83-556: In Zen art, an ensō ( 円 相 , "circular form") is a circle hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express the Zen mind, which is associated with enlightenment , emptiness , freedom , and the state of no-mind . The ensō symbolizes absolute enlightenment , strength, elegance, the universe ( Dharmadhatu ), and mu ( emptiness ). It is characterised by a minimalism influenced by Zen Buddhist philosophy, and Japanese aesthetics . An empty circle also appears in
166-689: A commentary on the Damoduoluo Chan Jing and used the Zuochan Sanmei Jing as a source in the writing of this commentary. Tōrei believed that the Damoduoluo Chan Jing had been authored by Bodhidharma . While dhyāna in a strict sense refers to the classic four dhyānas , in Chinese Buddhism , chán may refer to various kinds of meditation techniques and their preparatory practices, which are necessary to practice dhyāna . The five main types of meditation in
249-414: A false notion of duality between "experiencer" and "experienced", where-as the essence of kensho is the realisation of the "non-duality" of observer and observed. "Pure experience" does not exist; all experience is mediated by intellectual and cognitive activity. The specific teachings and practices of a specific tradition may even determine what "experience" someone has, which means that this "experience"
332-623: A kōan, practitioners are also expected to demonstrate their spiritual understanding through their responses. The teacher may approve or disapprove of the answer based on their behavior, and guide the student in the right direction. According to Hori, the traditional Japanese Rinzai koan curriculum can take 15 years to complete for a full-time monk. The interaction with a teacher is often presented as central in Zen, but also makes Zen practice vulnerable to misunderstanding and exploitation. Kōan-inquiry may be practiced during zazen (sitting meditation) , kinhin (walking meditation), and throughout all
415-467: A laugh from Hakuin. "A much better reason than mine", he said. Although the Zen tradition is reluctant to speak openly about the 'experience' of kensho, personal accounts can be found in Zen texts. Keido Fukushima, a 20th-century Rinzai abbott, gives the following description: At Nanzenji there is a small hill. I used to walk near there, look at it, and often smile at the high school students who walked by there as well. One day as I walked by, I looked at
498-591: A layperson as a formal Buddhist. Kensh%C5%8D The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Kenshō ( Rōmaji ; Japanese and classical Chinese : 見性, Pinyin : jianxing , Sanskrit : dṛṣṭi- svabhāva ) is an East Asian Buddhist term from
581-434: A meditator to the buddha-mind within. Modern scholars like Robert Sharf argue that early Chan, while having unique teachings and myths, also made use of classic Buddhist meditation methods, and this is why it is hard to find many uniquely "Chan" meditation instructions in some of the earliest sources. However, Sharf also notes there was a unique kind of Chan meditation taught in some early sources which also tend to deprecate
664-465: A mountain alone. I knew nothing about meditation or spiritual practice. I was just sitting there, thinking about my life and the things going on. I felt I had gotten pretty screwed up for such a young age. I could see my VW camper, my home for the weekend, parked a few miles away. But at the same time, I was aware that my home was back in Long Beach, California. And a natural koan came to me: Where
747-405: A self-centered rascal, aren't you!" Not until eighteen years later, upon attainment of his final great enlightenment at the age of forty-one, would Hakuin fully grasp the significance of Shoju's reproach and with it the true meaning of "post-satori" practice. Years later, when Hakuin asked his student Tōrei the same question, Tōrei's answer – "To work for the salvation of my fellow beings" – brought
830-469: A sitting position such as the lotus position , half-lotus , Burmese , or seiza . Their hands often placed in a specific gesture or mudrā . Often, a square or round cushion placed on a padded mat is used to sit on; in some other cases, a chair may be used. To regulate the mind, Zen students are often directed towards counting breaths . Either both exhalations and inhalations are counted, or one of them only. The count can be up to ten, and then this process
913-581: A spontaneous kensho when he was 13. Dennis Genpo Merzel states he had what he described as an "awakening experience" in 1971: It was in February of that year, and I was 26 years old. My second serious relationship was ending, and I was feeling very confined and conflicted. I needed to get some space, so I went out to the Mojave desert for a three-day camping weekend with two friends. On the Friday, I hiked up
