to whom Wei
Shan said: "We displayed supernatural powers a moment ago. It was
not such supernatural powers as are shown by Hinayanists." "I know
it, Sir," replied the other, "though I was down below." "Say, then,
what it was," demanded the master. Then Hiang Yen made tea and gave
a cup to Wei Shan, who praised the two disciples, saying: "You
surpass Çariputra[FN#256] and Maudgalyayana[FN#257] in your wisdom and
supernatural powers."[FN#258]
[FN#256] One of the prominent disciples of Shakya Muni, who became
famous for his wisdom.
[FN#257] One of the eminent disciples of Shakya Muni, noted for his
supernatural powers.
[FN#258] Zen-rin-rui-sku.
Again, ancient Zenists did not claim that there was any mysterious
element in their spiritual attainment, as Do-gen says[FN#259]
unequivocally respecting his Enlightenment: "I recognized only that
my eyes are placed crosswise above the nose that stands lengthwise,
and that I was not deceived by others. I came home from China with
nothing in my hand. There is nothing mysterious in Buddhism. Time
passes as it is natural, the sun rising in the east, and the moon
setting into the west."
[FN#259] Ei-hei-ko-roku.
10. True Dhyana.
To sit in Meditation is not the only method of practising Zazen. "We
practise Dhyana in sitting, in standing, and in walking," says one of
the Japanese Zenists. Lin Tsi (Rin-Zai) also says: "To concentrate
one's mind, or to dislike noisy places, and seek only for stillness,
is the characteristic of heterodox Dhyana." It is easy to keep
self-possession in a place of tranquillity, yet it is by no means
easy to keep mind undisturbed amid the bivouac of actual life. It is
true Dhyana that makes our mind sunny while the storms of strife rage
around us. It is true Dhyana that secures the harmony of heart,
while the surges of struggle toss us violently. It is true Dhyana
that makes us bloom and smile, while the winter of life covets us
with frost and snow.
"Idle thoughts come and go over unenlightened minds six hundred and
fifty times in a snap of one's fingers," writes an Indian
teacher,[FN#260] "and thirteen hundred million times every
twenty-four hours." This might be an exaggeration, yet we cannot but
acknowledge that one idle thought after another ceaselessly bubbles
up in the stream of consciousness. "Dhyana is the letting go,"
continues the writer--"that is to say, the letting go of the thirteen
hundred million of idle thoughts." The very root of these thirteen
hundred million idle thoughts is an illusion about one's self. He is
indeed the poorest creature, even if he be in heaven, who thinks
himself poor. On the contrary, he is an angel who thinks himself
hopeful and happy, even though he be in hell. "Pray deliver me,"
said a sinner to Sang Tsung (So-san).[FN#261] "Who ties you up?" was
the reply. You tie yourself up day and night with the fine thread of
idle thoughts, and build a cocoon of environment from which you have
no way of escape. 'There is no rope, yet you imagine yourself
bound.' Who could put fetters on your mind but your mind itself?
Who could chain your will but your own will? Who could blind your
spiritual eyes, unless you yourself shut them up? Who could prevent
you from enjoying moral food, unless you yourself refuse to eat?
"There are many," said Sueh Fung (Sep-po) on one occasion, "who
starve in spite of their sitting in a large basket full of victuals.
There are many who thirst in spite of seating themselves on the shore
of a sea." "Yes, Sir," replied Huen Sha (Gen-sha), "there are many
who starve in spite of putting their heads into the basket full of
victuals. There are many who thirst in spite of putting their heads
into the waters of the sea."[FN#262] Who could cheer him up who
abandons himself to self-created misery? Who could save him who
denies his own salvation?
[FN#260] The introduction to Anapana-sutra by Khin San Hwui, who
came to China A.D. 241.
[FN#261] The Third Patriarch.
[FN#262] Hwui Yuen (E-gen).
11. Let Go of your Idle Thoughts.[FN#263]
[FN#263] A famous Zenist, Mu-go-koku-shi, is said to have replied to
every questioner, saying: "Let go of your idle thoughts."
