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Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series
Included in this volume are Suzuki’s famous study “Enlightenment and Ignorance,” a chapter on “Practical Methods of Zen Instruction,” the essays “On Satori - The Revelation of a New Truth in Zen Buddhism” and “History of Zen Buddhism from Bodhidharma to Hui-NÍng (Yeno),” and his commentary on “The Ten Cow-herding Pictures” which have long been used in Zen to illustrate the stages of spiritual progress.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1925
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About the author
D.T. Suzuki
315 books441 followersDaisetsu Teitaro Suzuki (鈴木 大拙 貞太郎 Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarō; rendered "Daisetz" after 1893) was Professor of Buddhist philosophies at Ōtani 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 16, 2023
Zen is the school of Buddhism prevailing in Japan and in China, where it is called Chan. Zen itself is divided into multiple subgroups with a variety of interpretations. However, in the broad sense, it is considered as the Mahayana branch in distinction to the Hinayana branch, the latter prevailing in other countries such as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The fact that Zen was a Chinese interpretation added to a multitude of existent schools, led some to question whether Zen is a Buddhist school or not. This profound objection raised to the fundamental nature of Zen was even more exacerbated by the fact that it introduced concepts which do not prevail in other schools and even sometimes seem directly contrary to their premises.
To answer these questions, the author goes back to the fundamental essence of the Buddhist teachings, which is the enlightenment by putting an end to ignorance. This ultimate objective of the discipline is the same, but while crossing over to China, the language, and the method with which the teaching was handed had to be adapted to the new environment. In fact, according to the author, the metaphysical ingenuity and intellectual brilliance of the Indian people was dropped and replaced by the practical and industrious nature of the Chinese people. This was the major transformation that had to occur and that made Zen the school we know today.
To be more concrete, the Hinayana schools puts a large emphasis on the study of the texts in an intellectual sense, an approach with potentially harmful results. In fact, one of the features of ignorance is the tendency of the human mind to intellectualize what it perceives. In this manner, the mind is trapped in endless intellectual gymnastics in which an idea is only present to be replaced by another idea in an instant. The Buddhist way was from the first place, a way of escape from the miseries of intellectualism, and its teaching transcends the relative and unstable truth of logic which always disguises itself in the form of a universal truth.
By their practical sense, the Chinese tried to drop as much as was possible from this intellectual emphasis, they proposed that the truth is in the real world, and the discipline should be one that is inseparable from the real world. Even the higher truth is in the real world too. Disciples are not to isolate themselves in scholarly discussions and lofty meditation states, but they are to live and practice among the world and its objects, which will show them the way to truth.
Two other important characteristics of the Zen are those of buddha-Nature and instant enlightenment. Contrary to most Buddhist schools, the Zen followers do not believe that disciples advance slowly on a path which transforms them from ignorant humans to liberated sages. In fact, we are all not only liberated sages, but Buddhas, the problem is that leading a life of delusion caused by senses and thoughts made us forget our true nature and create a huge distance from it. But the fundamental truth is that we are all buddhas in Nature. So, to go back to our buddha Nature we need only an instant to remember and retrieve what was lost, rather than a long path of practice. That is the idea of instant enlightenment, however, the instant is not that easy to find, the rigorous search should be carried in the most practical sense of the term and in the most unusual and unpredicted places.
To illustrate this sense of practicality, a multitude of stories and anecdotes about the Zen masters and their disciples are told. To the newcomer, they seem paradoxical, annoyingly repetitive, and absurd. However, they are in fact designed to provide a path to the breaking away of the vicious cycle, powered by the habitual workings of the human mind. Sometimes the masters even use violence and cruelty, in a way that seems beyond the scope of our understanding, yet the teaching continued for centuries, flourished, and survived when other schools lost their spiritual vitality or failed to adapt. For the author, it is a sign of the unique genius and demonstrated creativity that will always distinguish Zen not only from other Buddhist schools but from most spiritual teachings in other religions too.
To answer these questions, the author goes back to the fundamental essence of the Buddhist teachings, which is the enlightenment by putting an end to ignorance. This ultimate objective of the discipline is the same, but while crossing over to China, the language, and the method with which the teaching was handed had to be adapted to the new environment. In fact, according to the author, the metaphysical ingenuity and intellectual brilliance of the Indian people was dropped and replaced by the practical and industrious nature of the Chinese people. This was the major transformation that had to occur and that made Zen the school we know today.
To be more concrete, the Hinayana schools puts a large emphasis on the study of the texts in an intellectual sense, an approach with potentially harmful results. In fact, one of the features of ignorance is the tendency of the human mind to intellectualize what it perceives. In this manner, the mind is trapped in endless intellectual gymnastics in which an idea is only present to be replaced by another idea in an instant. The Buddhist way was from the first place, a way of escape from the miseries of intellectualism, and its teaching transcends the relative and unstable truth of logic which always disguises itself in the form of a universal truth.
By their practical sense, the Chinese tried to drop as much as was possible from this intellectual emphasis, they proposed that the truth is in the real world, and the discipline should be one that is inseparable from the real world. Even the higher truth is in the real world too. Disciples are not to isolate themselves in scholarly discussions and lofty meditation states, but they are to live and practice among the world and its objects, which will show them the way to truth.
Two other important characteristics of the Zen are those of buddha-Nature and instant enlightenment. Contrary to most Buddhist schools, the Zen followers do not believe that disciples advance slowly on a path which transforms them from ignorant humans to liberated sages. In fact, we are all not only liberated sages, but Buddhas, the problem is that leading a life of delusion caused by senses and thoughts made us forget our true nature and create a huge distance from it. But the fundamental truth is that we are all buddhas in Nature. So, to go back to our buddha Nature we need only an instant to remember and retrieve what was lost, rather than a long path of practice. That is the idea of instant enlightenment, however, the instant is not that easy to find, the rigorous search should be carried in the most practical sense of the term and in the most unusual and unpredicted places.
To illustrate this sense of practicality, a multitude of stories and anecdotes about the Zen masters and their disciples are told. To the newcomer, they seem paradoxical, annoyingly repetitive, and absurd. However, they are in fact designed to provide a path to the breaking away of the vicious cycle, powered by the habitual workings of the human mind. Sometimes the masters even use violence and cruelty, in a way that seems beyond the scope of our understanding, yet the teaching continued for centuries, flourished, and survived when other schools lost their spiritual vitality or failed to adapt. For the author, it is a sign of the unique genius and demonstrated creativity that will always distinguish Zen not only from other Buddhist schools but from most spiritual teachings in other religions too.