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#1732798345252996-523: A sudden blinding flash of light, as a great feeling of bliss, as a sudden ecstasy, in short, as some sort of experience? Is it an ‘experience’ that we come to in zazen? [...] People tend to hanker after experiences in meditation, the more psychedelic the better. ‘Having an experience’ is no big deal; a hard thump on the head, a dose of drugs, asphyxiation or deprivation of oxygen, autosuggestion or hypnosis can give you great ‘experiences’. Sometimes, people talk glibly of having had ‘an experience of Emptiness’. But
1079-712: A view called "mind-only Pure Land" (wei-hsin ching-t’u), which held that the Buddha and the Pure Land are just mind. The practice of nianfo, as well as its adaptation into the " nembutsu kōan " is a major practice in the Japanese Ōbaku school of Zen. The recitation of a Buddha's name was also practiced in the Soto school at different times throughout its history. During the Meiji period for example, both Shaka nembutsu (reciting
1162-500: Is "without steps or gradations. One concentrates, understands, and is enlightened, all in one undifferentiated practice." Zen sources also use the term " tracing back the radiance " or "turning one's light around" (Ch. fǎn zhào, 返照) to describe seeing the inherent radiant source of the mind itself, the "numinous awareness", luminosity , or buddha-nature. The Platform Sutra mentions this term and connects it with seeing one's "original face". The Record of Linji states that all that
1245-420: Is a non-dual "objectless" meditation, involving "withdrawal from exclusive focus on a particular sensory or mental object." This practice allows the meditator to be aware of "all phenomena as a unified totality," without any conceptualizing , grasping , goal seeking , or subject-object duality . According to Leighton , this method "rests on the faith, verified in experience, that the field of vast brightness
1328-902: Is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as the Chan School (禪宗, chánzōng , "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗 , fóxīnzōng ), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was influenced by Taoism , especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed as a distinguished school of Chinese Buddhism . From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền , northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism , and east to Japan , becoming Japanese Zen . Zen emphasizes meditation practice , direct insight into one's own Buddha nature (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kenshō ), and
1411-543: Is a butcher or not, if one sees one's true nature, then one will not be affected by karma . The Bloodstream Sermon also rejects worshiping of buddhas and bodhisattvas, stating that "Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don't know, and those who know don't worship." Similarly, in the Lidai Fabao Ji , Wuzhu states that "No-thought
1494-557: Is a central part of Zen Buddhism. The practice of Buddhist meditation originated in India and first entered China through the translations of An Shigao (fl. c. 148–180 CE), and Kumārajīva (334–413 CE). Both of these figures translated various Dhyāna sutras . These were influential meditation texts which were mostly based on the meditation teachings of the Kashmiri Sarvāstivāda school (circa 1st–4th centuries CE). Among
1577-642: Is also taught in Shenxiu's Kuan-hsin lun (觀心論). Likewise, the Ch’uan fa-pao chi (傳法寶紀, Taisho # 2838, ca. 713), one of the earliest Chan histories, shows this practice was widespread in the early Chan generation of Hung-jen , Fa-ju and Ta-tung who are said to have "invoked the name of the Buddha so as to purify the mind." Evidence for the practice of nianfo chan can also be found in Changlu Zongze 's (died c. 1107) Chanyuan qinggui (The Rules of Purity in
1660-705: Is an initial insight or sudden awakening , not full Buddhahood. It is to be followed by further training which deepens this insight, allows one to learn to express it in daily life and gradually removes the remaining defilements . The Japanese term kenshō is often used interchangeably with satori , which is derived from the verb satoru , and means "comprehension; understanding". The Chinese Buddhist term jianxing ( simplified Chinese : 见性 ; traditional Chinese : 見性 ; pinyin : jiànxìng ; Wade–Giles : chien-hsing ) compounds : Buddhist monks who produced Sanskrit-Chinese translations of sutras faced many linguistic difficulties: Thus, jianxing