A Brahmin, having troubled himself a long while with reference to the
problem of life and of the world, went out to call on Shakya Muni
that he might be instructed by the Master. He got some beautiful
flowers to offer them as a present to the Muni, and proceeded to the
place where He was addressing his disciples and believers. No sooner
had he come in sight of the Master than he read in his mien the
struggles going on within him. "Let go of that," said the Muni to
the Brahmin, who was going to offer the flowers in both his hands.
He dropped on the ground the flowers in his right hand, but still
holding those in his left. "Let go of that," demanded the Master,
and the Brahmin dropped the flowers in his left hand rather
reluctantly. "Let go of that, I say," the Muni commanded again; but
the Brahmin, having nothing to let go of, asked: "What shall I let go
of, Reverend Sir? I have nothing in my hands, you know." "Let go of
that, you have neither in your right nor in your left band, but in
the middle." Upon these words of the Muni a light came into the
sufferer's mind, and he went home satisfied and in joy.[FN#264] "Not
to attach to all things is Dhyana," writes an ancient Zenist, "and if
you understand this, going out, staying in, sitting, and lying are in
Dhyana." Therefore allow not your mind to be a receptacle for the
dust of society, or the ashes of life, or rags and waste paper of the
world. You bear too much burden upon your shoulders with which you
have nothing to do.
[FN#264] 'Sutra on the Brahmacarin Black-family,' translated into
Chinese by K' Khien, of the Wu dynasty (A.D. 222-280).
Learn the lesson of forgetfulness, and forget all that troubles you,
deprives you of sound sleep, and writes wrinkles on your forehead.
Wang Yang Ming, at the age of seventeen or so, is said to have
forgotten the day 'on which he was to be married to a handsome young
lady, daughter of a man of high position. It was the afternoon of
the very day on which their nuptials had to be held that he went out
to take a walk. Without any definite purpose he went into a temple
in the neighbourhood, and there he found a recluse apparently very
old with white hair, but young in countenance like a child. The man
was sitting absorbed in Meditation. There was something extremely
calm and serene in that old man's look and bearing that attracted the
young scholar's attention. Questioning him as to his name, age, and
birthplace, Wang found that the venerable man had enjoyed a life so
extraordinarily long that he forgot his name and age, but that he had
youthful energy so abundantly that be could talk with a voice
sounding as a large bell. Being asked by Wang the secret of
longevity, the man replied: "There is no secret in it; I merely kept
my mind calm and peaceful." Further, he explained the method of
Meditation according to Taoism and Buddhism. Thereupon Wang sat face
to face with the old man and began to practise Meditation, utterly
forgetful of his bride and nuptial ceremony. The sun began to cast
his slanting rays on the wall of the temple, and they sat motionless;
twilight came over them, and night wrapped them with her sable
shroud, and they sat as still as two marble statues; midnight, dawn,
at last the morning sun rose to find them still in their reverie.
The father of the bride, who had started a search during the night,
found to his surprise the bridegroom absorbed in Meditation on the
following day.[FN#265]
[FN#265] O-yo-mei-shutsu-shin-sei-ran-roku.
It was at the age of forty-seven that Wang gained a great victory
over the rebel army, and wrote to a friend saying: "It is so easy to
gain a victory over the rebels fortifying themselves among the
mountains, yet it is not so with those rebels living in our
mind."[FN#266] Tsai Kiun Mu (Sai-kun-bo) is said to have had an
exceedingly long and beautiful beard, and when asked by the Emperor,
who received him in audience, whether he should sleep with his beard
on the comforters or beneath them, be could not answer, since he had
never known how he did. Being distracted by this question, he went
home and tried to find out how he had been used to manage his beard
in bed. First he put his beard on the comforters and vainly tried to
sleep; then he put it beneath the comforters and thought it all
right. Nevertheless, he was all the more disturbed by it. So then,
putting on the comforters, now putting it beneath them, he tried to
sleep all night long, but in vain. You must therefore forget your
mental beard that annoys you all the time.
[FN#266] Ibid.