August 4, 2016
I recommend this book to those interested in zen
A book on Zen is only valuable if it gets you closer to the path to enlightenment (satori). There's little intellectualizing one can do on the topic of zen before the logic becomes circuitous, and indeed all intellectualizing, however little, moves you farther away from the point into contradiction and confusion. Herein lies the intrinsic irony in Zen literature and highlights the author's suffering in bringing this book to us. Historical dialogue between monks and masters, and the overall repetition of the basic concept throughout the book captures the essence of zen in its simplicity. Readers looking for more are missing the point entirely; that's right in front of them.
A book on Zen is only valuable if it gets you closer to the path to enlightenment (satori). There's little intellectualizing one can do on the topic of zen before the logic becomes circuitous, and indeed all intellectualizing, however little, moves you farther away from the point into contradiction and confusion. Herein lies the intrinsic irony in Zen literature and highlights the author's suffering in bringing this book to us. Historical dialogue between monks and masters, and the overall repetition of the basic concept throughout the book captures the essence of zen in its simplicity. Readers looking for more are missing the point entirely; that's right in front of them.
June 6, 2021
Essays in Zen Buddhism by D. T. Suzuki
This book was first published in 1949. But then, what is time?
I am a curious person, that is why reading appeals to me so much. I also am curious about different belief systems that people have created to sustain their need for answers. I can attest that this book completely satisfied my curiosity about Zen Buddhism. If you want a rich, thorough, interesting and well-written account of Zen Buddhism I strongly recommend this book. Not only does Prof. Suzuki provide a detailed history of the development of Zen Buddhism - from Buddhism’s arrival in China until the modern times - he relates it using anecdotes and teachings from the various “masters” as it developed.
Beyond the historical interest in the book I came away feeling that, inasmuch as it is possible, the author helped me understand the foundation of the spiritual thought that underlies Zen Buddhism. Of course, my capacity to understand this is severely limited, because according to Prof. Suzuki: “While without language we may fare worse at least in our practical life, we must guard ourselves most deliberately against our trusting it too much beyond its legitimate office. The Sutra gives the main reason for this, which is that language is the product of causal dependence subject to change, unsteady, mutually conditioned, and based on false judgement as to the true nature of consciousness. For this reason language cannot reveal to us the ultimate signification of things.” (p. 72) So naturally I am limited in my ability to truly explain what I read.
To state it a little less “tongue in cheek,” I did come away feeling like I at least knew more about what it took to attain the ultimate level of spirituality. I also realized that reaching that level required a great deal of sacrifice. Since Zen doesn’t fall within my belief system it is not likely I’ll be taking that route - but the book was enlightening in that regard (no pun intended). For instance, I felt that when Prof. Suzuki rendered this quote from a Zen master, I had a good grasp on the idea of what devotees of this sect of Buddhism were aiming for: “My master had no special instruction to give; he simply insisted upon the need of our seeing into our own nature through our own efforts; he had nothing to do with meditation, or with deliverance. For whatever can be named leads to dualism, and Buddhism is not dualistic. To take hold of this non-duality of truth is the aim of Zen. The nature of which we are all in possession, and seeing into which constitutes Zen, is indivisible into such oppositions as good and evil, eternal and temporal, material and spiritual. To see dualism in life is due to the confusion of thought; the wise, the enlightened, see into the reality of things unhampered by erroneous ideas.” (p. 212) I do endorse making the effort to see into one’s own nature through one’s own efforts. If that happens to lead you to the non-dualistic way of thinking and you find happiness (which I guess is also dualistic) then more power to you. I confess to being a bit stuck because, as much as I would like for it to be true, no matter how enlightened I am personally, the weapons manufacturers are still out their eating caviar on their yacht, washed in the gore of millions - so I, perhaps to my ultimate demise, cannot relate to the non-duality concept. I’m stuck in my illusion of reality - I suppose. But I digress.
I did find some thoughts and one poem from the book delightful and thought provoking. I fell back to a realization that the language of poets is another means of trying to pry some meaning out of life, thought, emotion and human relations. So, in this way, I could relate to aspects of the life of a Zen philosopher and the learning Prof. Suzuki brought forth. Here is a sample of a few that appealed to me:
“As rainwater that has fallen on a mountain ridge runs down on all sides, thus does he who sees a difference between qualities run after them on all sides. As pure water poured into pure water remains the same,...., thus is the self of a thinker who knows.” (p. 125)
“However deep your knowledge of abstruse philosophy, it is like a piece of hair placed in the vastness of space; and however important your experience in things worldly, it is like a drop of water thrown into an unfathomable abyss.” (p. 247 quoting a master named Tokusan)
“It all depends upon the adjustment of the hinge whether the door opens in or out.” (p. 264)
“The bamboo shadows are sweeping the stairs,
But no dust is stirred;
The moonlight penetrates deep in the bottom of the pool,
But no trace is left in the water.” (p. 352)
What I like about these quotes is their use of symbolism and metaphor. What they say makes sense to my mind. Of course it is this kind of intellection, according to the book, that is contrary to the path to enlightenment. As I understand it, Prof. Suzuki seems to explain that we cannot think and reason our way logically to enlightenment. He explains, “But the very fact that such questions are raised and constantly threaten one's spiritual peace shows that they are not idle metaphysical problems to be solved by professional philosophers, but that they are addressed directly to ones inmost soul, which must struggle and make effort to subdue them by a higher and deeper power native to itself - far higher and deeper than mere dialectic of cognition.” (p. 153) This book is an excellent primer on the history of ideas underlying Zen Buddhism - but if you seek the ultimate enlightenment by reading this book you will not find it in these pages. Nor in any pages of any book. You will only find it within yourself. I guess that comports with one thing I do hold true: a goal of being at peace with yourself and those around you is worthy of effort. But as I understand it, from this book, this is not Zen.
“The truth has many avenues of approach through which it makes itself known to the human mind. But the choice it makes depends on certain limitations under which it works.” (p. 116)
I hope you get the opportunity to read this book.
August 5, 2022
Mulle jäi kahjuks suurem osa sellest raamatust külmaks. See on ebavajalikult keeruline ja korduv. Ütleksin ka, et tema nägemus budismi alastest põhitõdedest on minu jaoks küsitletav. Arvasin alguses, et see ongi lihtsalt rinzai ja sōto koolkondade erinev nägemus buddha õpetusest. Tegelikult ( nii palju kui ma aru olen saanud ) on nende kahe koolkonna erinevus rohkem praktikas, kui üldises filosoofias. Olles lugenud nüüd veel paari zeni-alast raamatut, kus autor annab ka oma arvamuse Suzuki filosoofiast olen nüüd kindlam, et see millest Suzuki räägib omab küll ühist osa zeniga, aga kaldub rohkem tema enda personaalse filosoofia poole. Kindlasti on sellel ka omakorda ajalooline kontekst, zen budismi koos bushidoga propageeriti ju jaapani fašistide poolt sõduritele personaalseks eetiliseks süsteemiks, mida tihti võeti kasutusele õigustamaks neid mitmeid jõledusi, mida korda saadeti. Suzuki oli teadatuntud jaapani fašismi toetaja, ning olevat ka poolehoidu näidanud Hitlerile. Seda on ka läbi näha Suzuki kirjutistest, kus ta käsitleb Satorit ( virgumine) sügava ekstaasina, mille kogeija kaotab oma meelest kogu dualistliku käistluse oma kogemusest.