1743-399: Is based on a feeling of the infinite. The notion of "religious experience" was used by Schleiermacher to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular critique. It was adopted by many scholars of religion, of which William James was the most influential. D.T. Suzuki , who introduced Nishida Kitaro to western philosophy, took over this notion of pure experience , describing it as
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#17327983452521826-762: Is called hitsuzendō . Ensō exemplifies the various dimensions of the Japanese wabi-sabi perspective and aesthetic: fukinsei (asymmetry, irregularity), kanso (simplicity), koko (basic; weathered), shizen (without pretense; natural), yugen (subtly profound grace), datsuzoku (freedom), and seijaku (tranquility). Zen The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Zen (Japanese; from Chinese: Chán ; in Korean: Sŏn , and Vietnamese: Thiền )
1909-465: Is discussed in the works of the Japanese Sōtō Zen thinker Dōgen , especially in his Shōbōgenzō and his Fukanzazengi . For Dōgen, shikantaza is characterized by hishiryō ("non-thinking", "without thinking", "beyond thinking"), which according to Kasulis is "a state of no-mind in which one is simply aware of things as they are, beyond thinking and not-thinking". While the Japanese and
1992-689: Is found in early Zen sources like the Treatise on No Mind ( Wuxin lun ) and the Platform Sutra . These sources tend to emphasize emptiness , negation, and absence (wusuo 無所) as the main theme of contemplation. These two contemplative themes (the buddha mind and no-mind, positive and the negative rhetoric) continued to shape the development of Zen theory and practice throughout its history. Later Chinese Chan Buddhists developed their own meditation ("chan") manuals which taught their unique method of direct and sudden contemplation. The earliest of these
2075-530: Is found in the Record of Linji which states: "Followers of the Way, as to buddhadharma, no effort is necessary. You have only to be ordinary, with nothing to do—defecating, urinating, wearing clothes, eating food, and lying down when tired." Similarly, some Zen sources also emphasize non-action or having no concerns (wu-shih 無事). For example, Chan master Huangbo states that nothing compares with non-seeking, describing
2158-531: Is measured by specific and strict cultural norms. Emphasising "experience" "reduces the sophisticated dialectic of Ch'an/Zen doctrine and praxis to a mere "means" or set of techniques intended to inculcate such experiences". Classical Zen texts, such as the Kao-seng-chuan (Biographies of Eminent Monks) and the transmission lists, called "Transmission of the Lamp" the yü-lü genre (the recorded sayings of
2241-461: Is needed to obtain the Dharma is to "turn your own light in upon yourselves and never seek elsewhere". The Japanese Zen master Dōgen describes it as follows: “You should stop the intellectual practice of pursuing words and learn the ‘stepping back’ of ‘turning the light around and shining back’ (Jp: ekō henshō); mind and body will naturally ‘drop off,’ and the ‘original face’ will appear.” Similarly,
2324-465: Is none other than seeing the Buddha" and rejects the practice of worship and recitation. Most famously, the Record of Linji has the master state that "if you meet a buddha, kill the buddha" (as well as patriarchs, arhats, parents, and kinfolk), further claiming that through this "you will gain emancipation, will not be entangled with things." During sitting meditation (坐禅, Ch. zuòchán, Jp. zazen , Ko. jwaseon ), practitioners usually assume
2407-517: Is not produced, what need is there for cross-legged sitting dhyana?" Similarly, the Platform Sutra criticizes the practice of sitting samādhi: “One is enlightened to the Way through the mind. How could it depend on sitting?", while Shenhui's four pronouncements criticize the "freezing", "stopping", "activating", and "concentrating" of the mind. Zen sources which focus on the sudden teaching can sometimes be quite radical in their rejection of
2490-404: Is not the proof of the teaching, but a result of the teaching. A pure consciousness without concepts, reached by "cleaning the doors of perception" , would be an overwhelming chaos of sensory input without coherence. Ama Samy describes the notion of kensho-experience or awakening-experience as inherently dualistic and misguided: How is this [awakening] offered to us? Does it come to us as
2573-445: Is ours from the outset." This "vast luminous buddha field" is our immanent "inalienable endowment of wisdom" which cannot be cultivated or enhanced. Instead, one just has to recognize this radiant clarity without any interference. A similar practice is taught in the major schools of Japanese Zen , but is especially emphasized by Sōtō , where it is more widely known as Shikantaza (Ch. zhǐguǎn dǎzuò, "Just sitting") . This method
