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November 14, 2010

The first church of Zen

   I sometimes think American Zen centers are becoming more like Christian
   churches.  There is the flock, otherwise called the “Sangha” and the
   minister, the Zen master wearing his twenty pounds of robes who leads
   his flock in chanting the Heart Sutra and doing shikantaza (lit. just
   sitting).  The only “book” the Zen master reveres is Dogen Zenji’s
   Shobogenzo (lit. “Treasury of the True Dharma Eye”).  We can think of
   it as the New Testament of Zen—not Old Testament Zen, the sources for
   which are mainly Chinese and Indian.

   The only sacrament is doing shikantaza; always remembering that
   practice and Buddhahood are one and the same thing.  Each parishioner
   is instructed to do shikantaza as mindlessly as they can manage; in
   other words, do not use the frontal lobe which, by the way, is an
   important part of the brain noted for such executive functions as
   suppressing unacceptable social behavior, recognizing future
   consequences, and choosing between wholesome and unwholesome actions,
   to name just a few.

   The more a Zen parishioner does shikantaza the more Buddha they
   become.  If a person can manage to do shikantaza for only ten minutes
   before their back gives out—that is ten minutes of Buddhahood!  Faith
   in the efficacy of shikantaza to make us Buddhas just by sitting, I
   can’t stress enough, is as important to Zen as the Nicene Creed is to
   Christianity which still serves, to this day, as a measuring rod of
   orthodox faith which, incidentally, pretty much rubbed out the mystical
   side of Christianity.

   One of the great Saints of the modern Zen church, Zen master Dainin
   Katagiri, helps us to see where the new Zen church with its New
   Testament are heading.  Pay careful attention to his words, Katagiri
   seems to be suggesting that the Buddha’s words are not to be believed
   completely lest we fall into the trap of mysticism.  (Italics are
   mine.)

   “Buddhist faith includes understanding, practice and realization.  It
   is not a belief; it is not something that seems to be true, mentioned
   by somebody else.  Dogen Zenji warns us not to believe Buddha’s or the
   ancestors’ messages as the truth completely.  Even the Buddha and
   ancestors can make a mistake.  This doesn’t mean you should be arrogant
   and create Buddha’s teaching as you like.  We should accept the
   Buddha’s and ancestor’s teachings, but still keep our eyes open.  This
   is very important, because it’s pretty easy to fall into the trap of
   mysticism; there are lots of things we cannot know.  But if we totally
   accept something we don’t know, it becomes clear for us.  This is our
   practice: faith is to make the mind clear and pure” (Katagiri,
   Returning to Silence, p. 132).

   We can’t help but note that when Katagiri says, “But if we totally
   accept something we don’t know, it becomes clear for us,” his words
   chime almost perfectly with the Christian Tertullian who said:  “It is
   believable because it is absurd, true because it is impossible.”
   Besides other remarkable thoughts by Katagiri that faith is not belief,
   one cannot help but be amazed that faith alone will make the defiled
   mind clear and pure; thus we avoid the mystical trap of having to
   actually realize pure Mind.  We just sit, in other words.  Faith belief
   alone shall save thee.


   Posted at 09:52 AM in Buddhism, Christianity, Religion, Weblogs, yoga,
   Zen | Permalink

Comments

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   Jundo I think you misunderstand. Shikantaza as taught in modern
   japanese soto Zen (and the west) is unauthentic crap - as are it's
   practitioners. Try (if you dare) to deeply penetrate a real koan and
   stop wasting your time.

   Posted by: James | November 20, 2010 at 01:36 PM

   Hi,

   I think you misunderstand and mischaracterize Shikantaza, at least as I
   have ever found taught. We do not ignore the Sutras, but bring them to
   life ... on and off the Zafu which has no "on" or "off".

   Seems that Katagiri was saying that we do not just believe the Buddha's
   teachings, but "realize" them (realize, as "make real, bring to life").
   Don't need to believe everything you read, however. If you want to
   argue that all of the 1001 Suttas and Sutras are right while none are
   wrong (or at least, apply to some people in some situatons ... not to
   each and every situation ... the ol' Skilful Means view), then why are
   they filled with such seemingly contradictory positions,
   recommendations and statements? Someone has to be wrong.

   Thus, in a moment of Shikantaza, all such is pierced, transcended,
   revived, made to walk in the world on solid ground. We walk right, seek
   not to head wrong ... all while "right" and "wrong" are no longer the
   issue!

   Gassho, Jundo

   Posted by: Jundo Cohen | November 15, 2010 at 11:04 PM

   How do you use your frontal lobe when meditating? (I ask sincerely..)

   Posted by: Account Deleted | November 15, 2010 at 08:59 AM

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