Men of longevity never carried troubles to their beds. It is a
well-known fact that Zui-o (Shi-ga)[FN#267] enjoyed robust health at
the age of over one hundred years. One day, being asked whether
there is any secret of longevity, he replied affirmatively, and said
to the questioner: "Keep your mind and body pure for two weeks,
abstaining from any sort of impurity, then I shall tell you of the
secret." The man did as was prescribed, and came again to be
instructed in the secret. Zui-o said: "Now I might tell you, but be
cautious to keep yourself pure another week so as to qualify yourself
to learn the secret." When that week was over the old man said: "Now
I might tell you, but will you be so careful as to keep yourself pure
three days more in order to qualify yourself to receive the secret?"
The man did as he was ordered, and requested the instruction.
Thereupon Zui-o took the man to his private room and softly
whispered, with his mouth close to the ear of the man: "Keep the
secret I tell you now, even at the cost of your life. It is
this-don't be passionate. That is all."[FN#268]
[FN#267] This famous old man died in A.D. 1730.
[FN#268] Se-ji-hyaku-dan.
12. 'The Five Ranks of Merit.'
Thus far we have stated how to train our body and mind according to
the general rules and customs established by Zenists. And here we
shall describe the different stages of mental uplifting through which
the student of Zen has to go. They are technically called 'The Five
Ranks of Merit.'[FN#269] The first stage is called the Rank of
Turning,[FN#270] in which the student 'turns' his mind from the
external objects of sense towards the inner Enlightened
Consciousness. He gives up all mean desires and aspires to spiritual
elevation. He becomes aware that he is not doomed to be the slave of
material things, and strives to conquer over them. Enlightened
Consciousness is likened to the King, and it is called the Mind-King,
while the student who now turns towards the King is likened to common
people. Therefore in this first stage the student is in the rank of
common people.
[FN#269] Ko-kun-go-i. For further details, see So-to-ni-shi-roku.
[FN#268] Ko in Japanese.
The second stage is called the Rank of Service,[FN#271] in which the
student distinguishes himself by his loyalty to the Mind-King, and
becomes a courtier to 'serve' him. He is in constant 'service' to
the King, attending him with obedience and love, and always fearing
to offend him. Thus the student in this stage is ever careful not to
neglect rules and precepts laid down by the sages, and endeavours to
uplift himself in spirituality by his fidelity.
The third stage is called the Rank of Merit,[FN#272] in which the
student distinguishes himself by his 'meritorious' acts of conquering
over the rebel army of passion which rises against the Mind-King.
Now, his rank is not the rank of a courtier, but the rank of a
general. In other words, his duty is not only to keep rules and
instructions of the sages, but to subjugate his own passion and
establish moral order in the mental kingdom.
[FN#271] Bu in Japanese.
[FN#272] Ko in Japanese.
The fourth stage is called the Rank of Co-operative Merit,[FN#273] in
which the student 'co-operates' with other persons in order to
complete his merit. Now, he is not compared with a general who
conquers his foe, but with the prime-minister who co-operates with
other officials to the benefit of the people. Thus the student in
this stage is not satisfied with his own conquest of passion, but
seeks after spiritual uplifting by means of extending his kindness
and sympathy to his fellow-men.
[FN#273] Gu-ko in Japanese.
The fifth stage is called the Rank of Merit-over-Merit,[FN#274] which
means the rank of meritless-merit. This is the rank of the King
himself. The King does nothing meritorious, because all the
governmental works are done by his ministers and subjects. All that
he has to do is to keep his inborn dignity and sit high on his
throne. Therefore his conduct is meritless, but all the meritorious
acts of his subjects are done through his authority. Doing nothing,
he does everything. Without any merit, he gets all merits. Thus the
student in this stage no more strives to keep precepts, but his
doings are naturally in accord with them. No more he aspires for
spiritual elevation, but his, heart is naturally pure from material
desires. No more he makes an effort to vanquish his passion, but no
passion disturbs him. No more he feels it his duty to do good to
others, but he is naturally good and merciful. No more he sits in
Dhyana, but he naturally lives in Dhyana at all times. It is in this
fifth stage that the student is enabled to identify his Self with the
Mind-King or Enlightened Consciousness, and to abide in perfect bliss.
[FN#274] Ko-ko in Japanese.
13. 'The Ten Pictures of the Cowherd.'[FN#275]
[FN#275] The pictures were drawn by Kwoh Ngan (Kaku-an), a Chinese
Zenist. For the details, see Zen-gaku-ho-ten.
