In the life of the Zendo there is no fixed period of graduation as in a
school education. With some, graduation may not take place even after
his twenty years’ boarding there. But with ordinary abilities and a
large amount of perseverance and indefatigability, one is able to probe
into every intricacy of the teachings of Zen within a space of ten
years.
To practise the principle of Zen, however, in every moment of life,
that is, to grow fully saturated in the spirit of Zen is another
question. One life may be too short for it, for it is said that even
Śākyamuni and Maitreya themselves are yet in the midst of self-training.
To be a perfectly qualified master, a mere understanding of the truth
of Zen is not sufficient. One must go through a period which
is known as “the long maturing of the sacred womb.”[7.31] The term
must have originally come from Taoism; and in Zen nowadays it means,
broadly speaking, living a life harmonious with the understanding.
Under the direction of a master, a monk may finally attain to a
thorough knowledge of all the mysteries of Zen; but this is more or
less intellectual, though in the highest possible sense. The monk’s
life, in and out, must grow in perfect unison with this attainment.
To do this a further training is necessary, for what he has gained
at Zendo is after all the pointing of the direction where his utmost
efforts have to be put forth. But it is not at all imperative now to
remain in the Zendo. On the contrary, his intellectual attainments
must be further put on trial by coming into actual contact with the
world. There are no prescribed rules for this “maturing.” Each one
acts on his own discretion in the accidental circumstances in which
he may find himself. He may retire into the mountains and live a
solitary hermit, or he may come out into the “market” and be an active
participant in all the affairs of the world. The sixth patriarch is
said to have been living among the mountaineers for fifteen years
after he left the fifth patriarch. He was quite unknown in the world
until he came out to a lecture by Inshu (Yin-tsung).[7.32] Chu, the
National Teacher of Nan-yang, spent forty years in Nanyang and did not
show himself out in the capital. But his holy life became known far
and near, and at the urgent request of the Emperor he finally left his
hut. Isan (Wei-shan) spent several years in the wilderness, living on
nuts and befriending monkeys and deer. However, he was found out and
big monasteries were built about his anchorage, he became master of
1,500 monks. Kwanzan,[7.33] the founder of Myōshinji, Kyoto, retired
in Mino province, and worked as day-labourer for the villagers. Nobody
recognised him until one day an accident brought out his identity and
the court insisted on his founding a monastery in the capital.[f150]
Hakuin became the keeper of a deserted temple in Suruga which was his
sole heritage in the world. We can picture to ourselves the scene of
its dilapidations when we read this: “There were no roofs and the
stars shone through at night. Nor was there any floor. It was necessary
to have a rain-hat and to put on a pair of high _getas_ when anything
was going on while raining in the main part of the temple. All the
property attached to it was in the hands of the creditors, and the
priestly belongings were mortgaged to the merchants.”—This was the
beginning of Hakuin’s career.
There are many other notable ones, the history of Zen abounds with such
instances. The idea however is not to practise asceticism, it is the
“maturing,” as they have properly designated, of one’s moral character.
Many serpents and adders are waiting at the porch, and if one fails to
trample them down effectively, they raise the heads again and the whole
edifice of moral culture built up in vision may collapse even in one
day. Antinomianism is also the pitfall for Zen followers, against which
a constant vigil is needed. Hence this “maturing.”