The way
99-756: The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Harada–Yasutani tradition, which is rooted in Japanese Sōtō and incorporates Rinzai -school koan study. In 1966 he established Rochester Zen Center , which grew to become one of
198-663: A commentary on the Damoduoluo Chan Jing and used the Zuochan Sanmei Jing as a source in the writing of this commentary. Tōrei believed that the Damoduoluo Chan Jing had been authored by Bodhidharma . While dhyāna in a strict sense refers to the classic four dhyānas , in Chinese Buddhism , chán may refer to various kinds of meditation techniques and their preparatory practices, which are necessary to practice dhyāna . The five main types of meditation in
297-669: A kōan, practitioners are also expected to demonstrate their spiritual understanding through their responses. The teacher may approve or disapprove of the answer based on their behavior, and guide the student in the right direction. According to Hori, the traditional Japanese Rinzai koan curriculum can take 15 years to complete for a full-time monk. The interaction with a teacher is often presented as central in Zen, but also makes Zen practice vulnerable to misunderstanding and exploitation. Kōan-inquiry may be practiced during zazen (sitting meditation) , kinhin (walking meditation), and throughout all
396-462: A layperson as a formal Buddhist. Bodhi The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti . The abstract noun bodhi ( / ˈ b oʊ d i / ; Sanskrit : बोधि ; Pali : bodhi ) means the knowledge or wisdom , or awakened intellect, of a Buddha. The verbal root budh- means "to awaken", and its literal meaning
495-581: A man becomes a बुद्ध [Buddha ] or जिन [ jina , arahant ; "victorious", "victor" ], the illuminated or enlightened intellect (of a Buddha or जिन)". The word Bodhi is an abstract noun , formed from the verbal root *budh- , Sanskrit बुध , "to awaken, to know", "to wake, wake up, be awake", "to recover consciousness (after a swoon)", "to observe, heed, attend to". It corresponds to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati , बोदति, "become or be aware of, perceive, learn, know, understand, awake" or budhyate (Sanskrit). The feminine Sanskrit noun of *budh-
594-434: A meditator to the buddha-mind within. Modern scholars like Robert Sharf argue that early Chan, while having unique teachings and myths, also made use of classic Buddhist meditation methods, and this is why it is hard to find many uniquely "Chan" meditation instructions in some of the earliest sources. However, Sharf also notes there was a unique kind of Chan meditation taught in some early sources which also tend to deprecate
693-527: A prisoner at Sugamo Prison , who recommended that Kapleau attend informal lectures given by D.T. Suzuki in Kita-Kamakura . After returning to America, Kapleau renewed his acquaintance with D.T. Suzuki who had left Kita-Kamakura to lecture on Zen at Columbia University . Disaffected with a primarily intellectual treatment of Zen, he moved to Japan in 1953 to seek its deeper truth. He trained initially with Soen Nakagawa , then rigorously with Daiun Harada at
792-491: A reprint from the Times article. The book was translated in 1969 into German, using the term " der Erleuchtete ". Max Müller was an essentialist , who believed in a natural religion , and saw religion as an inherent capacity of human beings. "Enlightenment" was a means to capture natural religious truths, as distinguished from mere mythology. This perspective was influenced by Kantian thought, particularly Kant's definition of
891-469: A sitting position such as the lotus position , half-lotus , Burmese , or seiza . Their hands often placed in a specific gesture or mudrā . Often, a square or round cushion placed on a padded mat is used to sit on; in some other cases, a chair may be used. To regulate the mind, Zen students are often directed towards counting breaths . Either both exhalations and inhalations are counted, or one of them only. The count can be up to ten, and then this process
990-494: A steady stream of visitors throughout his life. On May 6, 2004, he died peacefully in the backyard of the Rochester Zen Center, surrounded by many of his closest disciples and friends. Kapleau transcribed other Zen teachers' talks, interviewed lay students and monks, and recorded the practical details of Zen Buddhist practice. His book, The Three Pillars of Zen , published in 1965, has been translated into 12 languages, and