Besides these Five Ranks of Merit, Zenists make use of the Ten
Pictures of the Cowherd, in order to show the different stages of
mental training through which the student of Zen has to go. Some
poems were written by Chinese and Japanese teachers on each of these
pictures by way of explanation, but they are too ambiguous to be
translated into English, and we rest content with the translation of
a single Japanese poem on each of the ten pictures, which are as
follows:
The first picture, called 'the Searching of the Cow,' represents the
cowherd wandering in the wilderness with a vague hope of finding his
lost cow that is running wild out of his sight. The reader will
notice that the cow is likened to the mind of the student and the
cowherd to the student himself.
"I do not see my cow,
But trees and grass,
And hear the empty cries
Of cicadas."
The second picture, called 'the Finding of the Cow's Tracks,'
represents the cowherd tracing the cow with the sure hope of
restoring her, having found her tracks on the ground.
"The grove is deep, and so
Is my desire.
How glad I am, O lo!
I see her tracks."
The third picture, called 'the Finding out of the Cow,' represents
the cowherd slowly approaching the cow from a distance.
"Her loud and wild mooing
Has led me here;
I see her form afar,
Like a dark shadow."
The fourth 'picture, called 'the Catching of the Cow,' represents the
cowherd catching hold of the cow, who struggles to break loose from
him.
"Alas! it's hard to keep
The cow I caught.
She tries to run and leap
And snap the cord."
The fifth picture, called 'the Taming of the Cow,' represents the
cowherd pacifying the cow, giving her grass and water.
"I'm glad the cow so wild
Is tamed and mild.
She follows me, as if
She were my shadow."
The sixth picture, called 'the Going Home Riding on the Cow,'
represents the cowherd playing on a flute, riding on the cow.
"Slowly the clouds return
To their own hill,
Floating along the skies
So calm and still.
The seventh picture, called 'the Forgetting of the Cow and the
Remembering of the Man,' represents the cowherd looking at the
beautiful scenery surrounding his cottage.
"The cow goes out by day
And comes by night.
I care for her in no way,
But all is right."
The eighth picture, called 'the Forgetting of the Cow and of the
Man,' represents a large empty circle.
"There's no cowherd nor cow
Within the pen;
No moon of truth nor clouds
Of doubt in men."
The ninth picture, called 'the Returning to the Root and Source,'
represents a beautiful landscape full of lovely trees in full blossom.
"There is no dyer of hills,
Yet they are green;
So flowers smile, and titter rills
At their own wills."
The tenth picture, called 'the Going into the City with Open Hands,'
represents a smiling monk, gourd in hand, talking with a man who
looks like a pedlar.
"The cares for body make
That body pine;
Let go of cares and thoughts,
O child of mine!"
These Ten Pictures of the Cowherd correspond in meaning to the Five
Ranks of Merit above stated, even if there is a slight difference, as
is shown in the following table:
THE FIVE RANKS.---THE TEN PICTURES.
1. The Rank of Turning---1. The Searching of the Cow.
2. The Finding of the Cow's Tracks.
2. The Rank of Service---3. The Finding of the Cow.
4. The Catching of the Cow.
3. The Rank of Merit---5. The Taming of the Cow.
6. The Going Home, Riding on the Cow.
4. The Rank of Co-operative Merit---9. The Returning to the Root and
Source.
10. The Going into the City with
Open Hands.
5. The Rank of Merit-over-Merit---7. The Forgetting of the Cow and
the Remembering of the Man.
8. The Forgetting of the Cow and of
the Man.
