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An Introduction to Zen Buddhism
The highly influential book that helped bring Eastern spiritual principles to the Western world. ? One of the worlds leading authorities on Zen Buddhism, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, D.?T. Suzuki was the author of more than a hundred works on the subject in both Japanese and English, and was most instrumental in bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. ? Written in a lively, accessible, and straightforward manner, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is illuminating for the serious student and layperson alike. Suzuki provides a complete vision of Zen, which emphasizes self-understanding and enlightenment through many systems of philosophy, psychology, and ethics. With a foreword by the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung, this volume has been acknowledged a classic introduction to the subject. It provides, along with Suzukis Essays in Zen Buddhism and Manual of Zen Buddhism, a framework for living a balanced and fulfilled existence through Zen.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1934
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8043 people want to read
About the author
D.T. Suzuki
314?books436?followersDaisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (ľ ̫ؑ Suzuki Daisetsu Teitar; rendered "Daisetz" after 1893) was Professor of Buddhist philosophies at ?tani University. As a translator and writer on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, he greatly helped to popularize Japanese Zen in the West.
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January 10, 2018
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November 1, 2016
For a Westerner's view of Buddhism, read Alan Watts or Eugen Herrigel; for an Easterner's view (in English, of course), read D. T. Suzuki.
Some other reviewers are saying it's a difficult read. It is, at least to the Western, logic-based mind. Suzuki even says in this book that the book is "a condescension, an apology, a compromise, that this present work has been written.." It is expressly said multiple times in the book that it will not bring you to enlightenment or most likely even to the concept of satori. All teaching is treated as "a finger pointing to the moon is not the moon itself", in other words, all words in the book and in any Zen-related book anywhere are anathema to the realization of Zen, yet they are necessary because language and writing are how we communicate ideas to one another.
The book, in the true spirit of Zen, treats even ideas as stumbling blocks on the path to enlightenment, but again, they are necessary as 'moon-pointing fingers'. If you have an interest in Zen or maybe just the deliciously anti-European 'philosophy' (for lack of a better word to convey a way that is so clearly anti-philosophical), read this book.
Confusing? Absolutely. Any book on Zen had better be! It is a rejection, or rather a replacement, of all things Western, logical, intellectual, and so on. But most importantly- Suzuki is well acquainted with the traps that will naturally befall any logical mind as it reads through this book and he does a fantastic job walking one through it. After having finished this book, I'm amazed he even attempted to write it, let alone the literal volumes of other words he has done, which I am dying to start. It' like trying to describe blue to a blind person or the sound of a violin to a deaf person, and this attitude of anxious communication, that he desperately wants to properly convey something so fundamentally incommunicable to the reader bleeds through the pages and helps reinforce and motivate what some might otherwise find twisting and convoluted.
Finally, it does what it says on the label: it's an introduction to Zen Buddhism.
Some other reviewers are saying it's a difficult read. It is, at least to the Western, logic-based mind. Suzuki even says in this book that the book is "a condescension, an apology, a compromise, that this present work has been written.." It is expressly said multiple times in the book that it will not bring you to enlightenment or most likely even to the concept of satori. All teaching is treated as "a finger pointing to the moon is not the moon itself", in other words, all words in the book and in any Zen-related book anywhere are anathema to the realization of Zen, yet they are necessary because language and writing are how we communicate ideas to one another.
The book, in the true spirit of Zen, treats even ideas as stumbling blocks on the path to enlightenment, but again, they are necessary as 'moon-pointing fingers'. If you have an interest in Zen or maybe just the deliciously anti-European 'philosophy' (for lack of a better word to convey a way that is so clearly anti-philosophical), read this book.
Confusing? Absolutely. Any book on Zen had better be! It is a rejection, or rather a replacement, of all things Western, logical, intellectual, and so on. But most importantly- Suzuki is well acquainted with the traps that will naturally befall any logical mind as it reads through this book and he does a fantastic job walking one through it. After having finished this book, I'm amazed he even attempted to write it, let alone the literal volumes of other words he has done, which I am dying to start. It' like trying to describe blue to a blind person or the sound of a violin to a deaf person, and this attitude of anxious communication, that he desperately wants to properly convey something so fundamentally incommunicable to the reader bleeds through the pages and helps reinforce and motivate what some might otherwise find twisting and convoluted.
Finally, it does what it says on the label: it's an introduction to Zen Buddhism.
Read
September 14, 2020It is useful to know when you are in a concert hall and the desperate cry goes out " is there a pianist in the house" that there is one piece of piano music that we can all play, or perhaps better said that we can all not play, but which we can perform and so save the concert from being abandoned.
And John Cage and his 4'33" came to mind several times reading here of Zen masters whose greatest sermons consisted of them standing up, holding out their arms, and saying nothing. Since this book was first published in 1949, perhaps that similarity is not accidental. C.G. Jung, who wrote an introduction to this book, was a great fan of synchronicity, while Zen's satori seems to be the awakening of the mind to the interconnectedness or fundamental indivisibility of things, in which case synchronicity would be a basic fact of life rather than something to be perceived as weird and unusual.
Jung's introduction has an amusing beginning - he tells us that Zen is probably near impossible for the 'western' mind to grasp. In which case it was a pointless effort of Suzuki to write a book. Luckily for us he may have only read the introduction after he had written book, had he read that first then he might have given up on the entire process altogether.
The drive of Suzuki's narrative is that Zen is empirical and experiential, it cannot really be communicated in words it can only be taught by putting through students through a process which may result in satori - a state which cannot really be explained or communicated to others, except possibly through poetry .
Anyway here I am rambling on...the book again reminded me of my basic concern about Zen - you have to have faith that the outcome will be good. Suzuki suggests the enlightened person will jump into water to save a child, fine I am happy with that, but his examples of Zen masters include stories of them beating students with sticks, twisting their noses, cutting off a finger, and killing a cat as part of the learning experience. Those may be metaphors or stories, but it still suggests to me that for them suffering (specifically the suffering of others) is acceptable in pursuit of a greater good. In the examples given the guy who looses a finger achieves enlightenment and presumably regarded it as an acceptable trade off, the cat though, I imagine, was less satisfied. Here I recall the concept of dependant origination and Japan's history in the first half of the twentieth century which featured various examples of the cultural acceptability of the suffering of others in pursuit of a greater good, but this was not unique, indeed it was fairly typical of self-important states in modern times and typically they all had their ideological frameworks which completely unexpectedly supported their self interest.
It was strange for me as non-Zen Buddhism is mostly ethics, perhaps Zen is too, but Suzuki does not mention it.
The purity of mind achieved under Zen that Suzuki describes reminds me of certain ancient Greek stories: There is no wind for my ships to sail to Troy = sacrifice my daughter, My husband has sacrificed my daughter = lets butcher him in the bath, My mother has murdered my father = lets slaughter her. Perhaps I simply lack faith , or perhaps Carl Gustav was right, racism is true and my brain is fundamentally incapable of understanding . There is a fair amount of racism in the book, Suzuki sees the 'Indian' mind as fundamentally different - capable of subtleties of reasoning and abstraction, whereas the Sino-Japanese mind is simply practical, the Indian will explore and devise abstractions and refinements of thought and intellectual speculation, while the sino- Japanese Zen monk will chop wood and scrub floors. This is both funny and sad in the context of a book that tells us too that Zen is about the escape from such dualistic and self limiting thinking, but it is hard work to escape from ourselves.
An appropriate Zen response to this book would be to rip it up and throw the pieces away, but it would not be Zen to film yourself ripping it up and to post that online as a review.
a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon, a book about Zen is not Zen. And a review is just a review. Unless it falls over in a forest.
Who was the sixth patriarch before he was the sixth patriarch? And who was he after he was the sixth patriarch? Or was he?
I had the thought inspired by a few words on page 129 that maybe Zen is deeply interconnected with Taoism, but then I don't know much about either, so maybe I would think that wouldn't I?
The answer is in Rabelais - it's time for a drink. The book has some tempting description of the (limited) food available in Zen monasteries - lots of picked vegetables with rice and barley, scrumptious.
And John Cage and his 4'33" came to mind several times reading here of Zen masters whose greatest sermons consisted of them standing up, holding out their arms, and saying nothing. Since this book was first published in 1949, perhaps that similarity is not accidental. C.G. Jung, who wrote an introduction to this book, was a great fan of synchronicity, while Zen's satori seems to be the awakening of the mind to the interconnectedness or fundamental indivisibility of things, in which case synchronicity would be a basic fact of life rather than something to be perceived as weird and unusual.
Jung's introduction has an amusing beginning - he tells us that Zen is probably near impossible for the 'western' mind to grasp. In which case it was a pointless effort of Suzuki to write a book. Luckily for us he may have only read the introduction after he had written book, had he read that first then he might have given up on the entire process altogether.
The drive of Suzuki's narrative is that Zen is empirical and experiential, it cannot really be communicated in words it can only be taught by putting through students through a process which may result in satori - a state which cannot really be explained or communicated to others, except possibly through poetry .
Anyway here I am rambling on...the book again reminded me of my basic concern about Zen - you have to have faith that the outcome will be good. Suzuki suggests the enlightened person will jump into water to save a child, fine I am happy with that, but his examples of Zen masters include stories of them beating students with sticks, twisting their noses, cutting off a finger, and killing a cat as part of the learning experience. Those may be metaphors or stories, but it still suggests to me that for them suffering (specifically the suffering of others) is acceptable in pursuit of a greater good. In the examples given the guy who looses a finger achieves enlightenment and presumably regarded it as an acceptable trade off, the cat though, I imagine, was less satisfied. Here I recall the concept of dependant origination and Japan's history in the first half of the twentieth century which featured various examples of the cultural acceptability of the suffering of others in pursuit of a greater good, but this was not unique, indeed it was fairly typical of self-important states in modern times and typically they all had their ideological frameworks which completely unexpectedly supported their self interest.
It was strange for me as non-Zen Buddhism is mostly ethics, perhaps Zen is too, but Suzuki does not mention it.
The purity of mind achieved under Zen that Suzuki describes reminds me of certain ancient Greek stories: There is no wind for my ships to sail to Troy = sacrifice my daughter, My husband has sacrificed my daughter = lets butcher him in the bath, My mother has murdered my father = lets slaughter her. Perhaps I simply lack faith , or perhaps Carl Gustav was right, racism is true and my brain is fundamentally incapable of understanding . There is a fair amount of racism in the book, Suzuki sees the 'Indian' mind as fundamentally different - capable of subtleties of reasoning and abstraction, whereas the Sino-Japanese mind is simply practical, the Indian will explore and devise abstractions and refinements of thought and intellectual speculation, while the sino- Japanese Zen monk will chop wood and scrub floors. This is both funny and sad in the context of a book that tells us too that Zen is about the escape from such dualistic and self limiting thinking, but it is hard work to escape from ourselves.