1089-690: A view called "mind-only Pure Land" (wei-hsin ching-t’u), which held that the Buddha and the Pure Land are just mind. The practice of nianfo, as well as its adaptation into the " nembutsu kōan " is a major practice in the Japanese Ōbaku school of Zen. The recitation of a Buddha's name was also practiced in the Soto school at different times throughout its history. During the Meiji period for example, both Shaka nembutsu (reciting
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#17328721211921188-475: Is बुद्धि , buddhi , "prescience, intuition, perception, point of view". Robert S. Cohen notes that the majority of English books on Buddhism use the term "enlightenment" to translate the term bodhi . The root budh , from which both bodhi and Buddha are derived, means "to wake up" or "to recover consciousness". Cohen notes that bodhi is not the result of an illumination, but of a path of realization, or coming to understanding. The term "enlightenment"
1287-500: Is "without steps or gradations. One concentrates, understands, and is enlightened, all in one undifferentiated practice." Zen sources also use the term " tracing back the radiance " or "turning one's light around" (Ch. fǎn zhào, 返照) to describe seeing the inherent radiant source of the mind itself, the "numinous awareness", luminosity , or buddha-nature. The Platform Sutra mentions this term and connects it with seeing one's "original face". The Record of Linji states that all that
1386-420: Is a non-dual "objectless" meditation, involving "withdrawal from exclusive focus on a particular sensory or mental object." This practice allows the meditator to be aware of "all phenomena as a unified totality," without any conceptualizing , grasping , goal seeking , or subject-object duality . According to Leighton , this method "rests on the faith, verified in experience, that the field of vast brightness
1485-882: Is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty as the Chan School (禪宗, chánzōng , "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗 , fóxīnzōng ), and later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was influenced by Taoism , especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed as a distinguished school of Chinese Buddhism . From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền , northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism , and east to Japan , becoming Japanese Zen . Zen emphasizes meditation practice , direct insight into one's own Buddha nature (見性, Ch. jiànxìng, Jp. kenshō ), and
1584-532: Is a butcher or not, if one sees one's true nature, then one will not be affected by karma . The Bloodstream Sermon also rejects worshiping of buddhas and bodhisattvas, stating that "Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don't know, and those who know don't worship." Similarly, in the Lidai Fabao Ji , Wuzhu states that "No-thought
1683-553: Is a central part of Zen Buddhism. The practice of Buddhist meditation originated in India and first entered China through the translations of An Shigao (fl. c. 148–180 CE), and Kumārajīva (334–413 CE). Both of these figures translated various Dhyāna sutras . These were influential meditation texts which were mostly based on the meditation teachings of the Kashmiri Sarvāstivāda school (circa 1st–4th centuries CE). Among
1782-570: Is a notable influence on Zen Buddhism as it is practiced in the West. Today, his dharma heirs and former students teach at Zen centers around the world. Kapleau's book To Cherish All Life: A Buddhist Case for Becoming Vegetarian condemns meat-eating. He argued that Buddhism enjoins vegetarianism on the principle of nonharmfulness. A favorite saying of Philip Kapleau was "grist for the mill" which means that all of our troubles and trials can be useful or contain some profit to us. In this spirit, his gravestone
1881-419: Is also being used to translate several other Buddhist terms and concepts, which are used to denote (initial) insight ( prajna (Sanskrit), wu (Chinese), kensho and satori (Japanese)); knowledge ( vidya ); the "blowing out" ( nirvana ) of disturbing emotions and desires; and the attainment of supreme Buddhahood ( samyak sam bodhi ), as exemplified by Gautama Buddha . What exactly constituted
1980-630: Is also taught in Shenxiu's Kuan-hsin lun (觀心論). Likewise, the Ch’uan fa-pao chi (傳法寶紀, Taisho # 2838, ca. 713), one of the earliest Chan histories, shows this practice was widespread in the early Chan generation of Hung-jen , Fa-ju and Ta-tung who are said to have "invoked the name of the Buddha so as to purify the mind." Evidence for the practice of nianfo chan can also be found in Changlu Zongze 's (died c. 1107) Chanyuan qinggui (The Rules of Purity in