14. Zen and Nirvana.
The beatitude of Zen is Nirvana, not in the Hinayanistic sense of the
term, but in the sense peculiar to the faith. Nirvana literally
means extinction or annihilation; hence the extinction of life or the
annihilation of individuality. To Zen, however, it means the state
of extinction of pain and the annihilation of sin. Zen never looks
for the realization of its beatitude in a place like heaven, nor
believes in the realm of Reality transcendental of the phenomenal
universe, nor gives countenance to the superstition of Immortality,
nor does it hold the world is the best of all possible worlds, nor
conceives life simply as blessing. It is in this life, full of
shortcomings, misery, and sufferings, that Zen hopes to realize its
beatitude. It is in this world, imperfect, changing, and moving,
that Zen finds the Divine Light it worships. It is in this
phenomenal universe of limitation and relativity that Zen aims to
attain to highest Nirvana. "We speak," says the author of
Vimalakirtti-nirdeca-sutra, "of the transitoriness of body, but not
of the desire of the Nirvana or destruction of it." "Paranirvana,"
according to the author of Lankavatarasutra, "is neither death nor
destruction, but bliss, freedom, and purity." "Nirvana," says Kiai
Hwan,[FN#276] "means the extinction of pain or the crossing over of
the sea of life and death. It denotes the real permanent state of
spiritual attainment. It does not signify destruction or
annihilation. It denotes the belief in the great root of life and
spirit." It is Nirvana of Zen to enjoy bliss for all sufferings of
life. It is Nirvana of Zen to be serene in mind for all disturbances
of actual existence. It is Nirvana of Zen to be in the conscious
union with Universal Life or Buddha through Enlightenment.
[FN#276] A commentator of Saddharma-pundarika-sutra.
15. Nature and her Lesson.
Nature offers us nectar and ambrosia every day, and everywhere we go
the rose and lily await us. "Spring visits us men," says
Gu-do,[FN#277] "her mercy is great. Every blossom holds out the
image of Tathagata." "What is the spiritual body of Buddha who is
immortal and divine?" asked a man to Ta Lun (Dai-ryu), who instantly
replied: "The flowers cover the mountain with golden brocade. The
waters tinge the rivulets with heavenly blue." "Universe is the
whole body of Tathagata; observed Do-gen. "The worlds in ten
directions, the earth, grass, trees, walls, fences, tiles, pebbles-in
a word, all the animated and inanimate objects partake of the
Buddha-nature. Thereby, those who partake in the benefit of the Wind
and Water that rise out of them are, all of them, helped by the
mysterious influence of Buddha, and show forth Enlightenment."[FN#278]
[FN#277] One of the distinguished Zenists in the Tokugawa period,
who died in 1661.
[FN#278] Sho-bo gen-zo.
Thus you can attain to highest bliss through your conscious union
with Buddha. Nothing can disturb your peace, when you can enjoy
peace in the midst of disturbances; nothing can cause you to suffer,
when you welcome misfortunes and hardships in order to train and
strengthen your character; nothing can tempt you to commit sin, when
you are constantly ready to listen to the sermon given by everything
around you; nothing can distress you, when you make the world the
holy temple of Buddha. This is the state of Nirvana which everyone
believing in Buddha may secure.
16. The Beatitude of Zen.
We are far from denying, as already shown in the foregoing chapters,
the existence of troubles, pains, diseases, sorrows, deaths in life.
Our bliss consists in seeing the fragrant rose of Divine mercy among
the thorns of worldly trouble, in finding the fair oasis of Buddha's
wisdom in the desert of misfortunes, in getting the wholesome balm of
His love in the seeming poison of pain, in gathering the sweet honey
of His spirit even in the sting of horrible death.
History testifies to the truth that it is misery that teaches men
more than happiness, that it is poverty that strengthens them more
than wealth, that it is adversity that moulds character more than
prosperity, that it is disease and death that call forth the inner
life more than health and long life. At least, no one can be blind
to the fact that good and evil have an equal share in forming the
character and working out the destiny of man. Even such a great
pessimist as Schopenhauer says: "As our bodily frame would burst
asunder if the pressure of atmosphere were removed, so if the lives
of men were relieved of all need, hardship, and adversity, if
everything they took in hand were successful, they would be so
swollen with arrogance . . . that they would present the spectacle of
unbridled folly. A ship without ballast is unstable, and will not go
straight." Therefore let us make our ship of life go straight with
its ballast of miseries and hardships, over which we gain control.