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2656-491: Is repeated until the mind is calmed. Zen teachers like Omori Sogen teach a series of long and deep exhalations and inhalations as a way to prepare for regular breath meditation. Attention is often placed on the energy center ( dantian ) below the navel. Zen teachers often promote diaphragmatic breathing , stating that the breath must come from the lower abdomen (known as hara or tanden in Japanese), and that this part of
2739-428: Is the formal and ceremonial taking of refuge in the three jewels , bodhisattva vows and precepts . Various sets of precepts are taken in Zen including the five precepts , "ten essential precepts" , and the sixteen bodhisattva precepts . This is commonly done in an initiation ritual ( Ch . shòu jiè , Jp . Jukai , Ko . sugye, "receiving the precepts" ) , which is also undertaken by lay followers and marks
2822-513: Is the widely imitated and influential Zuòchán Yí (c. turn of the 12th century), which recommends a simple contemplative practice which is said to lead to the discovery of inherent wisdom already present in the mind. This work also shows the influence of the earlier meditation manuals composed by Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi . However, other Zen sources de-emphasize traditional practices like sitting meditation, and instead focus on effortlessness and on ordinary daily activities. One example of this
2905-445: The sōsho (cursive) style of Japanese calligraphy, the brushstroke is especially swift. Once the ensō is drawn, one does not change it. It evidences the character of its creator and the context of its creation in a brief, continuous period. Drawing ensō is a spiritual practice that one might perform as often as once per day. This spiritual practice of drawing ensō or writing Japanese calligraphy for self-realization
2988-474: The Platform Sutra and the works of Shenhui criticize traditional meditation methods of concentration and mindfulness as not necessary and instead promote a more direct and sudden method. For example, the Bodhidharma Anthology states: "The man of sharp abilities hears of the path without producing a covetous mind. He does not even produce right mindfulness and right reflection" and "If mind
3071-565: The Caodong school of Chinese Chan and is associated with Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091—1157) who wrote various works on the practice. This method derives from the Indian Buddhist practice of the union ( Skt. yuganaddha ) of śamatha and vipaśyanā . Hongzhi's practice of silent illumination does not depend on concentration on particular objects, "such as visual images, sounds, breathing, concepts, stories, or deities." Instead, it
3154-514: The Chan / Zen tradition which means "seeing" or "perceiving" ( 見 ) "nature" or "essence" ( 性 ), or 'true face'. It is usually translated as "seeing one's [true] nature," with "nature" referring to buddha-nature , ultimate reality , the Dharmadhatu . The term appears in one of the classic slogans which define Chan Buddhism: to see oneʼs own nature and accomplish Buddhahood (見性成佛). Kenshō
3237-456: The Dhyāna sutras are ānāpānasmṛti (mindfulness of breathing); paṭikūlamanasikāra meditation (mindfulness of the impurities of the body); maitrī meditation (loving-kindness); the contemplation on the twelve links of pratītyasamutpāda ; and contemplation on the Buddha . According to the modern Chan master Sheng Yen , these practices are termed the "five methods for stilling or pacifying
3320-565: The Middle Chinese word 禪 ( Middle Chinese : [dʑian]; pinyin : Chán ), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna (ध्यान), which can be approximately translated as "contemplation", "absorption", or " meditative state ". The actual Chinese term for the "Zen school" is 禪宗 ( pinyin : Chánzōng ), while "Chan" just refers to the practice of meditation itself ( Chinese : 習禪 ; pinyin : xíchán ) or
3403-624: The Sandai sōron . Dōgen Zenji 's awakening is recalled in the Denkoroku: Once, during late-night zazen, Rujing told the monks, "Studying Zen is the dropping off of body and mind." Hearing this, the master was suddenly greatly awakened. He went at once to the Abbott's room and burned incense. Rujing asked him, "Why are you burning incense?" The master answered, "Body and mind have dropped off." Rujing said, "Body and mind have dropped off,
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3486-578: The Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind , which depicts the teachings of the 7th-century East Mountain school , teaches a visualization of a sun disk, similar to that taught in the Contemplation Sutra . According to Charles Luk , there was no single fixed method in early Chan (Zen). All the various Buddhist meditation methods were simply skillful means which could lead