2079-481: Is closer to awakening . Although the term buddhi is also used in other Indian philosophies and traditions, its most common usage is in the context of Buddhism . Vimutti is the freedom from or release of the fetters and hindrances . The term enlightenment was popularised in the Western world through the 19th-century translations of British philologist Max Müller . It has the Western connotation of general insight into transcendental truth or reality. The term
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#17328721211922178-465: Is discussed in the works of the Japanese Sōtō Zen thinker Dōgen , especially in his Shōbōgenzō and his Fukanzazengi . For Dōgen, shikantaza is characterized by hishiryō ("non-thinking", "without thinking", "beyond thinking"), which according to Kasulis is "a state of no-mind in which one is simply aware of things as they are, beyond thinking and not-thinking". While the Japanese and
2277-736: Is equivalent to vipassana , insight into the three marks of existence, namely anicca , dukkha and anatta . Insight leads to the four stages of enlightenment and Nirvana. In Mahayana Buddhism Prajna (Sanskrit) means "insight" or "wisdom", and entails insight into sunyata . The attainment of this insight is often seen as the attainment of "enlightenment". Wu is the Chinese term for initial insight. Kensho and satori are Japanese terms used in Zen traditions. Kensho means "seeing into one's true nature". Ken means "seeing", sho means "nature", "essence", c.q Buddha-nature. Satori (Japanese)
2376-457: Is event-oriented, whereas the term "awakening" is process-oriented. The western use of the term "enlighten" has Christian roots, as in Calvin's "It is God alone who enlightens our minds to perceive his truths". Early 19th-century bodhi was translated as "intelligence". The term "enlighten" was first being used in 1835, in an English translation of a French article, while the first recorded use of
2475-677: Is found in early Zen sources like the Treatise on No Mind ( Wuxin lun ) and the Platform Sutra . These sources tend to emphasize emptiness , negation, and absence (wusuo 無所) as the main theme of contemplation. These two contemplative themes (the buddha mind and no-mind, positive and the negative rhetoric) continued to shape the development of Zen theory and practice throughout its history. Later Chinese Chan Buddhists developed their own meditation ("chan") manuals which taught their unique method of direct and sudden contemplation. The earliest of these
2574-523: Is found in the Record of Linji which states: "Followers of the Way, as to buddhadharma, no effort is necessary. You have only to be ordinary, with nothing to do—defecating, urinating, wearing clothes, eating food, and lying down when tired." Similarly, some Zen sources also emphasize non-action or having no concerns (wu-shih 無事). For example, Chan master Huangbo states that nothing compares with non-seeking, describing
2673-521: Is my last birth, now there is no rebirth." Schmithausen notes that the mention of the four noble truths as constituting "liberating insight", which is attained after mastering the Rupa Jhanas, is a later addition to texts such as Majjhima Nikaya 36. Bronkhorst notices that ...the accounts which include the Four Noble Truths had a completely different conception of the process of liberation than
2772-457: Is needed to obtain the Dharma is to "turn your own light in upon yourselves and never seek elsewhere". The Japanese Zen master Dōgen describes it as follows: “You should stop the intellectual practice of pursuing words and learn the ‘stepping back’ of ‘turning the light around and shining back’ (Jp: ekō henshō); mind and body will naturally ‘drop off,’ and the ‘original face’ will appear.” Similarly,
2871-465: Is none other than seeing the Buddha" and rejects the practice of worship and recitation. Most famously, the Record of Linji has the master state that "if you meet a buddha, kill the buddha" (as well as patriarchs, arhats, parents, and kinfolk), further claiming that through this "you will gain emancipation, will not be entangled with things." During sitting meditation (坐禅, Ch. zuòchán, Jp. zazen , Ko. jwaseon ), practitioners usually assume
2970-510: Is not produced, what need is there for cross-legged sitting dhyana?" Similarly, the Platform Sutra criticizes the practice of sitting samādhi: “One is enlightened to the Way through the mind. How could it depend on sitting?", while Shenhui's four pronouncements criticize the "freezing", "stopping", "activating", and "concentrating" of the mind. Zen sources which focus on the sudden teaching can sometimes be quite radical in their rejection of