Siit tulebki minu arvates peamine vastuolu tema seisukohal ühe kõige fundamentaalsema budistliku põhitõega, see on: personaalne vastutus. Kui mina olen ainult kosmiline virrvarr kelle nuga täiesti juhuslikult läbi kosmilise mängu sinu kõhtu satub, siis pole ju lõppude lõpuks üldse hull lugu kui sa ära peaksid surema .Terve raamatu jooksul ei märganud ma kordagi, et ta sügavamalt käsitlenud personaalset vastutust kõigi olendite ees ( st teha nii, et neil oleks vōimalikult vähe kannatust ), mida inimene ette võtab budistlikule teele minnes.
Ülejäänud raamatust oli suht meh. Tema esseed zeni ajaloost olid vb kōige huvitavamad. Kuid ka need olid lihtsalt liiga absurdselt keeruliselt kirjutatud. Ta tõi liiga palju nimesid , tsitaate ja koane, et oli peaaegu võimatu lõpuks aru saada kõige elementaarsematest faktidest zeni kohta, mida tema akadeemikuna kindlasti teadis.
Jaa tema raamatud on läbi aegade olnud laiale publikule kõige kättesaadavamad raamatud zeni ja üldisema budismi alal. Kui minna eestis voi valismaal kuhugile raamatupoodi siis peamised raamatud zeni alal ongi tema kirjutatud.
Siit tulebki minu arvates peamine vastuolu tema seisukohal ühe kõige fundamentaalsema budistliku põhitõega, see on: personaalne vastutus. Kui mina olen ainult kosmiline virrvarr kelle nuga täiesti juhuslikult läbi kosmilise mängu sinu kõhtu satub, siis pole ju lõppude lõpuks üldse hull lugu kui sa ära peaksid surema .Terve raamatu jooksul ei märganud ma kordagi, et ta sügavamalt käsitlenud personaalset vastutust kõigi olendite ees ( st teha nii, et neil oleks vōimalikult vähe kannatust ), mida inimene ette võtab budistlikule teele minnes.
Ülejäänud raamatust oli suht meh. Tema esseed zeni ajaloost olid vb kōige huvitavamad. Kuid ka need olid lihtsalt liiga absurdselt keeruliselt kirjutatud. Ta tõi liiga palju nimesid , tsitaate ja koane, et oli peaaegu võimatu lõpuks aru saada kõige elementaarsematest faktidest zeni kohta, mida tema akadeemikuna kindlasti teadis.
Jaa tema raamatud on läbi aegade olnud laiale publikule kõige kättesaadavamad raamatud zeni ja üldisema budismi alal. Kui minna eestis voi valismaal kuhugile raamatupoodi siis peamised raamatud zeni alal ongi tema kirjutatud.
February 10, 2024
zen masters are trolls lol
December 1, 2013
As a pioneering work, D. T. Suzuki’s Essays in Zen Buddhism (First Series) deserves a five. I’ve rated it a couple rungs lower because I found it tough to plow through. First published in London in 1927, it contributed to Suzuki’s well-deserved reputation as the foremost exponent of Zen Buddhism in the West. It’s been on my “to read” list since 1969. At that time, I found it impenetrable. But I hoped these many years later to approach it with a greater depth of funded experience, and to take my understanding of Zen, and my appreciation for Zen, to a new level. I was able to stick it out cover-to-cover. But, sad to say, I didn’t gain much in the way of understanding or appreciation—though, to be sure, what I already have by way of Zen understanding and Zen appreciation can be credited to Suzuki round about.
I did discover a line on page 236 which I’ve added to my Goodreads quotes: “It is like driving a cart; when it moveth not, wilt thou whip the cart or the ox?” Nangaku Yejo (Nan-yüeh Hai-jang).
Books I have found enlightening on the subject of enlightenment are Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation; Lafcadio Hearn’s Gleanings in Buddha-Fields; Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki; and R. H. Blythe’s four-volume set, Haiku.
I did discover a line on page 236 which I’ve added to my Goodreads quotes: “It is like driving a cart; when it moveth not, wilt thou whip the cart or the ox?” Nangaku Yejo (Nan-yüeh Hai-jang).
Books I have found enlightening on the subject of enlightenment are Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation; Lafcadio Hearn’s Gleanings in Buddha-Fields; Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki; and R. H. Blythe’s four-volume set, Haiku.
March 25, 2019
When I first found out that one of the essays in this collection (the first one, it turns out) refers to the paradoxical "mountain is a mountain... not a mountain... is a mountain..." claim, I was all over this book as it would reveal some insight into a tradition I knew more by intuition than by practice. Perhaps I had the right idea in the first place, where so many of the examples Suzuki writes about rely on not knowing, unpracticing, or at least not holding on to one objective truth but including others that cancel out the one truth most religions insist upon. Becoming more confused with each essay, I started to realize that I am trying to figure all of it with my Western mind, even at points where Middle Eastern and Western mysticism get mentioned, and missing out on the "not a mountain" parts of essays. Not that I am expecting to save any kitten from the sword by yelling out a single word, but it seems like the best way to sum up these enigmatic essay is with a "Kwatz!"
Read
June 8, 2018Unas pocas líneas (pues en lugar de estar leyendo estas reseñas, deberían ya tener sus narices dentro el libro): siempre es esclarecedor, una sacudida a nuestro soberbio ego, leer cualquier cosa que este señor diga sobre el Zen, no impoluto políticamente, hay que decirlo. Un erudito, en contra de lo que el mismo Zen rechaza, del budismo más fino y sofisticado, y ya me callo, que existe. Repito: fino y sofisticado, en el sentido de exterminar al ego sin que éste lo advierta.