An appropriate Zen response to this book would be to rip it up and throw the pieces away, but it would not be Zen to film yourself ripping it up and to post that online as a review.
a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon, a book about Zen is not Zen. And a review is just a review. Unless it falls over in a forest.
Who was the sixth patriarch before he was the sixth patriarch? And who was he after he was the sixth patriarch? Or was he?
I had the thought inspired by a few words on page 129 that maybe Zen is deeply interconnected with Taoism, but then I don't know much about either, so maybe I would think that wouldn't I?
The answer is in Rabelais - it's time for a drink. The book has some tempting description of the (limited) food available in Zen monasteries - lots of picked vegetables with rice and barley, scrumptious.
February 20, 2022
I need Satori, to acquire a new viewpoint, because my left-brain western reasoning kept getting in the way when I was reading this book.
No amount of reading, no amount of teaching, no amount of contemplation will ever make me a Zen master.
People also need to understand themselves before they can comprehend what's being discussed in books such as this.
The book is written in an accessible and straightforward manner, so is not difficult to read and that's a blessing when the reader knows little about the subject under discussion.
No amount of reading, no amount of teaching, no amount of contemplation will ever make me a Zen master.
People also need to understand themselves before they can comprehend what's being discussed in books such as this.
The book is written in an accessible and straightforward manner, so is not difficult to read and that's a blessing when the reader knows little about the subject under discussion.
February 23, 2020
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, by Daisetz Teitaro (D.T.) Suzuki. Written in English, 1934.
A monk once went to Gensha, and wanted to learn where the entrance to the path of truth was. Gensha asked him, "Do you hear the murmuring of the brook?" "Yes, I hear it," answered the monk. "There is the entrance," the master instructed him.
Suzuki, a scholar in Buddhist philosophy, Zen practitioner, and polyglot (he wrote this book and many books in English), is largely known for "bringing Buddhism to the West" from its roots in China and Japan. His influence spread through Europe and North America, and his students include other well known western Buddhist philosophers, notably Alan Watts, who went on to write scores of books on Zen, philosophy, and mysticism. It was through Watts' work (of which I've read 3 of his books) that I came to his teacher, Suzuki. I'm glad I did.
In these 9 essays, Suzuki provides a straightforward framework of Zen and its tenets, its anti-logical/rational basis, the concept of satori, the use of koans in meditation, touching in mindfulness practice, the daily lives of monks.
"Zen wishes to storm this citadel of topsy-turvydom and show that we live psychologically and biologically and not logically."
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"If I'm asked what Zen teaches, I would answer, Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of ones own mind. We reach ourselves, Zen merely points the way."
.
.
I chose to include this book in my #JanuaryinJapan reading list since Suzuki was a leading Japanese figure in Buddhism, because it's been on my shelf for a few years (I bought in Vancouver on 2017), and because the Zen practice permeates Japanese literature, history, art... and in many ways, the entire psyche.
In the foreword of this book, preeminent psychologist Carl Jung says Westerners will have a very hard time conceiving of Zen. But that's the point. Break down. Disrupt. Jumble. Get out of the rational mindset.
A monk once went to Gensha, and wanted to learn where the entrance to the path of truth was. Gensha asked him, "Do you hear the murmuring of the brook?" "Yes, I hear it," answered the monk. "There is the entrance," the master instructed him.
Suzuki, a scholar in Buddhist philosophy, Zen practitioner, and polyglot (he wrote this book and many books in English), is largely known for "bringing Buddhism to the West" from its roots in China and Japan. His influence spread through Europe and North America, and his students include other well known western Buddhist philosophers, notably Alan Watts, who went on to write scores of books on Zen, philosophy, and mysticism. It was through Watts' work (of which I've read 3 of his books) that I came to his teacher, Suzuki. I'm glad I did.
In these 9 essays, Suzuki provides a straightforward framework of Zen and its tenets, its anti-logical/rational basis, the concept of satori, the use of koans in meditation, touching in mindfulness practice, the daily lives of monks.
"Zen wishes to storm this citadel of topsy-turvydom and show that we live psychologically and biologically and not logically."
.
"If I'm asked what Zen teaches, I would answer, Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of ones own mind. We reach ourselves, Zen merely points the way."
.
.
I chose to include this book in my #JanuaryinJapan reading list since Suzuki was a leading Japanese figure in Buddhism, because it's been on my shelf for a few years (I bought in Vancouver on 2017), and because the Zen practice permeates Japanese literature, history, art... and in many ways, the entire psyche.
In the foreword of this book, preeminent psychologist Carl Jung says Westerners will have a very hard time conceiving of Zen. But that's the point. Break down. Disrupt. Jumble. Get out of the rational mindset.
on-hold
July 8, 2019The following may serve as a further example: A monk once went to Gensha, and wanted to learn where the entrance to the path of truth was. Gensha asked him, Do you hear the murmuring of the brook? Yes, I hear it, answered the monk. There is the entrance, the master instructed him.
I will be content with these few examples, which illustrate clearly the opacity of the satori experiences.
- Carl Jung
May 17, 2009
Short but very dense. I'm not sure if it's because this was written many years ago, or because DT Suzuki just has a very formal writing style, but I found it really hard to read. Eventually I resorted to reading just a few pages at a time, as a kind of daily dose of zen. For that it was pretty good-- he packs in a lot of good anecdotes, koans, and stories into each chapter. And one more thing-- skip Jung's introduction-- it's even more difficult to read than Suzuki's prose at its worst.
October 23, 2017
ߧ֧֧ӧѧ է٧֧ ҧէڧ٧ާ ԧէڧߧ ѧ ֧ԧ ٧ߧѧӧѧ, ߧڧܧԧ ߧ ҧ ֧ ܧߧڧԧ ٧ ߧ֧ԧ. ڧߧѧԧ ֧ ܧݧѧڧ֧ܧ ֧ܧӧ ֧ߧڧ ӧէ. ߧڧܧԧ ߧ ѧ ܧߧڧԧ, ܧ ѧӧ ٧ ֧ է ҧߧ ӧ ֧ܧѧӧѧԧѧߧߧ ֧ߧڧ.
էߧ ߧѧݧߧڧ ާ ܧߧڧԧ "ݧ ߧ է٧֧, ܧڧ ߧ է٧֧" ( ѧӧڧ֧ ѧۧ). ڧ֧اѧӧѧ ӧ֧ 10 ԧէڧߧ ӧѧݧ ާ֧ ֧ݧڧ ӧ. ҧѧ ܧ ߧ֧ ӧ ӧܧѧܧӧ ާާ֧ߧ.
֧, ߧܧѧ ֧ ާ ѧէߧ "ӧ է٧֧-ҧէڧ٧ާ". ߧ ӧڧܧ ԧ ֧ڧ է ֧ ߧ ӧڧ է֧ ܧѧܧڧ ֧ ߧڧ. ا ҧ, ٧ѧ ӧ٧ߧѧާ֧ӧѧާ ݧ֧ է֧-էӧ է ӧݧ٧ ߧܧ է٧֧ ҧէڧܧ ѧ ݧ֧ ѧ, ѧէ ԧާߧ ܧݧڧ֧ӧ էѧ ԧ, ܧڧ ߧѧ ֧ߧڧڧ է٧֧ ҧէڧܧѧ ݧڧ֧ѧ. ֧ܧ ާѧ, էߧ֧ߧڧ ӧ֧ާ֧ߧ ߧ ѧ٧ڧݧ էҧ ߧ ѧ٧ ѧܧڧܧ...
ߧڧԧѧ ߧ ٧ܧ ܧѧܧ, ߧ, է٧֧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ѧ ߧѧ-էҧѧ ԧݧ֧էߧ ܧ, ܧ ާا է ߧѧѧӧ ӧ. ާߧԧ ܧݧ֧ҧѧߧڧ ާڧݧ ߧ ӧ է ѧ٧ܧѧا ߧ֧ ֧ էާ, ܧ֧ ڧߧѧ ߧ֧ӧ٧ާاߧ է ҧէ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ѧߧ էާ. ֧ ҧӧ է ֧اڧӧ֧ ֧ ݧ, ӧާ֧ է ҧߧ ֧ ާ. ֧ ߧ ڧݧڧ, ާѧܧѧ ֧ է ҧէ ߧѧڧѧߧ ѧܧӧ. ڧ֧ է ѧѧէܧ, ߧߧѧ ڧԧ ӧڧܧ, է ߧѧ-ӧ. ڧ ߧӧߧ ҧڧܧ էѧݧڧڧߧ ާڧݧ֧ߧ (էҧ-٧ݧ, ӧ֧ݧ-ާߧ), ܧ֧ էѧӧߧ ٧ѧӧ٧֧ݧ ߧѧڧ ӧ.
٧ܧ ާڧߧѧӧ ֧ ߧѧ-ӧѧاߧڧ ܧ ߧ է٧֧, ԧӧ ٧ ߧ֧ԧӧѧ ѧܧڧܧ, ٧ ѧ٧ӧڧڧ֧ ާ, ٧ ߧ֧ԧӧڧ "ߧ ܧ". ٧ܧ ާڧߧѧӧ ֧ ߧ ܧѧ ֧էڧ ҧڧܧߧӧ֧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ӧѧ, ܧۧ ӧڧ էӧ- ާ֧֧, է ԧէڧߧ ֧ާѧ ٧ ߧӧѧ ܧߧڧԧ. ٧ܧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ӧ ԧݧ֧էߧѧ ܧ ߧ ӧ֧, ܧۧ ֧ ٧ ߧ֧ݧ֧, ߧ ӧߧڧ֧ݧ֧ ҧ ڧܧѧ է է֧ݧ ߧ֧ ٧ , ߧ ܧѧ ڧ٧ܧݧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ . ֧ ѧӧ էާ ٧ ֧էڧ ڧڧߧܧ ӧ է٧֧ ҧէڧ٧ާ.