3569-801: The nature of mind , the perceiving subject itself, which was equated with Buddha-nature by the East Mountain school. Contemporary understanding also describes kensho as an experience , as in "enlightenment experience"; the term "enlightenment experience" is itself a tautology : "Kensho (enlightenment) is an enlightenment (kensho)-experience". The notion of "experience" fits in a popular set of dichotomies: pure (unmediated) versus mediated, noncognitive versus cognitive, experiential versus intellectual, intuitive versus intellectual, nonrational versus rational, nondiscursive versus discursive, nonpropositional versus propositional. The notion of pure experience ( junsui kuiken ) to interpret and understand kensho
3652-416: The ten oxherding pictures which is a set of illustrations that depict Zen training. Drawing ensō is a disciplined-creative practice of Japanese ink painting, sumi-e . The tools and mechanics of drawing the ensō are the same as those used in traditional Japanese calligraphy : One uses an ink brush to apply ink to washi (a thin Japanese paper). The circle may be open or closed. In
3735-518: The "Transmission of the Lamp" genre. It contains literary accounts of the patriarchs of the Soto-lineage, from Shakyamuni Buddha to Koun Ejō , in which kensho plays a central role. They are not to be taken as literal accounts of awakening, but as stories underpinning the legitimacy of the Dogen-shu , which in its early history had seen a fierce internal conflict over the correct lineage during
3818-486: The "first explicit statement of the sudden and direct approach that was to become the hallmark of Ch'an religious practice" is associated with the East Mountain School . It is a method named "maintaining the one without wavering" (守一不移, shǒu yī bù yí), the one being the true nature of mind or Suchness , which is equated with buddha-nature. Sharf writes that in this practice, one turns the attention from
3901-563: The Buddha's name, in most cases the Buddha Amitabha . In Chinese Chan, the Pure Land practice of nianfo based on the phrase Nāmó Āmítuófó (Homage to Amitabha) is a widely practiced form of Zen meditation which came to be known as "Nianfo Chan" (念佛禪). Nianfo was practiced and taught by early Chan masters, like Daoxin (580-651), who taught that one should "bind the mind to one buddha and exclusively invoke his name". The practice
3984-636: The Buddha-body, "an embodiment of awakened activity." "Zen" is traditionally a proper noun as it usually describes a particular Buddhist sect. In more recent times, the lowercase "zen" is used when discussing a worldview or attitude that is "peaceful and calm". It was officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018. The practice of meditation (Ch: chán, Skt: dhyāna ), especially sitting meditation (坐禪, pinyin : zuòchán , Japanese : ざぜん , romanized : zazen )
4067-551: The Chan Monastery), perhaps the most influential Ch’an monastic code in East Asia. Nianfo continued to be taught as a form of Chan meditation by later Chinese figures such as Yongming Yanshou , Zhongfen Mingben , and Tianru Weize . During the late Ming , the tradition of Nianfo Chan meditation was continued by figures such as Yunqi Zhuhong and Hanshan Deqing . Chan figures like Yongming Yanshou generally advocated
4150-508: The Chinese forms of these simple methods are similar, they are considered distinct approaches. During the Song dynasty , gōng'àn ( Jp. kōan ) literature became popular. Literally meaning "public case", they were stories or dialogues describing teachings and interactions between Zen masters and their students. Kōans are meant to illustrate Zen's non-conceptual insight ( prajña ). During
4233-645: The Korean Seon master Yŏndam Yuil states: "to use one's own mind to trace the radiance back to the numinous awareness of one's own mind...It is like seeing the radiance of the sun's rays and following it back until you see the orb of the sun itself." Sharf also notes that the early notion of contemplating a pure Buddha "Mind" was tempered and balanced by other Zen sources with terms like " no-mind " (wuxin), and "no-mindfulness" (wunien), to avoid any metaphysical reification of mind, and any clinging to mind or language. This kind of negative Madhyamaka style dialectic
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#17327983452524316-615: The Mahayana teachings on the bodhisattva , Yogachara and Tathāgatagarbha texts (like the Laṅkāvatāra ), and the Huayan school . The Prajñāpāramitā literature, as well as Madhyamaka thought, have also been influential in the shaping of the apophatic and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetoric . The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation ( kana : ぜん) of
