What is Zen?
Not this, not that.
Not too long ago, in a dinner conversation, someone asked if I am a Christian. I said I was, and that my faith has taken a different direction. I also mentioned that I am more inclined towards Buddhism at this stage in my life, particularly Zen Buddhism.
“So what is Zen Buddhism?”
I said that it is a philosophy, a way of life. But it isn’t. Not really. I found I couldn’t really explain what Zen Buddhism was. I told the story below to illustrate, but I can tell that my Christian friend wasn’t really interested.
Zen Buddhism isn’t a religion.
This is a famous story about a conversation between Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and the audience he was addressing.
“Are you a god?” someone asked Buddha.
“No. I am not a god.” He replied.
“Are you a prophet, then?” he asked.
“No. I am not a prophet.” Buddha replied.
“Then what are you?” he asked.
“I am awake.” Buddha replied.
The term “Buddha” means “the awakened one” or “the enlightened one.”
“I am awake,” meant that Siddhartha had realised the true nature of reality and had awakened from the ignorance that binds all sentient beings to the cycle of suffering (samsara).
Buddhists recognise Buddha as a human being who achieved enlightenment, or awakening, (nirvana) through his own efforts. He then taught others how to attain it. His teachings (Dharma) emphasise the path of moral conduct, meditation, and wisdom to end suffering.
Buddha encourages followers to focus on their own potential for spiritual growth and awakening. Enlightenment is accessible to all who earnestly seek liberation from suffering.
What is Zen Buddhism then?
Originating in China as Chan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism that emphasises the practice of meditation (zazen) and the direct experience of reality over theoretical knowledge and dogma.
Founded by the Indian Monk Bodhidharma when he came to China, he was the First Patriarch of Chan Buddhism that focused on meditation and direct experience, often using unconventional methods to awaken the practitioners to their true nature.
My very limited experience with Zen Buddhism was when I attended a series of lectures at a Zen temple in Singapore. In one conversation I had with the Zen master, I asked if he could explain, in simpler terms, the nature of enlightenment. How would you know if you achieved it?
Without saying a word, he slapped his palm onto the table. I had a shock and was speechless for a while. I didn’t know how to react. I asked him what was that all about?
He said that I asked about enlightenment.
“So, enlightenment is this?” I gently slapped the table.
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
And again, he slapped the table with his hand.
I have to admit I didn’t understand. I often thought about it, but I suspect that’s exactly why I don’t get it. I think too much about it. I must have missed an opportunity to achieve enlightenment, but it left a deep impression on me.
Key Concepts in Zen Buddhism
1. Zazen (Seated Meditation)
This is the cornerstone of Zen practice. Zazen involves sitting in silent meditation, focusing on the breath, and being present in the moment. This practice aims to quiet the mind, allowing practitioners to experience their true nature directly.
The aim isn’t to sit still but to experience being in the moment. Monks who have spent years in the monastery will often be so busy with day-to-day work that there is hardly any time for meditation. So, the objective then is to experience being in the moment whatever you do, wherever you are, whenever.
Often, we are distracted with so many things that we lose touch with our true nature. This true nature cannot be described or explained. Only experienced. Zazen is a means to help us experience it.
2. Satori (Enlightenment)
Satori, or sudden enlightenment, is the “Ah Ha!” moment when you see your true nature. When you “get it.” There is nothing to achieve, no heaven or hell to go to.
Alan Watts said “This is it!”
It, meaning “as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end,” it.
It is a profound realisation of one’s true nature and the nature of reality.
Unlike gradual cultivation, satori can occur spontaneously, often triggered by a direct experience or a Zen master’s teaching.
3. Kōans (Paradoxical Anecdotes)
Kōans are basically riddles. Paradoxical questions or statements used in Zen practice to transcend rational thought and bring about direct insight. Here’s an example of a famous kōan in Zen Buddhism:
A monk asked Zen Master Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have Buddha-nature or not?”
Zhaozhou replied, “Wu.” (無)
“Wu” is a concept in Zen Buddhism that is often used in response to a question that is unanswerable. The word “Wu” is translated as “nothingness,” “emptiness,” or “no thing.”
In this context, it is used to represent the idea that the question is based on dualistic thinking, like “Why are there no women who are Zen masters?”. It assumes that there is a separate self that possesses Buddha-nature.
The monk continued to press Zhaozhou for a more definite answer, but Zhaozhou simply repeated, “Wu.” Eventually, the monk became frustrated and left.
Later, the monk had a realisation and returned to Zhaozhou, saying, “I understand now. Everything is Wu.”
Zhaozhou replied, “Not everything is Wu.”
Other famous kōans include “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” and “Enter the gateless gate.” There are no answers to kōans, but Zen masters know when the pupil has a breakthrough.
Emphasis on Direct Experience
Zen Buddhism emphasises direct, personal experience as the path to enlightenment. This approach is rooted in the belief that intellectual understanding and verbal explanations cannot grasp the true nature of reality. In fact, the dualistic nature of the intellect often becomes an obstacle to direct experience.
“A picture of a rice cake cannot satisfy your hunger.”
This means that reading about or discussing Zen concepts is not the same as experiencing them directly through practice. Just as looking at a picture of food does not nourish the body, intellectual understanding alone does not lead to enlightenment.