֧ԧ ѧ٧ҧڧѧ ٧ѧ ڧާ֧ ߧ ٧ܧ ݧܧӧ ӧѧاߧ, ߧѧ է ڧ٧ߧ ߧ է٧֧ ߧ ѧѧ. ӧէ ާ֧ߧѧ էԧ ӧѧاߧ ٧ ާ֧ ڧާ֧ߧ ҧڧۧ ܧݧ֧ߧڧ֧ ѧާ֧ڧܧѧߧܧѧ ݧڧ֧ѧ. ӧ ާ ѧ ߧѧۧէ, ܧۧ ӧ֧ ڧ ߧ ا֧ ѧۧէ "էԧڧ ߧ ѧާ" ߧ ֧ѧ ڧڧߧܧڧ է٧֧ ҧڧߧڧ. ֧ӧ֧اէѧ ߧܧ ֧ܧӧ. اڧӧ ԧէڧߧ ߧڧ. ӧ ֧էڧ ܧѧڧ ߧѧڧ ֧ѧѧߧ ֧٧ڧ ާ, ܧ ٧ اѧݧ֧ߧڧ ߧ ֧ӧ֧اէѧߧ ߧ ҧݧԧѧܧ ֧٧ڧ. ӧ ާ ҧڧ ѧӧڧ ڧߧҧ, ܧѧ է -ߧѧӧ էӧߧڧ ٧ѧߧڧާѧߧڧ ֧ѧ. ѧܧѧ, ڧߧҧ է էѧݧ֧ -ӧ֧֧ էԧ ҧݧѧ ڧ٧ߧڧ էӧߧ ѧܧڧܧ. ֧ѧ ҧ֧٧ߧ ާߧԧ ӧѧا֧, ԧݧѧӧߧ ֧ ߧѧڧѧߧ ߧ֧ԧ. ܧѧ ݧ֧էӧѧ֧ ߧ ҧէڧ٧ާ ߧѧ-ߧ֧֧ڧ٧ߧڧ ڧާѧ. ֧ߧ ٧ѧӧ ާڧ ӧݧ֧էӧڧ ٧ݧ֧ҧ ߧ ѧݧܧ. ԧ ܧѧ٧ӧѧ, ٧ѧ ڧܧѧ է ԧ է ߧܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ. ا ҧ ҧڧ ߧѧ-ӧӧڧ֧ݧߧڧ ڧާѧ, ٧ѧӧ ӧڧߧѧԧ ݧ٧ԧѧ ٧ ߧѧڧ ֧ ֧ѧݧߧ. ֧ ٧ ܧާ֧ ٧ѧӧ֧ѧ ܧߧڧԧڧ .
ԧ ߧ֧, ܧ֧ ڧ٧ܧݧڧ֧ݧߧ ާ ӧ֧ѧݧ ӧ ڧ٧էѧߧڧ, ҧ֧ ֧ӧէ ߧ. ߧ ާѧݧڧߧѧ ڧݧ٧, ܧڧ ҧڧ ާԧݧ է ҧߧ ܧѧܧӧ ֧էѧӧݧӧ է٧֧. ߧӧ ߧاߧѧ ߧ֧ܧѧ֧ԧڧߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ٧ ӧ, ڧާ ߧ֧, ܧڧ ߧ ҧڧ ާԧݧ է ҧէѧ ܧѧ٧ѧߧ ֧ էާ. ӧ ѧ ߧ֧ԧӧڧ ֧ߧڧ ڧާѧ ާߧԧ էڧߧ ܧ ڧ٧ߧڧ ѧܧڧܧ. ާѧ, ֧էڧ ڧѧߧѧݧڧڧڧ, ܧڧ ߧѧ-էҧ ާݧ է ҧߧ ܧѧܧӧ ֧էѧӧݧӧ ڧ٧ߧѧ ާڧ. ܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ ݧ֧ܧӧ ...
ߧ է ӧߧ ѧߧߧ ҧߧ֧ߧڧ ܧѧا ѧާ, է٧֧ ѧܧڧӧߧ ѧҧ ߧ֧٧ߧѧ.
֧ӧѧ ѧ٧ ܧߧڧԧ ߧ ӧ֧ܧ, ܧۧ ڧܧ է ѧ٧ҧ֧ ߧ֧ ӧ֧ ٧ է٧֧ ҧէڧ٧ާ. ݧ ٧ ֧ҧ ...
էߧ ߧѧݧߧڧ ާ ܧߧڧԧ "ݧ ߧ է٧֧, ܧڧ ߧ է٧֧" ( ѧӧڧ֧ ѧۧ). ڧ֧اѧӧѧ ӧ֧ 10 ԧէڧߧ ӧѧݧ ާ֧ ֧ݧڧ ӧ. ҧѧ ܧ ߧ֧ ӧ ӧܧѧܧӧ ާާ֧ߧ.
֧, ߧܧѧ ֧ ާ ѧէߧ "ӧ է٧֧-ҧէڧ٧ާ". ߧ ӧڧܧ ԧ ֧ڧ է ֧ ߧ ӧڧ է֧ ܧѧܧڧ ֧ ߧڧ. ا ҧ, ٧ѧ ӧ٧ߧѧާ֧ӧѧާ ݧ֧ է֧-էӧ է ӧݧ٧ ߧܧ է٧֧ ҧէڧܧ ѧ ݧ֧ ѧ, ѧէ ԧާߧ ܧݧڧ֧ӧ էѧ ԧ, ܧڧ ߧѧ ֧ߧڧڧ է٧֧ ҧէڧܧѧ ݧڧ֧ѧ. ֧ܧ ާѧ, էߧ֧ߧڧ ӧ֧ާ֧ߧ ߧ ѧ٧ڧݧ էҧ ߧ ѧ٧ ѧܧڧܧ...
ߧڧԧѧ ߧ ٧ܧ ܧѧܧ, ߧ, է٧֧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ѧ ߧѧ-էҧѧ ԧݧ֧էߧ ܧ, ܧ ާا է ߧѧѧӧ ӧ. ާߧԧ ܧݧ֧ҧѧߧڧ ާڧݧ ߧ ӧ է ѧ٧ܧѧا ߧ֧ ֧ էާ, ܧ֧ ڧߧѧ ߧ֧ӧ٧ާاߧ է ҧէ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ѧߧ էާ. ֧ ҧӧ է ֧اڧӧ֧ ֧ ݧ, ӧާ֧ է ҧߧ ֧ ާ. ֧ ߧ ڧݧڧ, ާѧܧѧ ֧ է ҧէ ߧѧڧѧߧ ѧܧӧ. ڧ֧ է ѧѧէܧ, ߧߧѧ ڧԧ ӧڧܧ, է ߧѧ-ӧ. ڧ ߧӧߧ ҧڧܧ էѧݧڧڧߧ ާڧݧ֧ߧ (էҧ-٧ݧ, ӧ֧ݧ-ާߧ), ܧ֧ էѧӧߧ ٧ѧӧ٧֧ݧ ߧѧڧ ӧ.
٧ܧ ާڧߧѧӧ ֧ ߧѧ-ӧѧاߧڧ ܧ ߧ է٧֧, ԧӧ ٧ ߧ֧ԧӧѧ ѧܧڧܧ, ٧ ѧ٧ӧڧڧ֧ ާ, ٧ ߧ֧ԧӧڧ "ߧ ܧ". ٧ܧ ާڧߧѧӧ ֧ ߧ ܧѧ ֧էڧ ҧڧܧߧӧ֧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ӧѧ, ܧۧ ӧڧ էӧ- ާ֧֧, է ԧէڧߧ ֧ާѧ ٧ ߧӧѧ ܧߧڧԧ. ٧ܧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ӧ ԧݧ֧էߧѧ ܧ ߧ ӧ֧, ܧۧ ֧ ٧ ߧ֧ݧ֧, ߧ ӧߧڧ֧ݧ֧ ҧ ڧܧѧ է է֧ݧ ߧ֧ ٧ , ߧ ܧѧ ڧ٧ܧݧ ѧ٧ܧѧ٧ . ֧ ѧӧ էާ ٧ ֧էڧ ڧڧߧܧ ӧ է٧֧ ҧէڧ٧ާ.
֧ԧ ѧ٧ҧڧѧ ٧ѧ ڧާ֧ ߧ ٧ܧ ݧܧӧ ӧѧاߧ, ߧѧ է ڧ٧ߧ ߧ է٧֧ ߧ ѧѧ. ӧէ ާ֧ߧѧ էԧ ӧѧاߧ ٧ ާ֧ ڧާ֧ߧ ҧڧۧ ܧݧ֧ߧڧ֧ ѧާ֧ڧܧѧߧܧѧ ݧڧ֧ѧ. ӧ ާ ѧ ߧѧۧէ, ܧۧ ӧ֧ ڧ ߧ ا֧ ѧۧէ "էԧڧ ߧ ѧާ" ߧ ֧ѧ ڧڧߧܧڧ է٧֧ ҧڧߧڧ. ֧ӧ֧اէѧ ߧܧ ֧ܧӧ. اڧӧ ԧէڧߧ ߧڧ. ӧ ֧էڧ ܧѧڧ ߧѧڧ ֧ѧѧߧ ֧٧ڧ ާ, ܧ ٧ اѧݧ֧ߧڧ ߧ ֧ӧ֧اէѧߧ ߧ ҧݧԧѧܧ ֧٧ڧ. ӧ ާ ҧڧ ѧӧڧ ڧߧҧ, ܧѧ է -ߧѧӧ էӧߧڧ ٧ѧߧڧާѧߧڧ ֧ѧ. ѧܧѧ, ڧߧҧ է էѧݧ֧ -ӧ֧֧ էԧ ҧݧѧ ڧ٧ߧڧ էӧߧ ѧܧڧܧ. ֧ѧ ҧ֧٧ߧ ާߧԧ ӧѧا֧, ԧݧѧӧߧ ֧ ߧѧڧѧߧ ߧ֧ԧ. ܧѧ ݧ֧էӧѧ֧ ߧ ҧէڧ٧ާ ߧѧ-ߧ֧֧ڧ٧ߧڧ ڧާѧ. ֧ߧ ٧ѧӧ ާڧ ӧݧ֧էӧڧ ٧ݧ֧ҧ ߧ ѧݧܧ. ԧ ܧѧ٧ӧѧ, ٧ѧ ڧܧѧ է ԧ է ߧܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ. ا ҧ ҧڧ ߧѧ-ӧӧڧ֧ݧߧڧ ڧާѧ, ٧ѧӧ ӧڧߧѧԧ ݧ٧ԧѧ ٧ ߧѧڧ ֧ ֧ѧݧߧ. ֧ ٧ ܧާ֧ ٧ѧӧ֧ѧ ܧߧڧԧڧ .