April 30, 2024
Suzuki's essays played an absolutely central role to bringing Zen to the West, especially the United States. See Kay Larson's Where the Heart Beats for details. I've read quite a bit of zen and zen inflected work over the decades, so it was strange finally reading the source of some much of what came later (the Beats, Watts, etc.). Suzuki is clear, especially in distinguishing Zen from other forms of Buddhism. The key element is that satori simply happens--it's not the matter of a rigorous set of practices (mostly meditative) although in the final essay he makes it clear that practice and training do matter. Some elements feel a tad dated--his comfort making large distinctions between the "Chinese" and "Indian" "minds" for example. But the core vision is so clear and there are som many illuminating stories that it really doesn't matter.
December 17, 2017
This book is really interesting in that it combines the high-minded and sanitized view of academic rigor with a deep and personal experience as it relates to a religion, in this case, Zen. Suzuki delves deeply into this Eastern religion that evades definite explanation in a way that scientific, Western, Christian-oriented minds can most easily grasp. I found that in Suzuki's recounting of the many snapshots of the life of Zen monks and the development of the religion that he himself was attempting to do what Zen masters themselves attempt to do for their students - namely to guide the student or reader to a place from which they themselves can grasp what enlightenment is. However, in this case, Suzuki never appears pushy or pedantic.
Despite a healthy dose of repetition, presumably due to having written this collection of essays at various different times, there are many gems of wisdom whether the reader be a would-be Buddhist, those simply interested in what Zen is, or anyone seeking an interesting take on a different way of life.
Despite a healthy dose of repetition, presumably due to having written this collection of essays at various different times, there are many gems of wisdom whether the reader be a would-be Buddhist, those simply interested in what Zen is, or anyone seeking an interesting take on a different way of life.
February 21, 2023
I cannot tell you why I made myself finish this book... Perhaps because I skimmed the last book of Suzuki's. Perhaps to make myself less impulsive when I come across books at the thrift store. Picture me as the upstart monk returning time and time again to the master only to be reminded of my ignorance and slapped back down. Part of me can't even tell you why it took so long to read and how it is that I found it this dry. It's not hard reading, but there's either something about the style or the academic approach that did not work for me. It doesn't help that I was looking for less history and more of a philosophical approach to these essays.
So, did I enjoy it? No. Did I learn some things? Yes. Suzuki does do a good job of conveying why Chinese culture distinctly adapted Buddhism into its Zen form, how Zen often deals in contradictions because it cannot rely on language and aims to help one see beyond dualities, the need for any spirituality to be a living growing thing, and how enlightenment is not an intellectual, linear process.
I leave you with many more quotes than you'll probably care to read...
"
P13: This body of ours is something like an electric battery in which a mysterious power latently lies. When this power is not properly brought into operation, it either grows mouldy and withers away or is warped and expresses itself abnormally. It is the object of zen, therefore, to save us from going crazy or being crippled.
P16: For the more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life. All great artists, all great religious leaders, and all great social reformers have come out of the intensest struggles which they fought bravely, quite frequently in tears and with bleeding hearts. Unless you eat your bread in sorrow, you cannot taste of real life. Mencius is right when he says that when Heaven wants to perfect a great man it tries him in every possible way until he comes out triumphantly from all his painful experiences.
P18: For the intellect has a peculiarly disquieting quality in it. Though it raises questions enough to disturb the serenity of the mind, it is too frequently unable to give satisfactory answers to them. It upsets the blissful peace of ignorance and yet it does not restore the former state of things by offering something else.
P45: Mere logic never moves us; there must be something transcending the intellect.
P67: Arhatship is evidently not a matter of scholarship; it is something realized in the twinkling of an eye after a long arduous application to the matter. The preparatory course may occupy a long stretch of time, but the crisis breaks out a point simultaneously, and one is an Arhat, or a Bodhisattva, or even a Buddha. The content of Enlightenment must be quite simple in nature, and yet tremendous in effect. That is to say, intellectually, it must transcend all the complications involved in an epistemological exposition of it; and psychologically, it must be the reconstruction of one’s entire personality. Such a fundamental fact naturally evades description, and be be grasped only by an act of intuition and through personal experience.
P72: This is why the Lankāvatāra-Sūtra tries so hard to tell us that language is altogether inadequate as the means of expressing and communicating the inner state of Enlightenment. While without language we may fare worse at least in our practical life, we must guard ourselves most deliberately against our trusting it too much beyond its legitimate office. The Sūtra gives the main reason for this, which is that language is the product of causal dependence, subject to change, unsteady, mutually conditioned, and based on false judgement as to the true nature of consciousness. For this reason language cannot reveal to us the ultimate signification of things (paramārtha).
P96: To understand how the doctrine of Enlightenment or self-realization came to be translated in China as Zen Buddhism, we must first see where the Chinese mind varies from the Indian generally. When this is done, Zen will appear as a most natural product of the Chinese soil, where Buddhism has been successfully transplanted in spite of many adverse conditions. Roughly, then, the Chinese are above all a most practical people, while the Indians are visionary and speculative. We cannot perhaps judge the Chinese as unimaginative and lacking in the dramatic sense, but when they are compared with the inhabitants of the Buddha’s native land they look so grey, so sombre.
P275: Zen thinks that the truth can be reached when it is neither asserted nor negated.
P299: In the actual living of life there is no logic, for life is superior to logic. We imagine logic influences life, but in reality man is not a rational creature so much as we make him out; of course he reasons, but he does not act according to the result of his reasoning pure and simple. There is something stronger than ratiocination. We may call it impulse, or instinct, or, more comprehensively, will. Where this will acts there is Zen…
"
--------------------------------------
WORDS THAT WILL NOT HELP ME BECOME ENLIGHTENED BUT ALSO WERE UNKOWN TO ME
noetic | acosmism | perspicuity | kalpas | peregrination | nonātman | kotis | psittacine | intellection | antinomianism
So, did I enjoy it? No. Did I learn some things? Yes. Suzuki does do a good job of conveying why Chinese culture distinctly adapted Buddhism into its Zen form, how Zen often deals in contradictions because it cannot rely on language and aims to help one see beyond dualities, the need for any spirituality to be a living growing thing, and how enlightenment is not an intellectual, linear process.
I leave you with many more quotes than you'll probably care to read...
"
P13: This body of ours is something like an electric battery in which a mysterious power latently lies. When this power is not properly brought into operation, it either grows mouldy and withers away or is warped and expresses itself abnormally. It is the object of zen, therefore, to save us from going crazy or being crippled.
P16: For the more you suffer the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening the deeper grows your character, and with the deepening of your character you read the more penetratingly into the secrets of life. All great artists, all great religious leaders, and all great social reformers have come out of the intensest struggles which they fought bravely, quite frequently in tears and with bleeding hearts. Unless you eat your bread in sorrow, you cannot taste of real life. Mencius is right when he says that when Heaven wants to perfect a great man it tries him in every possible way until he comes out triumphantly from all his painful experiences.
