Sitting Zen
Standing Zen
Flowing Zen
Both hands Zen
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What is Zen?
Many people are confused because they are unaware that the term
"Zen" has a few meanings. Basically, the word "Zen"
means meditation. Sometimes it may refer to a transcendental glimpse of
cosmic reality, or even the transcendental reality itself. Often Zen is
used as a short form for Zen Buddhism. The following examples illustrate
the use of "Zen" in these four meanings:
- I sat cross-legged on a hard pillow, closed my eyes gently and practiced
Zen.
- My teacher came in and hit my head to test if I had a Zen
experience.
- I was shocked when he said he did not hit me, but years later I
realized my kind teacher was trying to make me aware that there was
no hitting, and no nothing, in Zen.
- Lacking a deep understanding, many people may think Zen masters
are mad.
Is Zen Japanese?
No, it is universal, irrespective of which meaning of Zen you refer
to. Zen was first transmitted from master to master in India, brought to
China by Bodhidharma, and later spread to Japan and the world. But the
word "Zen", not its meaning or concept, is Japanese. It is
derived from the Chinese word "Chan", which is a short form
for "China", and which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit
word "Dhyana", which means meditation.
Is Zen Buddhist?
If Zen refers to Zen Buddhism, then it is of course Buddhist. But if
Zen refers to cosmic reality, or its glimpse, or meditation to seek this
glimpse, then it can be Buddhist or non- Buddhist. Yogis in India and
Taoists in China had practiced Zen long before Zen Buddhism was
established. Countless people without any religious affiliations have practiced
Zen knowingly or unknowingly for various purposes. Whenever
you closed your eyes to reflect on what you had done, or what you
intended to do, you had, in a way, practiced Zen.
Is Zen a religion?
No, not in the sense the term "religion"" is normally
conceptualized in the West. Even Zen Buddhism is not a
"religion" in the Western sense, especially in the sense that
followers have to accept dogmas and worship God. On the other hand, one
can practice Zen, or even Zen Buddhism, without scarifying his religious
beliefs. It may sound odd, but from the Zen perspective, many pious
Christians and Muslims can be considered pious Zen Buddhists, although
the Christians and Muslims themselves would probably consider such a
suggestion heretical.
What benefits can we achieve by practicing Zen?
We can look at the benefits from two levels: the mundane and the
supramundane. At the mundane level, practicing Zen enables us to attain
better results in whatever we do! This becomes understandable, when we
realize that Zen training improves our mind. At the supramundane level,
Zen leads us to the highest attainment we can ever achieve, i.e.
enlightenment, or called differently by people of different cultural or
religious background as merging into the Great Void, union with the
Ultimate, or return to God.
How do I practice Zen?
There are numerous ways and different approaches. If you wish to
approach Zen casually, one way to add a touch of Zen to enrich your
daily life is to be aware of whatever you are doing at the moment. When
you are reading this line, be aware that you are reading this line,
including its meaning and significance. This may not be as
straightforward as it appears. Some people, for example, may be thinking
of a hundred things other than the meaning of the line they are reading.
Another way is to be simple, direct and effective in whatever you say
and do. If you want to borrow your friend's tennis racket, for example,
ask him politely or in whatever way is appropriate if he can lend you
his racket. It will be unZenlike if you start by saying how pleasant the
weather is, or how nice his shoes are, and drag on for half an hour
before losing track of the tennis racket. If you wish to be more serious
in your approach, but not necessarily without much fun, you may spend
some time daily for meditation, or learn directly from a Zen master.
What is the sound of clapping with one hand?
This is a famous example of a Zen question meant to trigger off a Zen
awakening, or to test if the listener has attained one. Zen questions
are recorded in Zen stories known in Chinese as "gong-ans", or
in Japanese as "koans". The factual answer to a Zen question
is not important. Different people may give the same answer, but their
"same" answer could indicate different levels of attainment.
As a rough analogy, let us say an experienced art teacher wants to teach
his students drawing, or he wants to assess their attainment. He may
ask, "Can you draw an elephant?" He is not interested in
answers like "yes", "no", "I can't draw an
elephant but I can draw a horse", or whatever the students may say.
And it does not matter whether they draw elephants, horses or anything
else. As soon as they start drawing, the teacher has initiated his
teaching, and he can assess their performance.
How is Zen related to Shaolin Kungfu?
Many people, including some Zen students, may be unaware of the
following two historical facts. One, all schools of Zen today issued
from the Shaolin Monastery. Two, Shaolin Kungfu started as a result of
Zen. Shaolin Kungfu and Zen, as well as Chi Kung, are intimately
connected, although some kungfu instructors today may not know this
connection, and therefore teach Shaolin Kungfu as a purely external art,
deprived of its internal and spiritual aspects. At its elementary level,
every kungfu movement involves energy control and mental awareness. At
its advanced level, chi kung and Zen enable kungfu masters to develop
abilities which other martial artists may not even dream of.
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