Enlightenment is the direct experience of the true nature of yourself.
Unconventional Teaching Methods
Zen masters often use unconventional methods to guide their students toward enlightenment. These methods can be surprising, paradoxical, and even shocking, designed to disrupt ordinary patterns of thinking and perception. Here are some key aspects of these methods:
1. Kōan Practice
As mentioned earlier, kōans are used to challenge logical reasoning and provoke direct insight. A Zen teacher may assign a kōan to a student, who then meditates on it intensely, seeking an intuitive understanding beyond rational thought.
The famous “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” is an example.
Once, a Zen master named Hakuin was asked by a student, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”
Hakuin replied, “Clap with one hand.”
The student tried to clap with one hand, but of course, it was impossible to make a sound that way. So he asked Hakuin to explain.
Hakuin said, “To hear the sound of one hand clapping, you must let go of all your dualistic conceptions, and listen with your whole body and mind. The sound of one hand is the sound of the universe, the sound of the non-dual reality that is beyond all concepts and categories.”
“It is the sound of the present moment, which is the only moment that exists. When you can hear this sound, you will know the true nature of reality.”
The student continued to struggle with the koan and asked Hakuin for further guidance. Hakuin told him to focus on the sound of his own breathing, and to let go of all distractions and preconceptions.
Through this practice, he eventually had a breakthrough and realised the non-dual nature of reality.
This story illustrates the non-dualistic nature of reality. The goal is to realise that the self and the world are not separate, but are, in fact, the same. By breaking through our usual thinking and perceiving, we can experience the world in a more direct and unified way.
The sound of one hand clapping is not a literal sound, but a metaphor for the inexpressible nature of reality.
2. Direct Interaction
Zen masters often engage in direct, spontaneous interactions with their students. These interactions can include sharp questions, unexpected actions, or simple, everyday tasks. The goal is to bring the student into the present moment and reveal the truth directly.
Here, I am reminded of a story where a young monk was instructed to sweep the temple yard until it is perfectly clean. He does it all day, every day, but each time he asked the abbot if it was clean, the abbot said no.
This went on for a while until one day, a famous Zen nun, Wu Mei (悟梅), visited the temple and noticed the young monk looking troubled. She asked him why and he explained he cannot get the yard perfectly clean.
Hearing this, she grabbed a handful of ash from the incense burner and sprinkle them on the floor.
“There. Now it is perfectly clean.”
At that moment, the young monk achieved enlightenment.
3. Physical Actions
Sometimes, Zen masters use physical actions, such as striking a student with a stick or shouting, to jolt them out of their habitual thinking. These actions should awaken the student to a deeper level of awareness.
The prominent Korean Zen master, Seung Sahn, used a “Zen stick” (a short wooden stick) during his teachings. He would sometimes strike the floor or a table with the stick to punctuate a point or jolt a student into heightened awareness.
When a student asked a complex question about Zen philosophy. Instead of going into profound discussion, Seung Sahn would strike the floor with his Zen stick and say, “This is Zen.” The sound, and the action, brought the student back to the present, cutting through intellectual abstraction.
This must have been what the Zen master was doing when he slapped his palm on the table during our discussion.
4. Mundane Tasks
Zen teaching emphasises the importance of mindfulness in everyday activities. Teachers may instruct students to focus on simple tasks, like washing dishes or sweeping the floor, as a way to cultivate awareness and presence.
In Robert Fulghum’s book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, he recalled when he studied at a Zen Monastery. He was assigned to the kitchen on the first day and was asked to cut carrots.
The monk working in the kitchen directed him, saying “Cutting carrots...” Now, you do.
After 6 months of cutting carrots, he met with the teacher to discuss his spiritual progress. The story went something like this:
He went into the room as the teacher sat quietly with his eyes closed.
He waited, careful not to make a sound.
After a while, he saw the teacher shift his weight to the left and scratched his backside. Slowly opened his eyes and looked at the author.
Feeling awkward, he looked away.
The teacher said: “Piles. Do you know how you get piles? Stress. The temple accounts need balancing, the children are struggling with school work, and the wife is nagging…”
The author did not know how to respond.
The teacher continued, “You are like a man standing knee deep in a stream and dying of thirst. It is time for you to go home.”
This is how I remembered the story I read some 30 years ago.
“Zen isn’t thinking about God while cutting carrots. Zen is cutting carrots.”
The essence of Zen practice is being fully present and mindful at each moment. Whether you are sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, or cutting carrots.
Not this, not that
If you are still here, you would have realised that Zen Buddhism can’t be explained in words or concepts. The Sanskrit term “neti neti,” from Hindu philosophy meaning “not this, not that,” which is also often used in Zen as well.
By saying “not this, not that,” practitioners are forced to go beyond fixed ideas and labels, which are inherently limited and cannot express the full depth of reality. This process of negation helps dismantle mental constructs and, hopefully, leads to a direct experience of existence.
Zen Buddhism, then, is a way of breaking through the limitations of conceptual thinking and dualistic perceptions so that we can experience the world directly, as it is. By negating fixed ideas and embracing the present moment, we can approach a deeper, more authentic understanding of our existence.
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