P18: For the intellect has a peculiarly disquieting quality in it. Though it raises questions enough to disturb the serenity of the mind, it is too frequently unable to give satisfactory answers to them. It upsets the blissful peace of ignorance and yet it does not restore the former state of things by offering something else.
P45: Mere logic never moves us; there must be something transcending the intellect.
P67: Arhatship is evidently not a matter of scholarship; it is something realized in the twinkling of an eye after a long arduous application to the matter. The preparatory course may occupy a long stretch of time, but the crisis breaks out a point simultaneously, and one is an Arhat, or a Bodhisattva, or even a Buddha. The content of Enlightenment must be quite simple in nature, and yet tremendous in effect. That is to say, intellectually, it must transcend all the complications involved in an epistemological exposition of it; and psychologically, it must be the reconstruction of one’s entire personality. Such a fundamental fact naturally evades description, and be be grasped only by an act of intuition and through personal experience.
P72: This is why the Lankāvatāra-Sūtra tries so hard to tell us that language is altogether inadequate as the means of expressing and communicating the inner state of Enlightenment. While without language we may fare worse at least in our practical life, we must guard ourselves most deliberately against our trusting it too much beyond its legitimate office. The Sūtra gives the main reason for this, which is that language is the product of causal dependence, subject to change, unsteady, mutually conditioned, and based on false judgement as to the true nature of consciousness. For this reason language cannot reveal to us the ultimate signification of things (paramārtha).
P96: To understand how the doctrine of Enlightenment or self-realization came to be translated in China as Zen Buddhism, we must first see where the Chinese mind varies from the Indian generally. When this is done, Zen will appear as a most natural product of the Chinese soil, where Buddhism has been successfully transplanted in spite of many adverse conditions. Roughly, then, the Chinese are above all a most practical people, while the Indians are visionary and speculative. We cannot perhaps judge the Chinese as unimaginative and lacking in the dramatic sense, but when they are compared with the inhabitants of the Buddha’s native land they look so grey, so sombre.
P275: Zen thinks that the truth can be reached when it is neither asserted nor negated.
P299: In the actual living of life there is no logic, for life is superior to logic. We imagine logic influences life, but in reality man is not a rational creature so much as we make him out; of course he reasons, but he does not act according to the result of his reasoning pure and simple. There is something stronger than ratiocination. We may call it impulse, or instinct, or, more comprehensively, will. Where this will acts there is Zen…
"
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WORDS THAT WILL NOT HELP ME BECOME ENLIGHTENED BUT ALSO WERE UNKOWN TO ME
noetic | acosmism | perspicuity | kalpas | peregrination | nonātman | kotis | psittacine | intellection | antinomianism
September 4, 2017
Good for its time, although I feel a lot of this material is now covered better (and in a less windy style) elsewhere. Still useful for completists, though.
April 1, 2024
D. T. Suzuki's work straddles the edge between scholarship and religious practice. This collection of essays surveys Zen Buddhism from numerous angles, historical, philosophical, practical, all with an attitude of excitement and admiration. It is surely a valuable resource in English for beginning to approach Zen. It is not, however, easy reading.
Suzuki represents Zen (Chinese "Chan") as a distinctively Chinese species of Buddhism. Shedding much of the distinctively Indian love of fantastic imagery and precise philosophical abstraction, Zen embraces a characteristically Chinese concreteness and practicality and the theory of the innate goodness of what comes to be called the Buddha nature. Zen is still Buddhism, despite these differences, because it embraces the doctrine of enlightenment, which it claims has been transmitted from mind to mind unchanged all the way from Gautama Buddha.
Still, reading this book often gives one an impression of peering uncomprehendingly into Zen, as it were, from outside. Suzuki never tires of relating stories of the masters before observing that their actions make no logical sense and can only be comprehended by the enlightened. These examples illustrate what is perhaps Suzuki's most central claim: Zen is not a matter of intellection but rather a matter of will. Part of the danger here is that in emphasizing the nonintellectual and nondual nature of Zen too one-sidedly, Suzuki seems to be using an excessive number of words to say that Zen is unspeakable. This reproach may not be dismissed as is sometimes done merely on the grounds that it is obvious. In my opinion, the book could have been made much stronger by clarifying this central distinction between intellect and will or between dualism and enlightenment. Even if the nondual is literally unsayable it is still possible to illustrate what is meant by dualism and to make clear its dangers. Intellect can, at least, critique itself. But Suzuki apparently assumes that the reader already knows what is meant by "intellect" well enough to handle this side of the problem. In my experience, this is dangerous and easily leads to misunderstanding. Not only is the idea of "intellect" somewhat unclear in itself to someone not already steeped in one or another philosophical account of it (Suzuki here seems influenced by the German discourse); the rejection of intellect is also commonly used in the United States in ways that I must assume are not Zen. American religious life errs not towards rationalism but towards emotivism. When we reject words and resort to silence unskillfully, we Americans will usually surrender to whatever powerful emotions are sweeping over us. We take these emotions, because of their mere force, as sacred. But emotions can be just as dualistic as reason is. "Holy" feelings, especially as inculcated in Protestantism, are always spurring us on to discover the holy land over the next horizon. They are always seeking always striving for the beyond and never satisfied. And unregulated they easily collapse into a jaded disappointment. Had Suzuki considered the influence he would exert in America, and had he been aware of the tendency toward emotional excess in our religious culture, I think that he would have changed the emphasis of his polemics against reason. But, at least in this book, this did not happen. When Suzuki's influence is (uncomprehendingly) used to reject as "intellectual" all challenges to our habitual emotivism, I am afraid that it is harmful.
There is much to learn here about the tradition of Zen. This is a valuable but flawed text.
Suzuki represents Zen (Chinese "Chan") as a distinctively Chinese species of Buddhism. Shedding much of the distinctively Indian love of fantastic imagery and precise philosophical abstraction, Zen embraces a characteristically Chinese concreteness and practicality and the theory of the innate goodness of what comes to be called the Buddha nature. Zen is still Buddhism, despite these differences, because it embraces the doctrine of enlightenment, which it claims has been transmitted from mind to mind unchanged all the way from Gautama Buddha.