3069-509: Is often used interchangeably with kensho, but refers to the experience of kensho. The Rinzai tradition sees kensho as essential to the attainment of Buddhahood , but considers further practice essential to attain Buddhahood. East-Asian (Chinese) Buddhism emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature. This term is derived from Indian tathagata-garbha thought, "the womb of the thus-gone" (the Buddha),
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3168-547: Is often used to distinguish the enlightenment of a Buddha from that of an Arhat. The term Buddha and the way to Buddhahood is understood somewhat differently in the various Buddhist traditions. An equivalent term for Buddha is Tathāgata , "the thus-gone". In the suttapitaka , the Buddhist canon as preserved in the Theravada tradition, a couple of texts can be found in which the Buddha's attainment of liberation forms part of
3267-858: Is one of the millstones from Chapin Mill , the Buddhist retreat center whose land was donated by a founding member of the Rochester Zen Center, Ralph Chapin. Kapleau appointed several successors, some of whom have subsequently appointed successors or authorized teachers: Two students ended their formal affiliation with Philip Kapleau, establishing independent teaching-careers: Zen Buddhism The way The "goal" Background Chinese texts Classical Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Zen (Japanese; from Chinese: Chán ; in Korean: Sŏn , and Vietnamese: Thiền )
3366-445: Is ours from the outset." This "vast luminous buddha field" is our immanent "inalienable endowment of wisdom" which cannot be cultivated or enhanced. Instead, one just has to recognize this radiant clarity without any interference. A similar practice is taught in the major schools of Japanese Zen , but is especially emphasized by Sōtō , where it is more widely known as Shikantaza (Ch. zhǐguǎn dǎzuò, "Just sitting") . This method
3465-399: Is realized that observer and observed are not distinct entities, but mutually co-dependent. The term vidhya is being used in contrast to avidhya , ignorance or the lack of knowledge, which binds us to samsara . The Mahasaccaka Sutta describes the three knowledges which the Buddha attained: According to Bronkhorst, the first two knowledges are later additions, while insight into
3564-486: Is repeated until the mind is calmed. Zen teachers like Omori Sogen teach a series of long and deep exhalations and inhalations as a way to prepare for regular breath meditation. Attention is often placed on the energy center ( dantian ) below the navel. Zen teachers often promote diaphragmatic breathing , stating that the breath must come from the lower abdomen (known as hara or tanden in Japanese), and that this part of
3663-460: Is still in print. It was one of the first English-language books to present Zen Buddhism not as philosophy, but as a pragmatic and salutary way of training and living. Kapleau was an articulate and passionate writer. His emphasis in writing and teaching was that insight and enlightenment are available to anyone, not just austere and isolated Zen monks. Also well known for his views on vegetarianism , peace and compassion, he remains widely read, and
3762-507: Is the actualisation of insight, leading to an awakened awareness which is "non-reactive and lucid". In Mahayana-thought, bodhi is the realisation of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana , and the unity of subject and object. Similar to prajna , the realizing of the Buddha-nature , bodhi realizes sunyata and suchness . In time, the Buddha's awakening came to be understood as an immediate full awakening and liberation, instead of
3861-428: Is the formal and ceremonial taking of refuge in the three jewels , bodhisattva vows and precepts . Various sets of precepts are taken in Zen including the five precepts , "ten essential precepts" , and the sixteen bodhisattva precepts . This is commonly done in an initiation ritual ( Ch . shòu jiè , Jp . Jukai , Ko . sugye, "receiving the precepts" ) , which is also undertaken by lay followers and marks
3960-609: Is the same as liberation. The usage of the term "enlightenment" to translate "nirvana" was popularized in the 19th century, in part, due to the efforts of Max Müller, who used the term consistently in his translations. There are three recognized types of Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama , known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved full awakening, known as samyaksaṃbodhi (Sanskrit; Pāli: sammāsaṃbodhi ), "perfect Buddhahood", or anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi , "highest perfect awakening". Specifically, anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi , literally meaning unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment,
