The Phoenix. An illustrated review of occultism and philosophy

Zen teachers discourage seekers because only those who cannot be discouraged are fit.
Zen rejects the importance of scriptural authority or tradition, prayer, fasting, and monastic rules.
All historicity is an illusion, therefore dependence on historical figures is an error.
Buddha is held in bondage by the belief in enlightenment.

A large vertical ink wash painting in the sumi-e Japanese ink wash style depicts a stylized, minimalist figure of a monk, likely Bodhidharma. He has large, staring eyes and a simple robe. Japanese calligraphy appears above the figure. The caption identifies it as "A CONCEPTION OF DHARMA By the Distinguished Japanese Artist, Nakamura Fusetsu."

The disciple cut off his right arm and sent it in to Bodhidharma. The patriarch of Zen instantly realized that the stranger possessed the sincerity and consecration necessary to the great achievement. So he ordered him brought into his presence and there received him as a disciple, bestowing the discipline upon him.

The unprepossessing exterior which many of the old Zen priests developed was cultivated for one purpose alone: to discourage those who aspired to become disciples. Only the one who possessed the discrimination to pierce through external appearances and discover the underlying reality was regarded as worthy to receive enlightenment. Bodhidharma, therefore, accepted those whom he could not frighten away, kick away, or repel by surliness or abuse. Zen was for the strong and not for the weak; for the resolute and not for those who could be easily intimidated.

The essential elements of Zen Buddhists have been summed up under six general headings, a brief survey of which will reveal the high integrity of the discipline.

(1) The practices of Zen are fully as old as Buddhism. Some believe they are much older, for the method of practicing Dhyana meditation, as cultivated by these monks, has descended from the teachings of the most ancient recluses of India. The origin of these spiritual processes is hopelessly obscure.

(2) In spite of its great antiquity and its even more astonishing profundity, the doctrine of Zen is particularly applicable to present-day conditions. It is distinctly a practical rather than an abstract cult. For this reason it has unquestionably come to be so highly favored by the best educated and cultured people of Japan.

(3) Zen rejects in its entirety the importance of scriptural authority or tradition. It affirms that truth can never be communicated by any outward method but must be realized internally by the mind. When the mind of the teacher is en rapport in a state of harmonious connection with the mind of the disciple, the mysteries are silently communicated. In this way alone has the esotericism of Zen been transmitted for over twenty-six centuries. With its rejection of the scriptures, Zen also rejects prayer, fasting, and the observance of monastic rules. Those who perform such acts are worshipping only the phantom of truth.

(4) Zen also rejects the historical existence of Buddha. It declares that there can be no such person as Buddha inasmuch as personality itself is an illusion. To the true Zen follower, Buddha is a state of consciousness, not a man. Nor are the Buddhas regarded as gods or supermen. In fact, the Zen monks sometimes speak pityingly of the Buddha as a man who was in bondage to the golden chain of belief in enlightenment. There is an Absolute in the teachings of Zen into which all personalities are absorbed. The contemplation of this is the greatest good.

(5) Zen is not an idolatrous doctrine. Like the original Buddhistic system of Gautama, it preserves such an exalted concept of Deity that less enlightened minds are inclined to view the entire system as a philosophic atheism. Tanhia a Zen master of the Tang Dynasty, who was a Zen teacher in the ninth century, is said to have warmed himself when he was cold by making a fire out of the statues from a nearby temple. To him, symbols had nothing to do with spirituality or truth. He believed they hopelessly confuse the elements by encouraging men to accept the image for the real.

The value of seemingly unimportant shocks in stimulating or expressing the final phase of enlightenment.
Heaven and hell exist within.
The erasure of matter through the exercise of absolute knowledge.
The contemplation of what is beyond thought.
Zazen seated meditation: a tranquil method.

(6) Zen has a curious method of expressing profound realization or some deep religious insight by an odd or inconsequential gesture or act. The Zen monk may symbolize the achievement of some high state of consciousness by lifting a brush from a rack, by tapping with his fingers upon the back of a chair, by some gesture of his hands, or even by slapping a man in the face. It has been said that Zen monks have roundly boxed the ears of Emperors.

There is a story illustrative of Zen teachings recorded in Robert Cornell Armstrong's recent publication, Buddhism and Buddhists in Japan. A temple official once asked Ikkyu a famous eccentric Zen monk and poet if there were such places as heaven and hell. The priest replied in most abusive language, calling the official a fool who lived off the temple but was ignorant of its teachings. He even went so far as to call him a robber and a brute and unworthy to be a Samurai a member of the Japanese warrior caste. The official, being a man of honor, refused to take such abuse, even from a priest. Drawing his sword, he ordered Ikkyu to explain himself or be cut down. The priest, who had retired out of danger, laughed at the angry official, exclaiming, "You ask where is hell? Your mind is hell. I see hell in your face." The Samurai, sensing the lesson, became conscience-stricken and regained his former amiability. Thereupon the priest, noting his placid features, remarked, "You ask where is heaven? Your mind is heaven now. I see heaven in your face."

In his Buddhist Art, M. Anesaki writes of Zen: "The chief effort of this sect was directed towards the attainment of spiritual enlightenment through personal experience in contemplation and the effects of this practice were shown in manifestation of strong individuality. At the same time a feeling for the tranquil beauty of nature produced a serene 'Air-rhythm' of transcendence over the incidents of human life." Unlike most of the Oriental metaphysical disciplines, Zen is not a negative procedure. It is the achievement of tranquillity in strength rather than in weakness. Because of the peculiar vitality of the teaching, nearly all the patriarchs of the order have enjoyed extraordinary health and lived to great age. It has been well written that the obliteration of matter by the exercise of absolute knowledge is the secret of Zen.

Zazen seated meditation, the tranquil session or method of Zen meditation, is thus described by Keizan the founder of the Soji-ji temple in Zazan Yojin Ki Instructions for the Practice of Meditation: "Arrange a seat of matting at a suitable place

An ink wash painting shows Bodhidharma, known in Japan as Daruma, seated in meditation. He is wrapped in a heavy, dark robe with only his face visible. His expression is focused and intense. The caption reads: "BODHIDHARMA IN MEDITATION By Kiretani Senrin."

and lay a cushion upon it. Then sit down cross-legged, placing the right foot upon the left thigh and the left foot upon the right thigh. Put on robes and a girdle not too tight and preserve their symmetry. Then put the right hand (palm upward) on the calf of the left leg, lay the back of the left hand upon the palm of the right hand, and let the tips of the two thumbs touch each other. Sit thus, keeping the body erect, inclining neither to the right nor to the left, bending neither forward nor backward. Let the ears be just above the shoulders and the nose be directed toward the abdomen. Lay the tongue against the roof of the mouth, and keep the lips and teeth closed. The eyes should be kept open; the breath should flow gently through the nostrils. When the bodily position is thus established exhale a deep breath; then remain seated after having examined the posture by swinging the body slightly to the right and left. Thereafter proceed to the contemplation of what is beyond thought."