ԧ ߧ֧, ܧ֧ ڧ٧ܧݧڧ֧ݧߧ ާ ӧ֧ѧݧ ӧ ڧ٧էѧߧڧ, ҧ֧ ֧ӧէ ߧ. ߧ ާѧݧڧߧѧ ڧݧ٧, ܧڧ ҧڧ ާԧݧ է ҧߧ ܧѧܧӧ ֧էѧӧݧӧ է٧֧. ߧӧ ߧاߧѧ ߧ֧ܧѧ֧ԧڧߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ٧ ӧ, ڧާ ߧ֧, ܧڧ ߧ ҧڧ ާԧݧ է ҧէѧ ܧѧ٧ѧߧ ֧ էާ. ӧ ѧ ߧ֧ԧӧڧ ֧ߧڧ ڧާѧ ާߧԧ էڧߧ ܧ ڧ٧ߧڧ ѧܧڧܧ. ާѧ, ֧էڧ ڧѧߧѧݧڧڧڧ, ܧڧ ߧѧ-էҧ ާݧ է ҧߧ ܧѧܧӧ ֧էѧӧݧӧ ڧ٧ߧѧ ާڧ. ܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ ݧ֧ܧӧ ...
ߧ է ӧߧ ѧߧߧ ҧߧ֧ߧڧ ܧѧا ѧާ, է٧֧ ѧܧڧӧߧ ѧҧ ߧ֧٧ߧѧ.
֧ӧѧ ѧ٧ ܧߧڧԧ ߧ ӧ֧ܧ, ܧۧ ڧܧ է ѧ٧ҧ֧ ߧ֧ ӧ֧ ٧ է٧֧ ҧէڧ٧ާ. ݧ ٧ ֧ҧ ...
March 15, 2022
An absolute affirmation must rise from the fiery crater of life itself.
I liked the bit where, just to make a point, a Zen master cut a cat in half because a couple of the fellas couldnt decide which side of the Monastery it should belong to. At least were reassured by Suzuki that the cat is surely on its way to Buddhahood.... I wonder where that cat is now.
I liked the bit where, just to make a point, a Zen master cut a cat in half because a couple of the fellas couldnt decide which side of the Monastery it should belong to. At least were reassured by Suzuki that the cat is surely on its way to Buddhahood.... I wonder where that cat is now.
Read
February 23, 2023Suzuki talks a lot about what Zen isnt: Zen is not a negation or an absence. Zen involves meditation, but is definitely not mediating too much. Though Zen can be found in (through?) anything, Zen is not pantheistic. Zen requires working hard, but working too hard isnt Zen, either. (The book contains a lot of instructional dialogues between Zen students and masters, and students who have mistaken Zen knowledge for Zen itself are frequent recipients of their criticism.)
So what is Zen? For starters, it seems to involve being repeatedly hit in the head, or pushed off of a stone wall, or struck with a staff. (This really is a common practice in the instructional stories, and I'm not entirely sure whylearning to recognize the irrelevance of physical pain? Just because the concrete-ness of violence makes it useful as a teaching aid?) More importantly, Zen is a change in perspective (satori) which, once achieved, renders all of life beautiful and ecstatic and true. (Caveat: Ive read some people say that satori is more of a D. T. Suzuki thing than a traditional buddhist concept. This is the sort of thing which makes me worry I dont really have the proper philosophical and historical background to be able to situate this in the context in which it belongs)
Anyway, thoughhow is satori to be achieved? Its not entirely clear. Once your mind is in the right placethrough years of manual and intellectual labour, or something like thatyou can achieve satori simply by watching someone raise a single finger, or by hearing the answer Three pounds of flax given to the question What is the Buddha? The gist seems to be that either you get it or you dont.
Theres a common analogy that Buddhist teachings are like a finger pointing at the moon. The finger can help you find the moon, but its important not to mistake the finger for the moon itself. Following that, I feel like this book is sort of like explaining the moon by describing its various features: its grey, it shines in the night sky, it has many craters, it is located very far away, it pulls on the oceans and make the tides, etc.
The idea that I found most compellingprobably in part because I can actually wrap my head around it somewhat is that Zen requires freeing your mind from the concepts of duality and logic. Coal is blackthis is plain enough; but Zen protests, Coal is not black. This is also plain enough, and indeed even plainer than the first positive statement when we come right down to the truth of the matter.
Unless we break through he antithesis of yes and no we can never hope to live a real life of freedom. And the soul has always been crying for it, forgetting that it is not after all so very difficult to reach a higher form of affirmation, where no contradicting distinction obtain between negation and assertion.
That there is some sort of fundamental unity or one-ness, and that all of our ideas of this and not-this and self and not-self and order and logic and labels do nothing but divide us from ourselves, and introduce division where there should be nothing but universality, that any belief or system that sorts or separates is just walling us off from some sort of ultimate affirmationI find that extremely powerful and compelling, even if Im not exactly sure what I should do with it. I want it to be true, even if Im not sure it is, really, or even what that would mean in this context.
The fact remains that we are like those who die of hunger while sitting beside the rice bag, or rather like those who die of thirst while standing throughly drenched in the midst of the river. One master goes a step future and says that we are the rice itself and the water itself.
I think thats pretty wonderful.
So what is Zen? For starters, it seems to involve being repeatedly hit in the head, or pushed off of a stone wall, or struck with a staff. (This really is a common practice in the instructional stories, and I'm not entirely sure whylearning to recognize the irrelevance of physical pain? Just because the concrete-ness of violence makes it useful as a teaching aid?) More importantly, Zen is a change in perspective (satori) which, once achieved, renders all of life beautiful and ecstatic and true. (Caveat: Ive read some people say that satori is more of a D. T. Suzuki thing than a traditional buddhist concept. This is the sort of thing which makes me worry I dont really have the proper philosophical and historical background to be able to situate this in the context in which it belongs)
Anyway, thoughhow is satori to be achieved? Its not entirely clear. Once your mind is in the right placethrough years of manual and intellectual labour, or something like thatyou can achieve satori simply by watching someone raise a single finger, or by hearing the answer Three pounds of flax given to the question What is the Buddha? The gist seems to be that either you get it or you dont.
Theres a common analogy that Buddhist teachings are like a finger pointing at the moon. The finger can help you find the moon, but its important not to mistake the finger for the moon itself. Following that, I feel like this book is sort of like explaining the moon by describing its various features: its grey, it shines in the night sky, it has many craters, it is located very far away, it pulls on the oceans and make the tides, etc.
The idea that I found most compellingprobably in part because I can actually wrap my head around it somewhat is that Zen requires freeing your mind from the concepts of duality and logic. Coal is blackthis is plain enough; but Zen protests, Coal is not black. This is also plain enough, and indeed even plainer than the first positive statement when we come right down to the truth of the matter.
Unless we break through he antithesis of yes and no we can never hope to live a real life of freedom. And the soul has always been crying for it, forgetting that it is not after all so very difficult to reach a higher form of affirmation, where no contradicting distinction obtain between negation and assertion.
That there is some sort of fundamental unity or one-ness, and that all of our ideas of this and not-this and self and not-self and order and logic and labels do nothing but divide us from ourselves, and introduce division where there should be nothing but universality, that any belief or system that sorts or separates is just walling us off from some sort of ultimate affirmationI find that extremely powerful and compelling, even if Im not exactly sure what I should do with it. I want it to be true, even if Im not sure it is, really, or even what that would mean in this context.
The fact remains that we are like those who die of hunger while sitting beside the rice bag, or rather like those who die of thirst while standing throughly drenched in the midst of the river. One master goes a step future and says that we are the rice itself and the water itself.
I think thats pretty wonderful.
August 10, 2023
Introduction to Zen Buddhism had its moments, but ultimately, I did not enjoy the writing. The finished presentation had me walking away not knowing too much more about Zen Buddhism than I did at the start of the book...
Author , self-rendered in 1894 as "Daisetz", was a Japanese-American essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, translator, and writer. He was a scholar and author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in spreading interest in both Zen and Shin to the West.
D.T. Suzuki:
As its title implies, the book attempts to uncover the essence of Zen Buddhism. It originated in India, before being brought to China and Japan.
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the book is rich on anecdotes and stories but low on concrete information. There were a few good quotes in here, but lots of rambling, disjointed writing.
Suzuki says this of Zen:
Is Zen a religion? Suzuki writes:
In this quote, the author talks about meditation and Zen:
So, what exactly is Zen?? Well, the answer remained elusive in the book. This quote was the best I could pick out:
I was expecting more from Introduction to Zen Buddhism. And while it started off well enough, it quickly dived straight into the weeds, where it remained for the duration.
I would not recommend this book
2.5 stars.
Author , self-rendered in 1894 as "Daisetz", was a Japanese-American essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, translator, and writer. He was a scholar and author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in spreading interest in both Zen and Shin to the West.
D.T. Suzuki:
As its title implies, the book attempts to uncover the essence of Zen Buddhism. It originated in India, before being brought to China and Japan.
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, the book is rich on anecdotes and stories but low on concrete information. There were a few good quotes in here, but lots of rambling, disjointed writing.
Suzuki says this of Zen:
"Zen is decidedly not a system founded upon logic and analysis. If anything, it is the antipode to logic, by which I mean the dualistic mode of thinking. There may be an intellectual element in Zen, for Zen is the whole mind, and in it we find a great many things; but the mind is not a composite thing that is to be divided into so many faculties, leaving nothing behind when the dissection is over. Zen has nothing to teach us in the way of intellectual analysis; nor has it any set doctrines which are imposed on its followers for acceptance.
In this respect Zen is quite chaotic if you choose to say so. Probably Zen followers may have sets of doctrines, but they have them on their own account, and for their own benefit; they do not owe the fact to Zen.
Thereore, there are in Zen no sacred books or dogmatic tenets, nor are there any symbolic formulae through which an access might be gained into the signification of Zen. If I am asked, then, what Zen teaches, I would answer, Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of ones own mind. We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way."
Is Zen a religion? Suzuki writes:
"Is Zen a religion? It is not a religion in the sense that the term is popularly understood; for Zen has no God to worship, no ceremonial rites to observe, no future abode to which the dead are destined, and, last of all, Zen has no soul whose welfare is to be looked after by somebody else and whose immortality is a matter of intense concern with some people. Zen is free from all these dogmatic and religious encumbrances.