Still, reading this book often gives one an impression of peering uncomprehendingly into Zen, as it were, from outside. Suzuki never tires of relating stories of the masters before observing that their actions make no logical sense and can only be comprehended by the enlightened. These examples illustrate what is perhaps Suzuki's most central claim: Zen is not a matter of intellection but rather a matter of will. Part of the danger here is that in emphasizing the nonintellectual and nondual nature of Zen too one-sidedly, Suzuki seems to be using an excessive number of words to say that Zen is unspeakable. This reproach may not be dismissed as is sometimes done merely on the grounds that it is obvious. In my opinion, the book could have been made much stronger by clarifying this central distinction between intellect and will or between dualism and enlightenment. Even if the nondual is literally unsayable it is still possible to illustrate what is meant by dualism and to make clear its dangers. Intellect can, at least, critique itself. But Suzuki apparently assumes that the reader already knows what is meant by "intellect" well enough to handle this side of the problem. In my experience, this is dangerous and easily leads to misunderstanding. Not only is the idea of "intellect" somewhat unclear in itself to someone not already steeped in one or another philosophical account of it (Suzuki here seems influenced by the German discourse); the rejection of intellect is also commonly used in the United States in ways that I must assume are not Zen. American religious life errs not towards rationalism but towards emotivism. When we reject words and resort to silence unskillfully, we Americans will usually surrender to whatever powerful emotions are sweeping over us. We take these emotions, because of their mere force, as sacred. But emotions can be just as dualistic as reason is. "Holy" feelings, especially as inculcated in Protestantism, are always spurring us on to discover the holy land over the next horizon. They are always seeking always striving for the beyond and never satisfied. And unregulated they easily collapse into a jaded disappointment. Had Suzuki considered the influence he would exert in America, and had he been aware of the tendency toward emotional excess in our religious culture, I think that he would have changed the emphasis of his polemics against reason. But, at least in this book, this did not happen. When Suzuki's influence is (uncomprehendingly) used to reject as "intellectual" all challenges to our habitual emotivism, I am afraid that it is harmful.
There is much to learn here about the tradition of Zen. This is a valuable but flawed text.
July 8, 2024
Essays in Zen Buddhism is part of the works of the 'first Suzuki', who brought Eastern philosophy associated with Zen into the Western world in the early 20th century. Decades later, Shunryu Suzuki would push this even further with his Zendo in San Francisco and the subsequent publication of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
While Shunryu's book is one of practice and implementation, D.T.'s book is one of philosophy and history. It is written in the style of modernist Western philosophy, and I could have easily been reading Heidegger or Wittgenstein in terms of the style of writing. Sometimes dense, but extremely thorough and logical. There's something very odd, but also very appealing in reading about something as diametrically opposed to intellection as Zen is, in a comprehensively intellectual manner. To paraphrase that last thought - this is a logical explication about something that defies logical explication. But somehow it works.
By placing Zen Buddhism in the historical context of Buddhism's trajectory from India to China and Japan, and frequently comparing it to Christianity as a messiah driven religion, Suzuki establishes a base set of knowledge and familiarity about Zen (I hesitate to call it a religion, but that's my personal baggage). Once that is established, it becomes possible to describe the aims of Zen practice, using intellect and prose to describe experiential components of Zen - enlightenment, satori, etc.
Like all experiential phenomenon, once you go down a path using language to describe something that transcends language, any philosopher will end up spending more time than necessary with justification, pre-empting arguments imagined and already delivered, and providing examples or scenarios to illustrate the concepts. Suzuki is no exception, however, he does focus more on examples and scenarios than with leaning heavily on logic to argue his points. And in this manner, the book remains engaging and readable to the end. It's almost as if the act of reading the book is in some way giving you free experience in what it is like to practice Zen and achieve satori, without having to climb a mountain.
Readers such as myself who have a strong logical bent would benefit from the many examples of koans and illogical discourse of Zen masters, who often assemble the entire monastery in preparation for a lecture and then stand up to speak only to silently exit, leaving everyone waiting in vein for a language based instruction on a truth not achievable through language. Or responses to questions on the principles of Zen receiving beatings, or having the questions simply repeated back as a proxy for an answer. Or exchanges like "Master, what is the core principle of enlightenment?" / "In the morning the moon rises as the sun retires", which don't make any 'common' sense, yet the students of Zen understand them perfectly. In fact, the unattainability of logic and language to describe what living in the present moment with no mind obstruction is precisely the point of these illogical dialectics.
For one who has had a taste of Satori and continuously comes back to that as a centering goal for peace, confidence and presence of mind, reading this book was like taking a master class in the logic and philosophy required to abandon logic and philosophy.
While Shunryu's book is one of practice and implementation, D.T.'s book is one of philosophy and history. It is written in the style of modernist Western philosophy, and I could have easily been reading Heidegger or Wittgenstein in terms of the style of writing. Sometimes dense, but extremely thorough and logical. There's something very odd, but also very appealing in reading about something as diametrically opposed to intellection as Zen is, in a comprehensively intellectual manner. To paraphrase that last thought - this is a logical explication about something that defies logical explication. But somehow it works.
By placing Zen Buddhism in the historical context of Buddhism's trajectory from India to China and Japan, and frequently comparing it to Christianity as a messiah driven religion, Suzuki establishes a base set of knowledge and familiarity about Zen (I hesitate to call it a religion, but that's my personal baggage). Once that is established, it becomes possible to describe the aims of Zen practice, using intellect and prose to describe experiential components of Zen - enlightenment, satori, etc.
Like all experiential phenomenon, once you go down a path using language to describe something that transcends language, any philosopher will end up spending more time than necessary with justification, pre-empting arguments imagined and already delivered, and providing examples or scenarios to illustrate the concepts. Suzuki is no exception, however, he does focus more on examples and scenarios than with leaning heavily on logic to argue his points. And in this manner, the book remains engaging and readable to the end. It's almost as if the act of reading the book is in some way giving you free experience in what it is like to practice Zen and achieve satori, without having to climb a mountain.
Readers such as myself who have a strong logical bent would benefit from the many examples of koans and illogical discourse of Zen masters, who often assemble the entire monastery in preparation for a lecture and then stand up to speak only to silently exit, leaving everyone waiting in vein for a language based instruction on a truth not achievable through language. Or responses to questions on the principles of Zen receiving beatings, or having the questions simply repeated back as a proxy for an answer. Or exchanges like "Master, what is the core principle of enlightenment?" / "In the morning the moon rises as the sun retires", which don't make any 'common' sense, yet the students of Zen understand them perfectly. In fact, the unattainability of logic and language to describe what living in the present moment with no mind obstruction is precisely the point of these illogical dialectics.
For one who has had a taste of Satori and continuously comes back to that as a centering goal for peace, confidence and presence of mind, reading this book was like taking a master class in the logic and philosophy required to abandon logic and philosophy.