4059-513: Is the widely imitated and influential Zuòchán Yí (c. turn of the 12th century), which recommends a simple contemplative practice which is said to lead to the discovery of inherent wisdom already present in the mind. This work also shows the influence of the earlier meditation manuals composed by Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi . However, other Zen sources de-emphasize traditional practices like sitting meditation, and instead focus on effortlessness and on ordinary daily activities. One example of this
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4158-465: The Platform Sutra and the works of Shenhui criticize traditional meditation methods of concentration and mindfulness as not necessary and instead promote a more direct and sudden method. For example, the Bodhidharma Anthology states: "The man of sharp abilities hears of the path without producing a covetous mind. He does not even produce right mindfulness and right reflection" and "If mind
4257-457: The Bodhisattva is the ideal. The ultimate goal is not only of one's own liberation in Buddhahood, but the liberation of all living beings. The cosmology of Mahayana Buddhism regards a wide range of buddhas and bodhisattvas, who assist humans on their way to liberation. Nichiren Buddhism , a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, regards Buddhahood as a state of perfect freedom, in which one is awakened to
4356-553: The Caodong school of Chinese Chan and is associated with Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091—1157) who wrote various works on the practice. This method derives from the Indian Buddhist practice of the union ( Skt. yuganaddha ) of śamatha and vipaśyanā . Hongzhi's practice of silent illumination does not depend on concentration on particular objects, "such as visual images, sounds, breathing, concepts, stories, or deities." Instead, it
4455-456: The Dhyāna sutras are ānāpānasmṛti (mindfulness of breathing); paṭikūlamanasikāra meditation (mindfulness of the impurities of the body); maitrī meditation (loving-kindness); the contemplation on the twelve links of pratītyasamutpāda ; and contemplation on the Buddha . According to the modern Chan master Sheng Yen , these practices are termed the "five methods for stilling or pacifying
4554-527: The Enlightenment as the free, unimpeded use of reason. Müller's translation echoed this idea, portraying Buddhism as a rational and enlightened religion that aligns with the natural religious truths inherent to human beings. By the mid-1870s it had become commonplace to call the Buddha "enlightened", and by the end of the 1880s the terms "enlightened" and "enlightenment" dominated the English literature. While
4653-464: The Four Noble Truths is here called awakening. The monk ( bhikkhu ) has "...attained the unattained supreme security from bondage." Awakening is also described as synonymous with Nirvana , the extinction of the passions whereby suffering is ended and no more rebirths take place. The insight arises that this liberation is certain: "Knowledge arose in me, and insight: my freedom is certain, this
4752-553: The Middle Chinese word 禪 ( Middle Chinese : [dʑian]; pinyin : Chán ), which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna (ध्यान), which can be approximately translated as "contemplation", "absorption", or " meditative state ". The actual Chinese term for the "Zen school" is 禪宗 ( pinyin : Chánzōng ), while "Chan" just refers to the practice of meditation itself ( Chinese : 習禪 ; pinyin : xíchán ) or
4851-559: The Treatise on the Essentials of Cultivating the Mind , which depicts the teachings of the 7th-century East Mountain school , teaches a visualization of a sun disk, similar to that taught in the Contemplation Sutra . According to Charles Luk , there was no single fixed method in early Chan (Zen). All the various Buddhist meditation methods were simply skillful means which could lead
4950-477: The "first explicit statement of the sudden and direct approach that was to become the hallmark of Ch'an religious practice" is associated with the East Mountain School . It is a method named "maintaining the one without wavering" (守一不移, shǒu yī bù yí), the one being the true nature of mind or Suchness , which is equated with buddha-nature. Sharf writes that in this practice, one turns the attention from