4399-678: The Song, a new meditation method was developed by Linji school figures such as Dahui (1089–1163) called kanhua chan ("observing the phrase" meditation) which referred to contemplation on a single word or phrase (called the huatou , "critical phrase") of a gōng'àn . Dahui famously criticised Caodong's "silent illumination." While the two methods of Caodong and Linji are sometimes seen as competing with each other, Schlütter writes that Dahui himself "did not completely condemn quiet-sitting; in fact, he seems to have recommended it, at least to his monastic disciples." In Chinese Chan and Korean Seon ,
4482-418: The Zen adept as follows: "the person of the Way is the one who has nothing to do [wu-shih], who has no mind at all and no doctrine to preach. Having nothing to do, such a person lives at ease." Likewise, John McRae notes that a major development in early Ch'an was the rejection of traditional meditation techniques in favor of a uniquely Zen direct approach. Early Chan sources like the Bodhidharma Anthology,
4565-427: The activities of daily life. The goal of the practice is often termed kensho (seeing one's true nature), and is to be followed by further practice to attain a natural, effortless, down-to-earth state of being, the "ultimate liberation", "knowing without any kind of defilement". This style of kōan practice is particularly emphasized in modern Rinzai , but it also occurs in other schools or branches of Zen depending on
4648-423: The body should expand forward slightly as one breathes. Over time the breathing should become smoother, deeper and slower. When the counting becomes an encumbrance, the practice of simply following the natural rhythm of breathing with concentrated attention is recommended. A common form of sitting meditation is called "Silent illumination" (Ch. mòzhào, Jp . mokushō ). This practice was traditionally promoted by
4731-420: The dropped-off body and mind." The master said, "This is a temporarily ability; you must not approve me without reason." Rujing replied, "I am not approving you without reason." The master asked, "Why are you not approving me without reason?" Rujing said, "You dropped off body and mind." The master bowed. Rujing said, "You have dropped off dropping off." Hakuin gives this description of his first kensho, when he
4814-496: The essence of all religions, but best represented in what he considered the "superior Japanese culture and religion" . The influence of western psychology and philosophy on Japanese Buddhism was due to the persecution of Buddhism at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration , and the subsequent efforts to construct a New Buddhism ( shin bukkyo ), adapted to the modern times. It was this New Buddhism which has shaped
4897-406: The former case, the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development and the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi-sabi , the beauty of imperfection. The space inside the circle may represent the state of the realization of emptiness ( shunyata ) or no-mind . Usually, a person draws the ensō in one fluid, expressive stroke. When drawn according to
4980-409: The hill and it was truly amazing. I was totally lost as if there was no 'me'. I stood gazing at the hill. Some students walked by and one of them said something like 'look at that crazy monk'. Finally I came out of it. Life was never the same for me. I was free. Kenshō may be attained without the aid of a teacher. For example, Richard Clarke (1933), who studied with Philip Kapleau , states that he had
5063-644: The importance of traditional Buddhist ideas and practices. The Record of the Dharma-Jewel Through the Ages ( Lidai Fabao Ji ) for example states "better that one should destroy śīla [ethics], and not destroy true seeing. Śīla [causes] rebirth in Heaven, adding more [karmic] bonds, while true seeing attains nirvāṇa." Similarly the Bloodstream Sermon states that it doesn't matter whether one
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#17327983452525146-545: The koan's question constantly. They are also advised not to attempt to answer it intellectually, since the goal of the practice is a non-conceptual insight into non-duality. The Zen student's mastery of a given kōan is presented to the teacher in a private interview (referred to in Japanese as dokusan , daisan , or sanzen ). The process includes standardized answers, "checking questions" ( sassho ) and common sets of "capping phrase" ( jakugo ) poetry, all which must be memorized by students. While there are standardized answers to