December 31, 2022
This first series of Essays in Zen, really opened my eyes (if you'll pardon the pun) the history, tradition and concepts surrounding the mystical religion of Zen. As a complete layman before reading, it gave a good view of where the religion came from and some of the key characters in its history to really set the scene on the religion. My favourite chapters were however the more practical chapters looking at the practices of the religion, the attainment of Satori and just general life for a Monk of the religion. The concept of Satori is so fascinating and I love the idea that this incredible revelation on reality is possible and makes me sad that I will probably never achieve this. The idea that it comes to people in these strange flashes of inspiration when someone could be doing the most banal thing I found especially interesting.
Whilst I obviously have no understanding of Zen and a master would probably give me 30 beatings on the head with his keisaku for saying this, I felt much more spiritual after reading this book. To use the analogy in the book of the Ten Stages of Spiritual Cows Herding : the first step is looking for the cow - well I'd say I'm now on step -1 as I know that the cow exists so I can now start looking for it!
I am excited to take these lessons on board and see where it takes me in my journey.
Whilst I obviously have no understanding of Zen and a master would probably give me 30 beatings on the head with his keisaku for saying this, I felt much more spiritual after reading this book. To use the analogy in the book of the Ten Stages of Spiritual Cows Herding : the first step is looking for the cow - well I'd say I'm now on step -1 as I know that the cow exists so I can now start looking for it!
I am excited to take these lessons on board and see where it takes me in my journey.
December 25, 2024
"Zen is emphatically a matter of personal experience...No amount of reading, no amount of teaching, and no amount of contemplation will ever make one a Zen master" (pg 369).
So why read a book about it? There are times I asked myself that question. Certainly reading the cryptic utterances of masters such as Ummon and Joshi felt pointless.
But the essays on the history of Zen, and the meditation hall were specific and cultural and enjoyable to read. He makes good points about how Indian Buddhism had to become distinctly Chinese and that Zen (Chen) was the result.
I also like how he would trace the Japanese terms back to Sanskrit. For instance the term Zen itself comes from Chen in Chinese which comes from the word dhyana (concentration) in Sanskrit.
This is an old book relatively, dating back to the 1940s, before Zen became well known in the West. He explains things that we all know now, and uses some anachronistic terms.
Also his embrace of crazy wisdom (though he doesn't use that term) seems out of date given what we now know about abusive cult leaders.
So why read a book about it? There are times I asked myself that question. Certainly reading the cryptic utterances of masters such as Ummon and Joshi felt pointless.
But the essays on the history of Zen, and the meditation hall were specific and cultural and enjoyable to read. He makes good points about how Indian Buddhism had to become distinctly Chinese and that Zen (Chen) was the result.
I also like how he would trace the Japanese terms back to Sanskrit. For instance the term Zen itself comes from Chen in Chinese which comes from the word dhyana (concentration) in Sanskrit.
This is an old book relatively, dating back to the 1940s, before Zen became well known in the West. He explains things that we all know now, and uses some anachronistic terms.
Also his embrace of crazy wisdom (though he doesn't use that term) seems out of date given what we now know about abusive cult leaders.
June 15, 2021
really an excellent overview! can be a bit dry with the history, but that plays an important part. makes some interesting connections between other religions and Zen, especially with Meister Eckhart's writings. overall a great starting point for learning about Zen, more so than his "Introduction to Zen Buddhism" i think, ironically.
"Everything is a manifestation of the Buddha-nature, which is not defiled in passions, nor purified in enlightenment. It is above all categories. If you want to see what is the nature of your being, free your mind from the thought of relativity and you will see by yourself how serene it is and yet how full of life it is."
"I did not know where my form was supported, where my feet were treading; I just moved along with the wind, east and west, like a leaf of a tree detached from the stem, I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind riding on me."
"Everything is a manifestation of the Buddha-nature, which is not defiled in passions, nor purified in enlightenment. It is above all categories. If you want to see what is the nature of your being, free your mind from the thought of relativity and you will see by yourself how serene it is and yet how full of life it is."
"I did not know where my form was supported, where my feet were treading; I just moved along with the wind, east and west, like a leaf of a tree detached from the stem, I was not conscious whether I was riding on the wind or the wind riding on me."
February 5, 2024
Compared to the thou-shall-nots of 21st-century evolved religion, zen comes gently in light chords and looks more like fine art, with more do-as-you-shalls. No wonder Buddha scorned those who compared his teachings to the occult. Zen is more like a form of art. Similar to all other forms of art, zen is easy to get into, but hard to master. Like fencing, Taekwon-do, or bird-seeing. Practice makes perfect? No, perfect practice makes perfect. And now, for the book.
If Buddhism was a university major, this piece should be a part of an advanced course. For those new to zen—historically, spiritually, or cognitively—you better do your homework. I'm sure that Suzuki would agree with me that "Do your homework!" is something Buddha would say. But at the same time, Buddha does not seem like a person who would order people around. Except maybe to urge you to herd the cow.
Go get that cow, it's cloudy today.
If Buddhism was a university major, this piece should be a part of an advanced course. For those new to zen—historically, spiritually, or cognitively—you better do your homework. I'm sure that Suzuki would agree with me that "Do your homework!" is something Buddha would say. But at the same time, Buddha does not seem like a person who would order people around. Except maybe to urge you to herd the cow.
Go get that cow, it's cloudy today.
June 30, 2024
Incredibly informational and well researched. Fascinating and transformative if the (sometimes radical) ways of thinking can be understood and grasped.
Can be a little too referential - appreciate there is mountains of context and supplementary information and understanding needed to contextualise and present 'the unpresentable' to an extent - but does mean that this book needs to be digested slowly and often re-read.
Very rich and dense with detail and overall a highly enjoyable read for those interested in Zen, and its history and divergence from original schools of Buddhism.
Can be a little too referential - appreciate there is mountains of context and supplementary information and understanding needed to contextualise and present 'the unpresentable' to an extent - but does mean that this book needs to be digested slowly and often re-read.
Very rich and dense with detail and overall a highly enjoyable read for those interested in Zen, and its history and divergence from original schools of Buddhism.
July 29, 2025
He certainly comes across as an expert, but apart from some history regarding origins of Zen, the book is almost exclusively about enlightenment. I believe he's got another book about the impact of Zen on culture. And as he says repeatedly, as do others, reading about enlightenment isn't quite going to get you there--if there is a there.
March 17, 2025
Sau cùng thì luận vẫn là sản phẩm của lí trí, vẫn có nhiều đoạn khá dài dòng. Những mẩu trích về thiền đều là kinh điển và rất gợi mở với người đọc. 3 quyển thì mình nghĩ là sẽ hơi nhiều, song cũng là một công trình rất đáng tham khảo với ai yêu lĩnh vực này.