When I say there is no God in Zen, the pious reader may be shocked, but this does not mean that Zen denies the existence of God; neither denial nor affirmation concerns Zen. When a thing is denied, the very denial involves something not denied. The same can be said of affirmation. This is inevitable in logic. Zen wants to rise above logic, Zen wants to find a higher affirmation where there are no antitheses. Therefore, in Zen, God is neither denied nor insisted upon; only there is in Zen no such God as has been conceived by Jewish and Christian minds. For the same reason that Zen is not a philosophy, Zen is not a religion."
In this quote, the author talks about meditation and Zen:
"Zen is not to be confounded with a form of meditation as practised by New Thought people, or Christian Scientists, or Hindu Sannyasins, or some Buddhists. Dhyana, as it is understood by Zen, does not correspond to the practice as carried on in Zen. A man may meditate on a religious or philosophical subject while disciplining himself in Zen, but that is only incidental; the essence of Zen is not there at all. Zen purposes to discipline the mind itself, to make it its own master, through an insight into its proper nature. This getting into the real nature of ones own mind or soul is the fundamental object of Zen Buddhism. Zen, therefore, is more than meditation and Dhyana in its ordinary sense. The discipline of Zen consists in opening the mental eye in order to look into the very reason of existence.
To meditate, a man has to fix his thought on something; for instance, on the oneness of God, or his infinite love, or on the impermanence of things. But this is the very thing Zen desires to avoid. If there is anything Zen strongly emphasizes it is the attainment of freedom; that is, freedom from all unnatural encumbrances. Meditation is something artificially put on; it does not belong to the native activity of the mind. Upon what do the fowl of the air meditate? Upon what do the fish in the water meditate? They fly; they swim. Is not that enough?
So, what exactly is Zen?? Well, the answer remained elusive in the book. This quote was the best I could pick out:
"...When Joshu (Chao-chou) was asked what the Tao (or the truth of Zen) was, he answered, Your everyday life, that is the Tao. In other words, a quiet, self-confident, and trustful existence of your ownthis is the truth of Zen, and what I mean when I say that Zen is pre-eminently practical. It appeals directly to life, not even making reference to a soul or to God, or to anything that interferes with or disturbs the ordinary course of living. The idea of Zen is to catch life as it flows. There is nothing extraordinary or mysterious about Zen. I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of this desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside my window; I see the clouds blown away beyond the neighbouring woods:in all these I am practising Zen, I am living Zen. No wordy discussion is necessary, nor any explanation. I do not know whyand there is no need of explaining, but when the sun rises the whole world dances with joy and everybodys heart."
I was expecting more from Introduction to Zen Buddhism. And while it started off well enough, it quickly dived straight into the weeds, where it remained for the duration.
I would not recommend this book
2.5 stars.
October 21, 2017
Zen Buddhism is more a lifestyle, a way of liberation, than it is a religion or a belief system: "it is anything but a philosophy in the western sense of the word." As such, it continues to be one of the most difficult subjects I've tried to understand and live. Yet, it somehow feels so natural.
Knowing that Suzuki had a huge influence on Alan Watts, and having read several of "the spiritual entertainer's" books, I knew I needed to dig deeper, to get closer to the source. While less humorous and witty than Watts, Suzuki still offers a fairly accessible introduction to Zen. He writes with a blend of humility and authority.
I welcomed the foreword from Carl Jung, another person who has influenced my perspectives. In attempting to bridge the gap between the East and the West, Jung writes "I have no doubt that the satori experience does occur also in the West, for we too have men who scent ultimate ends and will spare themselves no pains to draw near to them. But they will keep silence, not only out of shyness but because they know that any attempt to convey their experiences to others would be hopeless." As a plug for his own field of work, as justifiably so, he points out that "the only movement within our culture which partly has, and partly should have, some understanding of these aspirations is psychotherapy." (for more, read Psychotherapy, East and West by Alan Watts)
Everything is Zen. Zen is radically concrete and anti-abstraction: "personal experience, therefore, is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience." Truth is delivered through lived sermons, paradoxical statements known as koans. "Zen is the spirit of a man. Zen believes in his inner purity and goodness. Zen, therefore, is emphatically against all religious conventionalism...Zen is a wafting cloud in the sky. No screw fastens it, no string holds it; it moves as it lists. No amount of meditation will keep Zen in one place. Meditation is not zen."
Suzuki blasts rationalism for its limitations: "Zen in inflexible and would protest that the so-called common-sense way of looking at things is final, and that the reason why we cannot attain to a thoroughgoing comprehension of the truth is due to our unreasonable adherence to a 'logical' interpretation of things. If we really want to get to the bottom of life, we must abandon our cherished syllogisms, we must acquire a new way of observation whereby we can escape the tyranny of logic and the one-sidedness of our everyday phraseology." He challenges intellectualization even further: "in Zen it means not to get entangled in intellectual subtleties, not to be carried away by philosophical reasoning that is so often ingenuous and full of sophistry...In this sense, Zen is pre-eminently practical. It has nothing to do with abstractions or with subtleties of dialectics..the reason why Zen is so vehement in its attack on logic...is that logic has so pervasively entered into life as to make most of us conclude that logic is life and without it life has no significance."
Zen is not some set of abstractions to be learned and repeated. It is a living truth. "Copying is slavery. The letter must never be followed, only the spirit is to be grasped. Higher affirmations live in the spirit."
Perhaps the insight most helpful for me in understanding Zen: "a finger is needed to point at the moon, but what a calamity it would be if one took the finger for the moon!"
Honestly, it is a near-impossible task to instruct people in the ways of Zen using text, but when most of us don't have the opportunity to live face to face with a Zen master, Suzuki offers some encouraging insights. His collection of short essays nudge one's state of mind in the direction of zen. It appears that satori can require many years to achieve or one incredible moment of enlightenment.
I still prefer the work of Alan Watts, but I think most of us westerners will better understand Watts after having read D.T. Suzuki.
Knowing that Suzuki had a huge influence on Alan Watts, and having read several of "the spiritual entertainer's" books, I knew I needed to dig deeper, to get closer to the source. While less humorous and witty than Watts, Suzuki still offers a fairly accessible introduction to Zen. He writes with a blend of humility and authority.
I welcomed the foreword from Carl Jung, another person who has influenced my perspectives. In attempting to bridge the gap between the East and the West, Jung writes "I have no doubt that the satori experience does occur also in the West, for we too have men who scent ultimate ends and will spare themselves no pains to draw near to them. But they will keep silence, not only out of shyness but because they know that any attempt to convey their experiences to others would be hopeless." As a plug for his own field of work, as justifiably so, he points out that "the only movement within our culture which partly has, and partly should have, some understanding of these aspirations is psychotherapy." (for more, read Psychotherapy, East and West by Alan Watts)
Everything is Zen. Zen is radically concrete and anti-abstraction: "personal experience, therefore, is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience." Truth is delivered through lived sermons, paradoxical statements known as koans. "Zen is the spirit of a man. Zen believes in his inner purity and goodness. Zen, therefore, is emphatically against all religious conventionalism...Zen is a wafting cloud in the sky. No screw fastens it, no string holds it; it moves as it lists. No amount of meditation will keep Zen in one place. Meditation is not zen."
Suzuki blasts rationalism for its limitations: "Zen in inflexible and would protest that the so-called common-sense way of looking at things is final, and that the reason why we cannot attain to a thoroughgoing comprehension of the truth is due to our unreasonable adherence to a 'logical' interpretation of things. If we really want to get to the bottom of life, we must abandon our cherished syllogisms, we must acquire a new way of observation whereby we can escape the tyranny of logic and the one-sidedness of our everyday phraseology." He challenges intellectualization even further: "in Zen it means not to get entangled in intellectual subtleties, not to be carried away by philosophical reasoning that is so often ingenuous and full of sophistry...In this sense, Zen is pre-eminently practical. It has nothing to do with abstractions or with subtleties of dialectics..the reason why Zen is so vehement in its attack on logic...is that logic has so pervasively entered into life as to make most of us conclude that logic is life and without it life has no significance."
Zen is not some set of abstractions to be learned and repeated. It is a living truth. "Copying is slavery. The letter must never be followed, only the spirit is to be grasped. Higher affirmations live in the spirit."
Perhaps the insight most helpful for me in understanding Zen: "a finger is needed to point at the moon, but what a calamity it would be if one took the finger for the moon!"
Honestly, it is a near-impossible task to instruct people in the ways of Zen using text, but when most of us don't have the opportunity to live face to face with a Zen master, Suzuki offers some encouraging insights. His collection of short essays nudge one's state of mind in the direction of zen. It appears that satori can require many years to achieve or one incredible moment of enlightenment.
I still prefer the work of Alan Watts, but I think most of us westerners will better understand Watts after having read D.T. Suzuki.
April 8, 2009
"An ethical man performs acts of service which are praiseworthy, but he is all the time conscious of them, and, moreover, he may often be thinking of some future reward. Hence we should say that his mind is tainted and not at all pure, however objectively or socially good his deeds are. Zen abhors this. Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting; there ought not to be any trace of effort or painful feeling. Life, according to Zen, ought to be lived as a bird flies through the air or as a fish swims in the water. As soon as there are signs of elaboration, a man is doomed, he is no more a free being. You are not living as you ought to live, you are suffering under the tyranny of circumstances; you are feeling a constraint of some sort, and you lose your independence." - D.T. Suzuki
"As to attaining the goal and taking hold of the thing itself, this must be done by one's own hands, for nobody else can do it for one." - D.T. Suzuki
"I allowed my mind without restraint to think of what it pleased, and my mouth to talk about whatever it pleased; I then forgot whether 'this and not-this' was mine or others', whether the gain or loss was mine or others'; nor did I know whether Lao-shang-shih was my teacher and Pa-kao was my friend. In and out, I was thoroughly transformed; and then it was that the eye became like the ear, and the ear like the nose, and the nose like the mouth; and there was nothing that was not identified. As the mind became concentrated, the form dissolved, the bones and flesh all thawed away; I did not know upon what my frame was supported, or where my feet were treading; I just moved along with the wind, east or west, like a leaf of a tree detached from its stem; I was unconscious whether I was riding on the wind, or the wind riding on me." - Resshi (Lieh-tzu)
"As to attaining the goal and taking hold of the thing itself, this must be done by one's own hands, for nobody else can do it for one." - D.T. Suzuki
"I allowed my mind without restraint to think of what it pleased, and my mouth to talk about whatever it pleased; I then forgot whether 'this and not-this' was mine or others', whether the gain or loss was mine or others'; nor did I know whether Lao-shang-shih was my teacher and Pa-kao was my friend. In and out, I was thoroughly transformed; and then it was that the eye became like the ear, and the ear like the nose, and the nose like the mouth; and there was nothing that was not identified. As the mind became concentrated, the form dissolved, the bones and flesh all thawed away; I did not know upon what my frame was supported, or where my feet were treading; I just moved along with the wind, east or west, like a leaf of a tree detached from its stem; I was unconscious whether I was riding on the wind, or the wind riding on me." - Resshi (Lieh-tzu)
December 2, 2014
Suzuki clearly distinguishes Zen from other forms of Buddhism and from other religions, especially Christianity. He explains why Zen abjures the notion of God. Zen is concerned only with the here and now. Its discipline is to enable full perception of the total Reality, the reality beyond dualisms. "Zen is emphatically a matter of personal experience; if anything can be called radically empirical, it is Zen. No amount of reading, no amount of teaching, no amount of contemplation will ever make one a Zen master. Life itself must be grasped in the midst of its flow; to stop it for examination and analysis is to kill it, leaving its cold corpse to be embraced."