The believer in Buddha is thankful to him, not only for the sunshine
of life, but also for its wind, rain, snow, thunder, and lightning,
because He gives us nothing in vain. Hisa-nobu (Ko-yama) was,
perhaps, one of the happiest persons that Japan ever produced, simply
because he was ever thankful to the Merciful One. One day he went
out without an umbrella and met with a shower. Hurrying up to go
home, he stumbled and fell, wounding both his legs. As he rose up,
he was overheard to say: "Thank heaven." And being asked why he was
so thankful, replied: "I got both my legs hurt, but, thank heaven,
they were not broken." On another occasion he lost consciousness,
having been kicked violently by a wild horse. When he came to
himself, he exclaimed: "Thank heaven," in hearty joy. Being asked
the reason why he was so joyful, he answered: "I have really given up
my ghost, but, thank heaven, I have escaped death after all."[FN#279]
A person in such a state of mind can do anything with heart and
might. Whatever he does is an act of thanks for the grace of Buddha,
and he does it, not as his duty, but as the overflowing of his
gratitude which lie himself cannot check. Here exists the formation
of character. Here exist real happiness and joy. Here exists the
realization of Nirvana.
[FN#279] Ki-jin-den.
Most people regard death as the greatest of evils, only because they
fear death. They fear death only because they have the instinct of
self-preservation. Hereupon pessimistic philosophy and religion
propose to attain to Nirvana by the extinction of Will-to-live, or by
the total annihilation of life. But this is as much as to propose
death as the final cure to a patient. Elie Metchnikoff proposes, in
his 'Nature of Man,' another cure, saying: 'If man could only
contrive to live long enough--say, for one hundred and forty years--a
natural desire for extinction would take the place of the instinct
for self-preservation, and the call of death would then harmoniously
satisfy his legitimate craving of a ripe old age.' Why, we must ask,
do you trouble yourself so much about death? Is there any instance
of an individual who escaped it in the whole history of mankind? If
there be no way of escape, why do you trouble yourself about it? Can
you cause things to fall off the earth against the law of
gravitation? Is there any example of an individual object that
escaped the government of that law in the whole history of the world?
Why, then, do you trouble yourself about it? It is no less silly to
trouble yourself about death than you do about gravitation. Can you
realize that death, which you have yet no immediate experience of, is
the greatest of evil? We dare to declare death to be one of the
blessings which we have to be thankful for. Death is the scavenger
of the world; it sweeps away all uselessness, staleness, and
corruption from the world, and keeps life clean and ever now. When
you are of no use for the world it comes upon you, removes you to
oblivion in order to relieve life of useless encumbrance. The stream
of existence should be kept running, otherwise it would become
putrid. If old lives were to stop the running stream it would stand
still, and consequently become filthy, poisoned, and worthless.
Suppose there were only births and no deaths. The earth has to be
packed with men and women, who are doomed to live to all eternity,
jostling, colliding, bumping, trampling each other, and vainly
struggling to get out of the Black Hole of the earth. Thanks to
death we are not in the Black Hole!
Only birth and no death is far worse than only death and no birth.
"The dead," says Chwang Tsz, "have no tyrannical king about, no
slavish subject to meet; no change of seasons overtakes them. The
heaven and the earth take the places of Spring and Autumn. The king
or emperor of a great nation cannot be happier than they." How would
you be if death should never overtake you when ugly decrepitude makes
you blind and deaf, bodily and mentally, and deprives you of all
possible pleasures? How would you be if you should not die when your
body is broken to pieces or terribly burned by an accident--say, by a
violent earthquake followed by a great conflagration? Just imagine
Satan, immortal Satan, thrown down by the ire of God into Hell's
fiery gulf, rolling himself in dreadful torture to the end of time.
You cannot but conclude that it is only death which relieves you of
extreme sufferings, incurable diseases, and it is one of the
blessings you ought to be thankful for.
The believer of Buddha is thankful even for death itself, the which
is the sole means of conquering death. If he be thankful even for
death, how much more for the rest of things! He can find a meaning
in every form of life. He can perceive a blessing in every change of
fortune. He can acknowledge a mission for every individual. He can
live in contentment and joy under any conditions. Therefore Lin Tsi
(Rin-zai) says: "All the Buddhas might appear before me and I would
not be glad. All the Three Regions[FN#280] and Hells might suddenly
present themselves before me, and I would not fear. . . . He (an
Enlightened person) might get into the fire, and it would not burn
him. He might get into water, and it would not drown him. He might
be born in Hell, and he would be happy as if he were in a fair
garden. He might be born among Pretas and beasts, and he would not
suffer from pain. How can he be so? Because he can enjoy
everything.'[FN#281]
[FN#280] (1) Naraka, or Hell; (2) Pretas, or hungry demons; (3)
beasts.
