Zen Flashcards
What is the zen slogan?
- special transmission outside teachings instead of texts
- beyond language: written is not truth
- directly points to human mind
- seeing one’s natures, one becomes buddha (buddha nature)
describe the birth of zen (chan) in china
- buddhist doctrines came from india, but challenged chinese/confucian doctrines
- chinese adopted it, but imprinted it with east asian character
- zen = fusion of indian buddhism with chinese culture
What are the Mahayana foundations of Zen?
- sunyata - emptiness: all things are empty of substantial essence
- buddha nature
- mind only: source of everything is in mind
- ineffability/silence: skepticism of language
Describe the zen story of the flower sermon
buddha sits and raises his flower instead of talks
- one disciple smiles: showed that he understood buddha
- lesson: lessons transcend words, words do not constitute transmission
In zen, who was Bodhidharma?
meditation master and founder of zen
- obscure origins
- famed for teachings of meditation
- came to china during emperor Wudi
- promoted Mahayana doctrine and meditation in china
- founder of Shaolin temple and kungfu
What is wall contemplation in zen?
aka biguan
- refers to the qualities of enlightenment: steep, stable and sudden
- sudden enlightenment
- zazen: another form that requires sitting in front of a wall and meditating
What happened during the encounter between emperor wudi and bodhidharma?
encounter = koan
EW: what is the religious merit of all my effort on behalf of buddhism?
BD: none whatsoever
EW: who are you to say such a thing to me
BD: idk
meaning: actions are empty, EW attached to his achievements
BD is empty - attitude that needs to be adopted
What happened during the encounter between Bodhidharma and Huike?
dharma transmission to huike - 1st mind to mind
- requested BD teach him, but was refused” waited outside cave and cut off arm
- BD accepts him as student
another interaction: asked him to pacify anxious mind
- BD: bring it to me
- H: i cannot find it
- BD: there. i have pacified your mind
Who is consider the founder of Rinzai Zen in Japan?
Eisai
ER - Eisai, Rinzai
Describe Eisai’s life
- began as a Tendai monk
- went to China, found that most temples were Chan
- Tried to reform Tendai by promoting zen, met resistance
- banned from Kyoto
- went to kamakura and received full support from the Bakufu (military rule)
- gained clerical position in military gov’t - diff from typical zen (anti-institutional)
Describe Eisai’s “Propagation of Zen for the protection of the state”
- written bc Tendai monks banned Eisai’s teachings
- est. zen as independent institution
- wanted to reaffirm central role of Buddhist ideology as spiritual and moral core of Japan civilization
- wanted to replace Tendai school with zen
describes zen as mind teachings: - external: buddhism related to state, follow precepts
- internal: internal wisdom
What are Eisai’s views of the precepts and morality?
- moral reform: go back to Saicho
- believed monks should observe stricter Hinayana precepts on top to Mahayana
- follows benevolent king sutra, zen only way to practice it
- argues zen was legitimate interpretation of buddhist teachings
- argues japan’s future glory depends on zen
- precepts are basis of awakening: meditation and precepts
What is Buddha? 3 lbs of hemp
Rinzai Zen
- everything is empty, identical = can become buddha
If you meet the buddha, kill the buddha
stop icon/symbol worship, kill external idea
What is buddha? A dried shit stick
distracts people form asking questions so they can focus on the self
Zhaozhou washed the bowl
did you eat the porridge? you should wash the bowl
- monk enlightened - reality is ultimate reality
Original face - show me your original face before your parents were born
language can come up with false things
mind can conceptualize other realities
Zhaozhou’s dog - do dogs have buddha nature?
not! (wu, mu)
also empty - can interpret as yes
Who was founder of the soto zen school in Japan?
Dogen
DS - dogen, soto
Describe Dogen’s life
- son of minor nobility
- parents died when young, learned about impermanence at their funeral
- studies at mt. hiei
- studied with Myozen (essay’s successor) - certified zen master
- studied at Mt. Tiantong (caodong monastery)
- Ruiking taught that meditation is only way towards enlightenment: cast off body and mind
- founded Kosho-ji monastery and Eihei-ji temple (center of soto zen)
What is zazen in Soto zen?
seated meditation
- Dogen wanted to familiarize japanese people with zazen
- believed it was the quintessence of buddhist path
- all other practices were worthless - chanting = frogs croaking
- abandon intellectual exercises, take backwards step and illuminate the self in meditation
What is shikantaza (soto zen)
just sitting
What is satori (“to understand”, Soto zen)?
awakening, deep enlightening
- dogen experienced satori
- sometimes equated to kensho: glimpse of enlightenment
- both equally important
For soto zen, what is the theory of practice (gyoji)?
- dogen: all actions are part of buddha nature but must comprise in perceptual endeavor
- must constantly affirm
- sitting allows us to recognize were surrounded by buddha
- enlightenment is not abstract entity that is sought after
- practice and enlightenment are identical
- enlightenment is an intrinsic part of the means to attainment
- continued practice after attainment viewed as act of gratitude to manifestation or reality
In Soto zen, what is oneness of practice and enlightenment (shusho itto)?
daily life is also zazen
cast off body and mind