5229-409: The kōan method as hopelessly contrived. Similarly, the Song era master Foyan Qingyuan (1067-1120) rejected the use of koans (public cases) and similar stories, arguing that they did not exist during the time of Bodhidharma and that the true koan is "what is presently coming into being." Nianfo (Jp. nembutsu, from Skt. buddhānusmṛti "recollection of the Buddha") refers to the recitation of
5312-567: The masters, such as the Línjì yǔlù ); and the various koan-collections, contain accounts of "enlightenment experiences". These accounts are not verbatim recordings of such "experiences", but well-edited texts, written down decades after the supposed sayings and meetings. The Denkōroku , "The Record of the Transmission of the Light", written by Keizan Jōkin 瑩山紹瑾 (1268–1325), is an example of
5395-501: The mind" and serve to focus and purify the mind, and support the development of the stages of dhyana . Chan Buddhists may also use other classic Buddhist practices like the four foundations of mindfulness and the Three Gates of Liberation ( emptiness or śūnyatā , signlessness or animitta , and wishlessness or apraṇihita ). Early Chan texts also teach forms of meditation that are unique to Mahāyāna Buddhism. For example,
5478-502: The most influential early Chinese meditation texts are the Anban Shouyi Jing (安般守意經, Sutra on ānāpānasmṛti ), the Zuochan Sanmei Jing (坐禪三昧經，Sutra of sitting dhyāna samādhi ) and the Damoduoluo Chan Jing (達摩多羅禪經, Dharmatrata dhyāna sutra) . These early Chinese meditation works continued to exert influence on Zen practice well into the modern era. For example, the 18th century Rinzai Zen master Tōrei Enji wrote
5561-518: The name of Shakyamuni Buddha: namu Shakamuni Butsu ) and Amida nembutsu were promoted by Soto school priests as easy practices for laypersons. Nianfo chan is also widely practiced in Vietnamese Thien . Since Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism , it is grounded on the schema of the bodhisattva path, which is based on the practice of the "transcendent virtues" or "perfections" ( Skt . pāramitā , Ch. bōluómì , Jp. baramitsu ) as well as
5644-467: The objects of experience to "the nature of conscious awareness itself", the innately pure buddha-nature , which was compared to a clear mirror or to the sun (which is always shining but may be covered by clouds). This type of meditation is based on classic Mahāyāna ideas which are not uniquely "Chan", but according to McRae it differs from traditional practice in that "no preparatory requirements, no moral prerequisites or preliminary exercises are given," and
5727-674: The personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others . Some Zen sources de-emphasize doctrinal study and traditional practices, favoring direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a master (Jp: rōshi , Ch: shīfu ) who may be depicted as an iconoclastic and unconventional figure. In spite of this, most Zen schools also promote traditional Buddhist practices like chanting, precepts , rituals, monasticism and scriptural study. With an emphasis on Buddha-nature thought, intrinsic enlightenment and sudden awakening , Zen teaching draws from numerous Buddhist sources, including Sarvāstivāda meditation,
5810-468: The point we concern ourselves with is: who was there to have it? Daoxin remarks on the experience of "seeing emptiness ": The practice of bodhisattvas has emptiness as its realization: when beginning students see emptiness, this is seeing emptiness, it is not real emptiness. Those who cultivate the Way and attain real emptiness do not see emptiness or nonemptiness; they have no views. The notion of "experience" also over-emphasises kensho, as if it were
5893-621: The practice of "observing the huatou " ( hwadu in Korean) is a widely practiced method. It was taught by Seon masters like Chinul (1158–1210) and Seongcheol (1912–1993), and modern Chinese masters like Sheng Yen and Xuyun . In the Japanese Rinzai school, kōan introspection developed its own formalized style, with a standardized curriculum of kōans , which must be studied, meditated on and "passed" in sequence. Monks are instructed to "become one" with their koan by repeating
5976-465: The same 'thing' is known, but in different degrees of clarity and profundity. "Kenshō" is commonly translated as enlightenment , a word that is also used to translate bodhi , prajna , satori and buddhahood . Western discourse tends to use these terms interchangeably, but there is a distinction between a first insight and the further development toward Buddhahood. Kensho is insight, an understanding of our essential nature as Buddha-nature , or
6059-590: The single goal of Zen-training, where-as the Zen-tradition clearly states that "the stink of Zen" has to be removed and the "experience" of kensho has to be integrated into daily life. In the Rinzai-school this post-satori training includes the study and mastering of great amounts of classical Chinese poetry, which is far from "universal" and culture-transcending. On the contrary, it demands an education in culture-specific language and behaviour, which