January 8, 2021
You take a lot from this book, and you don't. You learn a lot of things that you wouldn't be able to apply to your life, for as Eckhart Tolle plainly explains 'knowledge is not knowing'.
After reading this book I found myself being perfectly acquainted with every inch of the pointing finger, while still being as distant from the moon as I previously was.
Nevertheless, a wonderfully fascinating reading, which leaves you begging for more.
p.s. my tip is to read the foreword by Carl Jung at the end.
After reading this book I found myself being perfectly acquainted with every inch of the pointing finger, while still being as distant from the moon as I previously was.
Nevertheless, a wonderfully fascinating reading, which leaves you begging for more.
p.s. my tip is to read the foreword by Carl Jung at the end.
October 21, 2017
Like Zen and the contents thereof, it's wispy. It didn't get good until the end when DT discusses satori, which is the crux of this work, but upon my second reading I do see that you need to build up to it. The whole thing is cryptic, but that's inevitable when you try to expound on Zen. To summarize everything: you can't talk about Zen because as soon as you start talking about Zen it stops becoming Zen. Boom. Ineffable.
June 2, 2015
This was assigned reading for the Senior Seminar capstone course for Religious Studies majors at Grinnell College. It is basically an introduction to Rinzai Zen Buddhism and is constituted by edited essays dating up until 1934.
Read
October 23, 2023?? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ???????? ??????
March 20, 2016
֧ߧߧ ߧ ܧߧڧԧѧ ֧ -էҧ, ܧԧѧ ֧ԧݧ֧էѧ էԧ ?ߧ-ӧ٧է֧ۧӧѧڡ ܧߧڧاܧ ٧ է٧֧-ҧէڧ٧ާ. ٧ է٧ܧ ާ է֧ۧӧ ӧҧاէѧӧѧ ӧاէѧӧѧ ڧާ֧ߧߧ ߧ֧ݧӧڧާڧ ?ڧڧߧܧڡ ߧѧڧ.
(ߧڧ, ҧڧѧۧߧڧ ߧѧӧڧ ѧ ܧݧߧ ܧ էѧݧڧ٧ - .. ާ ѧ٧ҧ֧ ;) )
? ӧڧܧ ֧٧ ҧ֧է ҧݧѧԧ֧ڧӧ ֧ڧӧѧ ٧ ӧ֧֧ ӧӧѧ ٧֧ ӧڧاէ ߧ֧ ڧ٧ܧӧ֧ߧ. ?ӧ֧ߧڧ ۧԧ ߧ ڧԧѧ ߧڧӧѧߧ, ާߧѧڧ, ߧѧѧӧѧ ҧ֧ , ߧ ڧӧѧ ѧէѡ, ԧݧѧ ֧էڧ է٧֧-ڧߧڧڧ. ҧڧܧߧӧ֧ߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ ӧ ڧӧ֧ ߧ ҧڧ֧ڧ ާѧݧߧ ߧާ, ߧ ڧާ֧ߧߧ ܧڧ ڧڧߧѧ اڧ٧ߧ֧ߧ ߧ ٧֧. ٧֧ է ߧ ӧ֧ܧ. ٧֧ ӧӧ ӧ ӧ֧ߧѧ ާ ڧ էҧ. ڧܧ ߧѧڧݧӧ֧ߧ էҧѧӧ֧ߧ ڧݧ ߧ֧ է ߧѧѧӧ ߧ֧ԧӧѧ ݧ. ѧӧ ٧֧ ܧѧ֧ԧڧߧ ڧ ӧܧѧܧӧ ֧ݧڧԧڧ٧ߧ ݧӧߧ.
?ܧ ӧ֧ ӧ , ٧ է ڧ٧֧ ӧاէ֧ߧڧ ڧݧ ڧѧߧڧ, ٧ѧԧҧ֧. ٧֧ ӧ֧ ԧ ߧާ. է ѧ٧ ާݧѧߧڧ ߧ ӧӧ. ѧާܧ ߧ ٧֧ާ ާݧ, ѧ٧ߧѧݧ ӧ֧ ٧֧ ާݧ, ѧݧ ߧ ѧ٧ҧڧѧ ٧֧. ҧӧ է ܧڧ ߧܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ, ާݧѧߧڧ֧ ԧӧ է ҧէѧ ֧էߧ , .. ڧѧߧڧ֧ ӧاէ֧ߧڧ֧ է ֧էߧѧܧӧ -ӧڧ ާ ߧ ڧ٧ܧѧ.
?ѧ ڧէӧ ӧ֧ܧ ڧ٧ߧ֧ߧѧէӧѧ, ܧާ ܧԧѧ ֧ڧ, ڧ٧֧ѧ էܧѧ. ֧ݧڧԧڧ٧֧ ݧѧ ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ ߧӧ ѧاէѧߧ, ڧߧ֧ݧ֧ܧѧݧ֧ ڧԧѧߧ ߧ ߧӧ ԧݧ֧էߧ ܧ. ٧ ާާ֧ߧ ӧ֧ ҧݧڧ ߧӧ է֧اէ, ڧ٧֧٧ӧ է֧ߧѧ էѧݧڧ٧ާ ڧӧڧէߧ ߧ ߧ֧ѧ, ߧѧ֧֧ߧ ҧէڧ٧ާ ڧݧ٧ߧ.
?٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ާا է ѧ٧ӧڧӧ ѧާ է ܧԧѧ ѧӧ֧ߧ է ݧ֧էӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ߧڧ ާ ڧէѧ . ӧ֧ ߧ ާا ӧڧߧѧԧ է ѧܧ ֧֧ӧ֧ߧڧ ҧڧ է ߧѧާ֧ӧ, ٧ էҧ ڧݧ ٧ ٧ݧ. ӧ֧ ߧ֧֧ݧڧ, ڧާ ӧ٧ާاߧ է ߧѧާ֧, ߧ ܧ է ԧ ߧѧѧӧ. ӧ ߧܧԧ ާѧԧ, ߧܧԧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ߧ ӧ֧է. ֧٧ݧѧ ڧԧ է ֧էߧ ڧݧ է էԧ. ڧ ڧӧ֧ӧѧާ ߧѧާ֧ѧ ߧ ӧ֧ܧ, ܧԧѧ ڧԧ ӧ֧, ܧݧܧ ԧҧ, ߧѧڧѧާ ӧ ӧ֧ߧӧѧߧ ԧ֧, ߧ ܧԧѧ ֧֧ܧ ҧѧ֧, ӧݧ֧ߧڧ֧ ֧է֧ݧ ܧѧ ֧ԧ֧. ڧӧڧݧڧ٧ѧڧ ߧ֧ ڧ٧ܧӧ֧ߧ, ٧էѧէ֧ߧ ѧ. ܧ ߧ էӧݧ֧ӧ֧ߧ ߧ֧ ڧܧѧ է ӧߧѧ ҧѧߧ ܧ ڧէѧ. ѧڧڧߧ ѧܧ ߧѧ֧֧ߧڧ ӧ֧ާ֧ߧ֧ ԧ֧ ߧڧܧѧܧ ݧѧ ߧ ާا է ҧէ ܧѧ֧ӧ֧ ܧѧ ѧҧݧߧ ҧݧѧԧ, ߧ ܧѧ ݧ, ߧ ާѧ֧ڧѧݧߧѧ ѧߧ, اڧӧ ߧ էߧ֧ -էҧ ֧է ӧڧاէѧާ ڧ٧ߧѧ ٧ -ߧѧѧߧ էҧ֧ߧڧ. ѧӧ ߧѧ֧ ߧ֧էӧݧӧ ҧ ӧ٧֧ ߧ ӧӧ ҧ֧ߧ ڧݧߧ.
?٧֧ ڧߧ֧֧ӧ ѧܧڧ, ߧ ֧ߧڧ ݧԧڧ֧ܧ, ݧӧ֧ߧ, ֧էҧ֧է֧ߧ ߧ֧ݧߧ֧ߧߧ ڧ٧ѧ٧ڧ֧ݧ. ܧӧ֧ߧѧ ߧ ߧ ٧֧ ߧ֧֧էӧ֧ߧ ѧ, ߧ֧ԧӧѧ اڧ٧ߧ֧ߧ, ӧҧէ ڧԧڧߧѧݧߧ. ڧڧߧӧ, ܧѧܧ էԧ ֧ݧڧԧڧ, ԧӧ ާߧԧ ٧ ѧ ߧ ֧, ܧ֧ ߧ ӧڧߧѧԧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ ӧ֧ է ҧէ է֧. ٧֧ ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ է ߧ էߧ ӧӧݧڧѧߧ ڧߧ֧ݧ֧ܧѧݧߧ ѧاߧ֧ߧڧ, ߧڧ ӧ ڧݧܧ ѧ٧اէ֧ߧڧ, ܧڧ ֧ ҧ֧٧ާڧݧ֧ߧ ݧߧ ڧڧܧ.
? ԧѧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ߧ ާ֧ѧӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ ҧ֧ܧ, ܧѧ٧ӧѧާ, ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ ѧ, ܧէ֧ ߧ ֧ӧӧ ߧߧ ҧڧ֧.
ѧܧӧ ٧ߧѧ է ߧ ާ֧ѧӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ ҧ֧ܧ?
ӧ ٧ߧѧ է ߧ ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ էӧߧѧѧݧڧ֧ էҧ ٧ݧ, ֧ӧӧѧߧ ߧ֧֧ӧӧѧߧ, է ާѧ֧ڧ. ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ է ߧ ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ ѧ ڧݧ ߧ-ѧ, ߧڧ ܧ ڧݧ ߧ--ܧ. է֧ ߧ ֧ӧӧ ߧߧ ҧڧ֧, ѧ ڧڧߧܧѧ ҧڧ֧ ߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧.