July 29, 2018
A beautifully written case for Zen, however, some prior knowledge of terms and ideas is recommended.
December 22, 2018
Good introductory read for those not familiar with Zen Buddhism. Recommend followup with The Buddhist Bible for in depth look.
December 12, 2020
Must read for any seeker and/or student of Zen.
July 2, 2021
good for super beginners maybe!
December 20, 2022
Did my head in.
March 9, 2023
Hooray!
October 1, 2024
Giáo ngoại biệt truyền
Bất lập văn tự
Trực chỉ nhân tâm
Kiến tánh thành Phật.
Thông điệp này được coi là đặc trưng Thiền, mà chính tổ Bồ Đề Đạt Ma là người chủ xướng đả phá tinh thần ấy cho Phật tử Trung Hoa. Phép « trực chỉ » của Thiền là phương pháp nhắm thẳng vào trung tâm Giác Ngộ, và chứng đến Phật tánh không qua quá nhiều cấp bực chuẩn bị như các tông phái khác.
Đây là một tác phẩm về Phật học với nhiều nội dung phong phú được tác giả trình bày dễ hiểu với đại chúng phù hợp với yếu chỉ cuả Thiền. Bản in đẹp với phần dich thuật xuất sắc của Trúc Thiên và Thầy Tuệ Sỹ .
“Sãi tôi, ba mươi năm trước, khi chưa học Thiền,
thấy núi là núi, thấy nước là nước;
“Sau nhân theo bậc thiện tri thức chỉ cho chỗ vào,
thấy núi chẳng phải núi, thấy nước chẳng phải nước;
“Rồi nay thể nhập chốn yên vui tịch tĩnh, y nhiên,
thấy núi chỉ là núi, thấy nước chỉ là nước,
Sư Thanh Nguyên Duy Tín, “Truyên Đăng Lục”
Bất lập văn tự
Trực chỉ nhân tâm
Kiến tánh thành Phật.
Thông điệp này được coi là đặc trưng Thiền, mà chính tổ Bồ Đề Đạt Ma là người chủ xướng đả phá tinh thần ấy cho Phật tử Trung Hoa. Phép « trực chỉ » của Thiền là phương pháp nhắm thẳng vào trung tâm Giác Ngộ, và chứng đến Phật tánh không qua quá nhiều cấp bực chuẩn bị như các tông phái khác.
Đây là một tác phẩm về Phật học với nhiều nội dung phong phú được tác giả trình bày dễ hiểu với đại chúng phù hợp với yếu chỉ cuả Thiền. Bản in đẹp với phần dich thuật xuất sắc của Trúc Thiên và Thầy Tuệ Sỹ .
“Sãi tôi, ba mươi năm trước, khi chưa học Thiền,
thấy núi là núi, thấy nước là nước;
“Sau nhân theo bậc thiện tri thức chỉ cho chỗ vào,
thấy núi chẳng phải núi, thấy nước chẳng phải nước;
“Rồi nay thể nhập chốn yên vui tịch tĩnh, y nhiên,
thấy núi chỉ là núi, thấy nước chỉ là nước,
Sư Thanh Nguyên Duy Tín, “Truyên Đăng Lục”
July 8, 2025
masterwork
June 2, 2010
"A contentment gleaned from idleness or from a laissez=faire attitude of mind is a thing most to be abhorred. There is no Zen in this, but sloth and mere vegetation. The battle must rage in its full vigour and masculinity. Without it, whatever peace that obtains is a simulacrum, and it has no deep foundation; the first storm it may encounter will crush it to the ground. Zen is quite emphatic in this. Certainly, the moral virility to be found in Zen, apart from its mystic flight, comes from the fighting of the battle of life courageously and undauntedly."
“The mind is ordinarily chock full with all kinds of intellectual nonsense and passional rubbish. They are of course useful in their own ways in our daily life. There is no denying that. But it is chiefly because of these accumulations that we are made miserable and groan under the feeling of bondage. Each time we want to make a movement, they fetter us, they choke us, and cast a heavy veil over our spiritual horizon. We feel as if we are constantly living under restraint. We long for naturalness and freedom, yet we do not seem to attain them. The Zen masters know this, for they have gone through with the same experiences once. They want to have us get rid of all these wearisome burdens which we really do not have to carry in order to live a life of truth and enlightenment. Thus they utter a few words and demonstrate with action that, when rightly comprehended, will deliver us from the oppression and tyranny of these intellectual accumulations. But the comprehension does not come to us so easily. Being so long accustomed to the oppression, the mental inertia becomes hard to remove. In fact it has gone down deep into the roots of our own being, and the whole structure of personality is to be overturned. The process of reconstruction is stained with tears and blood. But the height the great masters have climbed cannot otherwise be reached; the truth of Zen can never be attained unless it is attacked with the full force of personality. The passage is strewn with thistles and brambles, and the climb is slippery in the extreme. It is no pastime but the most serious task in life; no idlers will ever dare attempt it. It is indeed a moral anvil on which your character is hammered and hammered. To the question, ‘What is Zen?’ a master gave his answer, ‘Boiling oil over a blazing fire.’ This scorching experience we have to go through with before Zen smiles on us and says ‘Here is your home.’”
“The mind is ordinarily chock full with all kinds of intellectual nonsense and passional rubbish. They are of course useful in their own ways in our daily life. There is no denying that. But it is chiefly because of these accumulations that we are made miserable and groan under the feeling of bondage. Each time we want to make a movement, they fetter us, they choke us, and cast a heavy veil over our spiritual horizon. We feel as if we are constantly living under restraint. We long for naturalness and freedom, yet we do not seem to attain them. The Zen masters know this, for they have gone through with the same experiences once. They want to have us get rid of all these wearisome burdens which we really do not have to carry in order to live a life of truth and enlightenment. Thus they utter a few words and demonstrate with action that, when rightly comprehended, will deliver us from the oppression and tyranny of these intellectual accumulations. But the comprehension does not come to us so easily. Being so long accustomed to the oppression, the mental inertia becomes hard to remove. In fact it has gone down deep into the roots of our own being, and the whole structure of personality is to be overturned. The process of reconstruction is stained with tears and blood. But the height the great masters have climbed cannot otherwise be reached; the truth of Zen can never be attained unless it is attacked with the full force of personality. The passage is strewn with thistles and brambles, and the climb is slippery in the extreme. It is no pastime but the most serious task in life; no idlers will ever dare attempt it. It is indeed a moral anvil on which your character is hammered and hammered. To the question, ‘What is Zen?’ a master gave his answer, ‘Boiling oil over a blazing fire.’ This scorching experience we have to go through with before Zen smiles on us and says ‘Here is your home.’”
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