6142-502: The study of meditation ( Chinese : 禪學 ; pinyin : chánxué ) though it is often used as an abbreviated form of Chánzong . Zen is also called 佛心宗, fóxīnzōng (Chinese) or busshin-shū (Japanese), the "Buddha-mind school," from fó-xīn , "Buddha-mind"; "this term can refer either to the (or a) Buddha's compassionate and enlightened mind , or to the originally clear and pure mind inherent in all beings to which they must awaken." Busshin may also refer to Buddhakaya ,
6225-686: The taking of the bodhisattva vows . The most widely used list of six virtues is: generosity , moral training (incl. five precepts ), patient endurance , energy or effort , meditation ( dhyana ), wisdom . An important source for these teachings is the Avatamsaka sutra , which also outlines the grounds ( bhumis ) or levels of the bodhisattva path. The pāramitās are mentioned in early Chan works such as Bodhidharma 's Two entrances and four practices and are seen as an important part of gradual cultivation ( jianxiu ) by later Chan figures like Zongmi . An important element of this practice
6308-459: The teaching line. In the Caodong and Soto traditions, koans were studied and commented on, for example Hongzhi published a collection of koans and Dogen discussed koans extensively. However, they were not traditionally used in sitting meditation. Some Zen masters have also critiqued the practice of using koans for meditation. According to Haskel, Bankei called kōans "old wastepaper" and saw
6391-432: The term kenshō refers to the realization of non-duality of subject and object in general, but the term kenshō may also be applied in other contexts: "How do you kenshō this?" Kenshō is not a single experience, but refers to a whole series of realizations from a beginner's shallow glimpse of the nature of mind, up to a vision of emptiness equivalent to the 'Path of Seeing' or to Buddhahood itself. In all of these,
6474-451: The traditional Buddhist meditations. This uniquely Zen approach goes by various names like “maintaining mind” (shouxin 守心), “maintaining unity” (shouyi 守一), “pacifying the mind” (anxin 安心), “discerning the mind” (guanxin 觀心), and “viewing the mind” (kanxin 看心). A traditional phrase that describes this practice states that "Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas." According to McRae
6557-537: The understanding of Zen in the west , especially through the writings of D.T. Suzuki and the Sanbo Kyodan , an exponent of the Meiji-era opening of Zen-training for lay-followers. The notion of "experience" has been criticised. Robert Sharf points out that "experience" is a typical western term, which has found its way into Asian religiosity via western influences. The notion of "experience" introduces
6640-404: Was 21: At around midnight on the seventh and final night of my practice, the boom of a bell from a distant temple reached my ears: suddenly, my body and mind dropped completely away. I rose clear of even the finest dust. Overwhelmed with joy, I hollered out at the top of my lungs, "Old Yen-t'ou is alive and well! [...] After that, however, I became extremely proud and arrogant". Hakuin's kensho
6723-505: Was introduced by Nishida Kitaro in his An Inquiry into the Good (1911), under influence of "his somewhat idiosyncratic reading of western philosophy", especially William James , who wrote The Varieties of Religious Experience . Wayne Proudfoot traces the roots of the notion of "religious experience" to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1834), who argued that religion
6806-400: Was not approved by Shoju Rojin, who subjected Hakuin to more koan-training. This resulted in a second kensho, where-after Hakuin left Shoju Rojin. It was only when he was 41 that he attained "his final great enlightenment": [W]hen Shoju had asked his reason for becoming a monk, his reply – that he had done it because he was afraid of falling into hell – had brought the scornful retort: "You're
6889-680: Was the translation for dṛṣṭi-svabhāva , to "view one's essential nature". The term is found in the Chinese Platform Sutra (c. 8th century; 2, Prajñā "wisdom, understanding"). The Standard Chinese pronunciation jianxing historically derives from (c. 7th century CE) Middle Chinese kien sjäŋ . Sino-Xenic pronunciations of this term exist: Translating kenshō into English is semantically complex. Some encyclopedia and dictionary definitions are: Buddhist scholars have defined kenshō as: Buddhist teachers and practitioners have defined kenshō as: According to Hori,
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