(ߧڧ, ҧڧѧۧߧڧ ߧѧӧڧ ѧ ܧݧߧ ܧ էѧݧڧ٧ - .. ާ ѧ٧ҧ֧ ;) )
? ӧڧܧ ֧٧ ҧ֧է ҧݧѧԧ֧ڧӧ ֧ڧӧѧ ٧ ӧ֧֧ ӧӧѧ ٧֧ ӧڧاէ ߧ֧ ڧ٧ܧӧ֧ߧ. ?ӧ֧ߧڧ ۧԧ ߧ ڧԧѧ ߧڧӧѧߧ, ާߧѧڧ, ߧѧѧӧѧ ҧ֧ , ߧ ڧӧѧ ѧէѡ, ԧݧѧ ֧էڧ է٧֧-ڧߧڧڧ. ҧڧܧߧӧ֧ߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ ӧ ڧӧ֧ ߧ ҧڧ֧ڧ ާѧݧߧ ߧާ, ߧ ڧާ֧ߧߧ ܧڧ ڧڧߧѧ اڧ٧ߧ֧ߧ ߧ ٧֧. ٧֧ է ߧ ӧ֧ܧ. ٧֧ ӧӧ ӧ ӧ֧ߧѧ ާ ڧ էҧ. ڧܧ ߧѧڧݧӧ֧ߧ էҧѧӧ֧ߧ ڧݧ ߧ֧ է ߧѧѧӧ ߧ֧ԧӧѧ ݧ. ѧӧ ٧֧ ܧѧ֧ԧڧߧ ڧ ӧܧѧܧӧ ֧ݧڧԧڧ٧ߧ ݧӧߧ.
?ܧ ӧ֧ ӧ , ٧ է ڧ٧֧ ӧاէ֧ߧڧ ڧݧ ڧѧߧڧ, ٧ѧԧҧ֧. ٧֧ ӧ֧ ԧ ߧާ. է ѧ٧ ާݧѧߧڧ ߧ ӧӧ. ѧާܧ ߧ ٧֧ާ ާݧ, ѧ٧ߧѧݧ ӧ֧ ٧֧ ާݧ, ѧݧ ߧ ѧ٧ҧڧѧ ٧֧. ҧӧ է ܧڧ ߧܧѧܧ ߧѧڧ, ާݧѧߧڧ֧ ԧӧ է ҧէѧ ֧էߧ , .. ڧѧߧڧ֧ ӧاէ֧ߧڧ֧ է ֧էߧѧܧӧ -ӧڧ ާ ߧ ڧ٧ܧѧ.
?ѧ ڧէӧ ӧ֧ܧ ڧ٧ߧ֧ߧѧէӧѧ, ܧާ ܧԧѧ ֧ڧ, ڧ٧֧ѧ էܧѧ. ֧ݧڧԧڧ٧֧ ݧѧ ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ ߧӧ ѧاէѧߧ, ڧߧ֧ݧ֧ܧѧݧ֧ ڧԧѧߧ ߧ ߧӧ ԧݧ֧էߧ ܧ. ٧ ާާ֧ߧ ӧ֧ ҧݧڧ ߧӧ է֧اէ, ڧ٧֧٧ӧ է֧ߧѧ էѧݧڧ٧ާ ڧӧڧէߧ ߧ ߧ֧ѧ, ߧѧ֧֧ߧ ҧէڧ٧ާ ڧݧ٧ߧ.
?٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ާا է ѧ٧ӧڧӧ ѧާ է ܧԧѧ ѧӧ֧ߧ է ݧ֧էӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ߧڧ ާ ڧէѧ . ӧ֧ ߧ ާا ӧڧߧѧԧ է ѧܧ ֧֧ӧ֧ߧڧ ҧڧ է ߧѧާ֧ӧ, ٧ էҧ ڧݧ ٧ ٧ݧ. ӧ֧ ߧ֧֧ݧڧ, ڧާ ӧ٧ާاߧ է ߧѧާ֧, ߧ ܧ է ԧ ߧѧѧӧ. ӧ ߧܧԧ ާѧԧ, ߧܧԧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ߧ ӧ֧է. ֧٧ݧѧ ڧԧ է ֧էߧ ڧݧ է էԧ. ڧ ڧӧ֧ӧѧާ ߧѧާ֧ѧ ߧ ӧ֧ܧ, ܧԧѧ ڧԧ ӧ֧, ܧݧܧ ԧҧ, ߧѧڧѧާ ӧ ӧ֧ߧӧѧߧ ԧ֧, ߧ ܧԧѧ ֧֧ܧ ҧѧ֧, ӧݧ֧ߧڧ֧ ֧է֧ݧ ܧѧ ֧ԧ֧. ڧӧڧݧڧ٧ѧڧ ߧ֧ ڧ٧ܧӧ֧ߧ, ٧էѧէ֧ߧ ѧ. ܧ ߧ էӧݧ֧ӧ֧ߧ ߧ֧ ڧܧѧ է ӧߧѧ ҧѧߧ ܧ ڧէѧ. ѧڧڧߧ ѧܧ ߧѧ֧֧ߧڧ ӧ֧ާ֧ߧ֧ ԧ֧ ߧڧܧѧܧ ݧѧ ߧ ާا է ҧէ ܧѧ֧ӧ֧ ܧѧ ѧҧݧߧ ҧݧѧԧ, ߧ ܧѧ ݧ, ߧ ާѧ֧ڧѧݧߧѧ ѧߧ, اڧӧ ߧ էߧ֧ -էҧ ֧է ӧڧاէѧާ ڧ٧ߧѧ ٧ -ߧѧѧߧ էҧ֧ߧڧ. ѧӧ ߧѧ֧ ߧ֧էӧݧӧ ҧ ӧ٧֧ ߧ ӧӧ ҧ֧ߧ ڧݧߧ.
?٧֧ ڧߧ֧֧ӧ ѧܧڧ, ߧ ֧ߧڧ ݧԧڧ֧ܧ, ݧӧ֧ߧ, ֧էҧ֧է֧ߧ ߧ֧ݧߧ֧ߧߧ ڧ٧ѧ٧ڧ֧ݧ. ܧӧ֧ߧѧ ߧ ߧ ٧֧ ߧ֧֧էӧ֧ߧ ѧ, ߧ֧ԧӧѧ اڧ٧ߧ֧ߧ, ӧҧէ ڧԧڧߧѧݧߧ. ڧڧߧӧ, ܧѧܧ էԧ ֧ݧڧԧڧ, ԧӧ ާߧԧ ٧ ѧ ߧ ֧, ܧ֧ ߧ ӧڧߧѧԧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ ӧ֧ է ҧէ է֧. ٧֧ ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ է ߧ էߧ ӧӧݧڧѧߧ ڧߧ֧ݧ֧ܧѧݧߧ ѧاߧ֧ߧڧ, ߧڧ ӧ ڧݧܧ ѧ٧اէ֧ߧڧ, ܧڧ ֧ ҧ֧٧ާڧݧ֧ߧ ݧߧ ڧڧܧ.
? ԧѧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧ ߧ ާ֧ѧӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ ҧ֧ܧ, ܧѧ٧ӧѧާ, ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ ѧ, ܧէ֧ ߧ ֧ӧӧ ߧߧ ҧڧ֧.
ѧܧӧ ٧ߧѧ է ߧ ާ֧ѧӧ ֧է֧ݧ֧ ҧ֧ܧ?
ӧ ٧ߧѧ է ߧ ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ էӧߧѧѧݧڧ֧ էҧ ٧ݧ, ֧ӧӧѧߧ ߧ֧֧ӧӧѧߧ, է ާѧ֧ڧ. ӧ ٧ߧѧѧӧ է ߧ ֧ҧڧӧѧӧ ѧ ڧݧ ߧ-ѧ, ߧڧ ܧ ڧݧ ߧ--ܧ. է֧ ߧ ֧ӧӧ ߧߧ ҧڧ֧, ѧ ڧڧߧܧѧ ҧڧ֧ ߧ ٧ߧѧߧڧ֧.
May 18, 2017
Most people seem to be familiar with a few aspects of Zen Buddhism, first popularized in the west a half century ago by beat writers such as Allan Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. J. D. Salinger added to the mix with his mention of the Zen koan question - what is the sound of one hand clapping.? Suzuki's short introduction predates these writers by decades and gives a short and informative commentary on the precepts of Zen Buddhism.
One of the most important things to understand about Zen Buddhism is that it tries to show that humans live psychologically or biologically, and not logically. It's true, of course, that logic is used in every aspect of our practical lives, particularly in the west, a civilization based on the logic of science. Science works with space and time, and Suzuki writes, "So long as one is conscious of space and time, Zen will keep a respectable distance from you."
I think he means a type of self-consciousness which is far too invested in categories, in distinctions that slide into a way of using our brains that is all too logical. If we want to get to the bottom of life, to go beyond categories, distinctions, and syllogisms, then we have to develop a new way of observing and being a part of life. This new way attacks logic; there is more to life than thinking logically. Speaking poetically, Suzuki writes, "Life, according to Zen, ought to be lived as a bird flies through the air or a fish swims in the water." Only humans live, aware of themselves.
One way to begin to break down the reliance of logic is through the use of koans, questions or riddles that seem to have no answer. Examples: "empty-handed I go, and behold, the spade is in my hands," "I walk on foot and yet on the back of an ox I am riding," "if you should meet the Buddha on the road, kill him," "what is the fundamental principle of Buddhism? Answer: how high those bamboos are, how short are those others." The lists of koans proliferate endlessly.
Their purpose is to question the value of words and ideas which have no place in the real understanding of Zen. In that respect, all of the words that I've written so far won't get anyone very far in understanding Zen. What every practitioner of Zen hopes to achieve is "satori", an enlightenment which cannot be described in words.
What it tries to do is to upend all of the accumulations of intellect and awaken a sense which sees the world from a whole new perspective. That perspective will be "more satisfying, more peaceful, and more full of joy" than anything ever experienced before. Satori comes not as something that can be willed into existence, but as a state of awareness that simply appears when the person is ready for it. It may come quickly, or it may take a life time or it may never come.
Well, as you can see in having read this far, there is no easy way to pin down Zen Buddhism. In a sense, all of these words I've just logically written lead away from it but they also point toward it. Another koan-like paradox.