[FN#281] Lin Tsi Luk (Rin-zai-roku).
APPENDIX
ORIGIN OF MAN
(GEN-NIN-RON)
BY
KWEI FUNG TSUNG MIH
THE SEVENTH PATRIARCH OF THE KEGON SECT
TRANSLATED BY
KAITEN NUKARIYA
PREFACE
Tsung Mih (Shu-Mitsu, A.D. 774-841), the author of Yuen Jan Lun
('Origin of Man'), one of the greatest scholars that China ever
produced, was born in a Confucianist family of the State of Kwo Cheu.
Having been converted by Tao Yuen (Do-yen), a noted priest of the
Zen Sect, he was known at the age of twenty-nine as a prominent
member of that sect, and became the Eleventh Patriarch after
Bodhidharma, the First Patriarch of the sect, who had come over to
China from India about A.D. 520. Some years after he studied under
Chino, Kwan (Cho-kwan) the philosophical doctrine of the Avatamsaka
School, now known in Japan as the Kegon Sect, and distinguished
himself as the Seventh Patriarch of that school. In A.D. 835 he was
received in audience by the Emperor Wan Tsung, who questioned him in
a general way about the Buddhist doctrines, and bestowed upon him the
honourable title of Great Virtuous Teacher, together with abundant
gifts. The author produced over ninety volumes of books, which
include a commentary on Avatamsaka-sutra, one on
Purnabuddha-sutra-prasannartha-sutra, and many others. Yuen Jan Lun
is one of the shortest of his essays, but it contains all the
essential doctrines, respecting the origin of life and of the
universe, which are found in Taoism, Confucianism, Hinayanism, and
Mahayanism. How important a position it holds among the Buddhist
books can be well imagined from the fact that over twenty
commentaries were written on it both by the Chinese and the Japanese
Buddhist scholars. It is said that a short essay under the same
title by a noted contemporary Confucianist scholar, Han Tui Chi
(Kan-tai-shi, who flourished 803-823), suggested to him to write a
book in order to make clear to the public the Buddhist view on the
same subject. Thus be entitled the book 'Origin of Man,' in spite of
his treating of the origin of life and of the universe. Throughout
the whole book occur coupled sentences, consisting mostly of the same
number of Chinese characters, and consequently while one sentence is
too laconic, the other is overladen with superfluous words, put in to
make the right number in the balanced group of characters. In
addition to this, the text is full of too concise phrases, and often
of ambiguous ones, as it is intended to state as briefly as possible
all the important doctrines of the Buddhist as well as of the outside
schools. On this account the author himself wrote a few notes on the
passages that lie thought it necessary to explain. The reader will
find these notes beginning with 'A' put by the translator to
distinguish them from his own.
K. N.
ORIGIN OF MAN[FN#282]
INTRODUCTION
All animated beings that live (under the sun) have an origin, while
each of inanimate things, countless in number, owes its existence to
some source.[FN#283] There can never be (any being nor) any thing
that has (no origin, as there can be no) branch which has no root.
How could man, the most spiritual of the Three Powers[FN#284] exist
without an origin?
[FN#282] The author treats the origin of life and of the universe,
but the book was entitled as we have seen in the preface.
[FN#283] The same idea and expression are found in Tao Teh King
(Do-toku-kyo), by Lao Tsz (Ro-shi, 604-522 B.C.).
[FN#284] The Three Powers are-(1) Heaven, that has the power of
revolution; (2) Earth, that has the power of production; and (3) Man,
that has the power of thought.
(It is said),[FN#285] moreover, that that which knows others is
intellect, and that that which knows itself is wisdom. Now if I,
being born among men, know not whence I came (into this life), how
could I know whither I am going in the after-life? How could I
understand all human affairs, ancient and modern, in the world? So,
for some scores of years I learned under many different tutors, and
read extensively (not only) the Buddhist (but also) outside books.
By that means I tried to trace my Self, and never stopped my research
till I attained, as I had expected, to its origin.
[FN#285] The sentence is a direct quotation of Tao Teh King.