One of the most important things to understand about Zen Buddhism is that it tries to show that humans live psychologically or biologically, and not logically. It's true, of course, that logic is used in every aspect of our practical lives, particularly in the west, a civilization based on the logic of science. Science works with space and time, and Suzuki writes, "So long as one is conscious of space and time, Zen will keep a respectable distance from you."
I think he means a type of self-consciousness which is far too invested in categories, in distinctions that slide into a way of using our brains that is all too logical. If we want to get to the bottom of life, to go beyond categories, distinctions, and syllogisms, then we have to develop a new way of observing and being a part of life. This new way attacks logic; there is more to life than thinking logically. Speaking poetically, Suzuki writes, "Life, according to Zen, ought to be lived as a bird flies through the air or a fish swims in the water." Only humans live, aware of themselves.
One way to begin to break down the reliance of logic is through the use of koans, questions or riddles that seem to have no answer. Examples: "empty-handed I go, and behold, the spade is in my hands," "I walk on foot and yet on the back of an ox I am riding," "if you should meet the Buddha on the road, kill him," "what is the fundamental principle of Buddhism? Answer: how high those bamboos are, how short are those others." The lists of koans proliferate endlessly.
Their purpose is to question the value of words and ideas which have no place in the real understanding of Zen. In that respect, all of the words that I've written so far won't get anyone very far in understanding Zen. What every practitioner of Zen hopes to achieve is "satori", an enlightenment which cannot be described in words.
What it tries to do is to upend all of the accumulations of intellect and awaken a sense which sees the world from a whole new perspective. That perspective will be "more satisfying, more peaceful, and more full of joy" than anything ever experienced before. Satori comes not as something that can be willed into existence, but as a state of awareness that simply appears when the person is ready for it. It may come quickly, or it may take a life time or it may never come.
Well, as you can see in having read this far, there is no easy way to pin down Zen Buddhism. In a sense, all of these words I've just logically written lead away from it but they also point toward it. Another koan-like paradox.
June 21, 2021
It's funny how many different introductions and beginner friendly texts on Buddhism I've read and how much they work to respect thousands of years of history and tradition while keeping everything sensible enough for a Westerner who can't read a syllable of those funky Indian names
and then... there's this book. I've read a bit of D.T. Suzuki before and found the same problems, before I'd really come enamoured with Buddhism in general. I'm not sure if Suzuki is a terrible mouthpiece for Zen or if Zen is just stupid. A recurring feature of other Buddhist primers is the religion's decentering of faith, in that one is expected to rely on one's Kantian reason a bit more than trust authority and dogma, including citing the Buddha himself.
Suzuki notes that all the great Zen masters didn't agree with each other, but also continually states that Zen cannot be described in words, such as his book might attempt, and that it involves a departure from typical structures of logic, cause and effect, which means that really everything I find dumb, unconvincing and contradictory about Zen is on me, and if I'm interested in the path, I just ought to take the leap of faith. This really goes against the sensibility that brought me to read the text in general. I seemed to have been much more fond of the cultural image of Zen than the reality from an authority. Nobody ever tells you how insipid many Zen koans sound. I understand frustration is part of the process, but I'm a sympathetic reader and I still think this book fails in doing anything other than preaching to the converted. No other Buddhist practice I've encountered seems to couch itself in so many lofty airs while virtue signalling on their austere asceticism.
I'm willing to take one more chance on Zen but will avoid ol' D.T., who, writing in the 1930s, might've been sucking too many farts of Imperial Japan to be anything but distant and superior. I know it partially defeats the purpose of religion to "debate" it in an athiestic way, so I will again stress that I am essentially looking for the right kind of Buddhism for me right now -- there's a lot I accept already. Were I not already in Japan I'd have given up on Zen already. Third time's the charm?
and then... there's this book. I've read a bit of D.T. Suzuki before and found the same problems, before I'd really come enamoured with Buddhism in general. I'm not sure if Suzuki is a terrible mouthpiece for Zen or if Zen is just stupid. A recurring feature of other Buddhist primers is the religion's decentering of faith, in that one is expected to rely on one's Kantian reason a bit more than trust authority and dogma, including citing the Buddha himself.
Suzuki notes that all the great Zen masters didn't agree with each other, but also continually states that Zen cannot be described in words, such as his book might attempt, and that it involves a departure from typical structures of logic, cause and effect, which means that really everything I find dumb, unconvincing and contradictory about Zen is on me, and if I'm interested in the path, I just ought to take the leap of faith. This really goes against the sensibility that brought me to read the text in general. I seemed to have been much more fond of the cultural image of Zen than the reality from an authority. Nobody ever tells you how insipid many Zen koans sound. I understand frustration is part of the process, but I'm a sympathetic reader and I still think this book fails in doing anything other than preaching to the converted. No other Buddhist practice I've encountered seems to couch itself in so many lofty airs while virtue signalling on their austere asceticism.
I'm willing to take one more chance on Zen but will avoid ol' D.T., who, writing in the 1930s, might've been sucking too many farts of Imperial Japan to be anything but distant and superior. I know it partially defeats the purpose of religion to "debate" it in an athiestic way, so I will again stress that I am essentially looking for the right kind of Buddhism for me right now -- there's a lot I accept already. Were I not already in Japan I'd have given up on Zen already. Third time's the charm?
April 4, 2016
??????????????? ????????? ??????????.????? ??????? ?????? ??? ????????,?????? ???? ??? ?? ??????????? ?????????,?? ?? ???? ????????? ???????(??????? ????????,?????????????,?????????,????????????,??????????? ??????,??????? ?????????????? ????????? ????? ????????????? ?? ?????????????,??????? ?? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ?? ????????? ???????????),??????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?? ???????????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ?????????????,????????? ?????????????( /book/show/2...-- ?????????? ????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????????????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ???? ????????????? ????????????? ??????? ????????,???? ???????? ???????? ????????? ?? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ??????????) ?? ?????????????????( /book/show/2...-- ?? ?????? ????????????? ???????? ???? ????,????? ?????????? ????????????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????)
?? ?????? ??? ???????? ???????????? ?? ???????? ?????? ?????? -
????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?????,?????,?????????,???????(?????? ??? ??????) ???????????? ??????????? ????????????? ?? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????,?????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ????????????? ????,??????? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????????.
??????? ????? ???????????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ???????,????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????.
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????? ?? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?? ?????? ???????? ????????? ?????,?????,?????????,???????(?????? ??? ??????) ???????????? ??????????? ????????????? ?? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????,?????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ????????????? ????,??????? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????????.
??????? ????? ???????????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ???????,????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????.
December 2, 2023
i love this shit
August 23, 2021
?? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ? ??????? ??? ?????. ?? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ? ?? ???? ????????. ???? ???? ?????? ???. ?? ?? ???? ? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ? ??? ????? ??? ?? ?? ????. ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???. ????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????. ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ????. ???? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?????????? ? ????? ???? ?? ? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ? ???? ???? ?? ? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ???. ?????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???.
??? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ?? ???. ??? ?? ?????? ????? ? ??????? ???. ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???. ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ? ????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ????. ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ? ??????? ???. ???? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????????. ???? ??????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???????.
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??? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ?? ???. ??? ?? ?????? ????? ? ??????? ???. ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???. ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ? ????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ????. ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ? ??????? ???. ???? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????????. ???? ??????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???????.
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?. ?: ????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??. ???? ?? ???? ??? ? ?? ????? ???. ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????. ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????. ?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ???????. ?? ?????? ???? ????.
March 4, 2023
nic nie zrozumia?am
December 12, 2023
A rather detailed and intricate description of Zen practices, including meditation postures and the philosophy and history around Zen. A good read for someone serious about practising Zen. If you are merely curious or want a more high level overview, there are other simpler options such as Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
Want to read
September 26, 2009I`m still in Japan now,and I just bought this book from a local bookstore called Junku-do in Ikebukuro. It`s funny that the more I read Heidegger`s Being and Time, the more I think that postmodern theology is close to the doctrine and practise of Japanese Zen Buddhism. For example Zen teaches that life must be freed from any purpose or meaning, it teaches not any notion about personal God nor sacred community. Daily life is spiritual.
For me all of this resembles Heidegger`s idea of ontical dimension of Dasein, where the meaning of being is partly derived from our engagement with `the furnitures of the world` which is daily life. It`s also similar to the concept of `Natural Supernaturalism` of the Romantic movement in Western Literature.
My last week trip to some Zen temples in Kyoto also somewhat persuaded me to think that the Japs have their own glory & pride of their Zen-ness [Garden, ikebana, samurai & tea ceremony:], something we just can`t nullify by simplistic religios jargon & blanket conceptualization. Hmm...I wonder as I wander though it`s not Christmas yet...
For me all of this resembles Heidegger`s idea of ontical dimension of Dasein, where the meaning of being is partly derived from our engagement with `the furnitures of the world` which is daily life. It`s also similar to the concept of `Natural Supernaturalism` of the Romantic movement in Western Literature.
My last week trip to some Zen temples in Kyoto also somewhat persuaded me to think that the Japs have their own glory & pride of their Zen-ness [Garden, ikebana, samurai & tea ceremony:], something we just can`t nullify by simplistic religios jargon & blanket conceptualization. Hmm...I wonder as I wander though it`s not Christmas yet...
May 3, 2008
"The truth is, Zen is extremely elusive as far as its outward aspects are concerned; when you think you have caught a glimpse of it, it is no more there; from afar it looks so approachable, but as soon as you come near it you see it even further away from you than before." - D. T. Suzuki
"Personal experinece, therefore, is everything in Zen." - D. T. Suzuki
"Zen is provokingly evasive." - D. T. Suzuki
"This quietude and silence, however, does not point to mere idleness or inactivity." - D. T. Suzuki
"Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of one's own mind. We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way." - D. T. Suzuki
"Personal experinece, therefore, is everything in Zen." - D. T. Suzuki
"Zen is provokingly evasive." - D. T. Suzuki
"This quietude and silence, however, does not point to mere idleness or inactivity." - D. T. Suzuki
"Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out of one's own mind. We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way." - D. T. Suzuki
January 7, 2016
Perhaps the most readable of Suzuki's treatises on Zen (thus the term "Introduction"). Clear and surprisingly humorous and instant, just like Zen itself. Suzuki takes great care to form an ethos out of the parables. These modern lessons run the risk of seeming like a bygone era, but they would serve us especially well in the here and now.
The unexpected but rigorous becoming of bliss.
The unexpected but rigorous becoming of bliss.
January 30, 2012
Aside from The Way of Chuang Tzu, the only book on spirituality I've read that didn't make me want to laugh or hurl. Zen is like one hand clapping, only louder. What else can I say? It's Zen, bitches.
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