5049-462: The Buddha's awakening is unknown. It may have involved the knowledge that liberation was attained by the combination of mindfulness and dhyāna , applied to the understanding of the arising and ceasing of craving. The relation between dhyana and insight is a core problem in the study of Buddhism, and is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist practice. Bodhi , Sanskrit बोधि , "awakening", "perfect knowledge", "perfect knowledge or wisdom (by which
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#17328721211925148-551: The Buddha's name, in most cases the Buddha Amitabha . In Chinese Chan, the Pure Land practice of nianfo based on the phrase Nāmó Āmítuófó (Homage to Amitabha) is a widely practiced form of Zen meditation which came to be known as "Nianfo Chan" (念佛禪). Nianfo was practiced and taught by early Chan masters, like Daoxin (580-651), who taught that one should "bind the mind to one buddha and exclusively invoke his name". The practice
5247-623: The Buddha-body, "an embodiment of awakened activity." "Zen" is traditionally a proper noun as it usually describes a particular Buddhist sect. In more recent times, the lowercase "zen" is used when discussing a worldview or attitude that is "peaceful and calm". It was officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2018. The practice of meditation (Ch: chán, Skt: dhyāna ), especially sitting meditation (坐禪, pinyin : zuòchán , Japanese : ざぜん , romanized : zazen )
5346-547: The Buddhist canon: "that the five Skandhas are impermanent, disagreeable, and neither the Self nor belonging to oneself"; "the contemplation of the arising and disappearance ( udayabbaya ) of the five Skandhas"; "the realisation of the Skandhas as empty ( rittaka ), vain ( tucchaka ) and without any pith or substance ( asaraka ). An example of this substitution, and its consequences, is Majjhima Nikaya 36:42–43, which gives an account of
5445-408: The Buddhist tradition regards bodhi as referring to full and complete liberation ( samyaksambudh ), it also has the more modest meaning of knowing that the path that is being followed leads to the desired goal. According to Johannes Bronkhorst , Tillman Vetter, and K.R. Norman, bodhi was at first not specified. K.R. Norman: It is not at all clear what gaining bodhi means. We are accustomed to
5544-609: The Center and in many other settings around the world, and provided his own dharma transmission to several disciples. He also introduced many modifications to the Japanese Zen tradition, such as chanting the Heart Sutra in the local language, English in the U.S., or Polish at the Center he founded in Katowice . He often emphasized that Zen Buddhism adapted so readily to new cultures because it
5643-539: The Chan Monastery), perhaps the most influential Ch’an monastic code in East Asia. Nianfo continued to be taught as a form of Chan meditation by later Chinese figures such as Yongming Yanshou , Zhongfen Mingben , and Tianru Weize . During the late Ming , the tradition of Nianfo Chan meditation was continued by figures such as Yunqi Zhuhong and Hanshan Deqing . Chan figures like Yongming Yanshou generally advocated
5742-449: The Chinese forms of these simple methods are similar, they are considered distinct approaches. During the Song dynasty , gōng'àn ( Jp. kōan ) literature became popular. Literally meaning "public case", they were stories or dialogues describing teachings and interactions between Zen masters and their students. Kōans are meant to illustrate Zen's non-conceptual insight ( prajña ). During
5841-733: The Harada-Yasutani kōan curriculum, the koans in the Gateless Gate and the Blue Cliff Record ," and was entitled to teach, but did not receive dharma transmission. According to Andrew Rawlinson, "Kapleau has created his own Zen lineage." During a book tour in 1966, he was invited to teach meditation at a gathering in Rochester , New York, which led to the founding of the Rochester Zen Center . For almost 40 years, Kapleau taught at
5940-639: The Korean Seon master Yŏndam Yuil states: "to use one's own mind to trace the radiance back to the numinous awareness of one's own mind...It is like seeing the radiance of the sun's rays and following it back until you see the orb of the sun itself." Sharf also notes that the early notion of contemplating a pure Buddha "Mind" was tempered and balanced by other Zen sources with terms like " no-mind " (wuxin), and "no-mindfulness" (wunien), to avoid any metaphysical reification of mind, and any clinging to mind or language. This kind of negative Madhyamaka style dialectic
6039-601: The Mahayana teachings on the bodhisattva , Yogachara and Tathāgatagarbha texts (like the Laṅkāvatāra ), and the Huayan school . The Prajñāpāramitā literature, as well as Madhyamaka thought, have also been influential in the shaping of the apophatic and sometimes iconoclastic nature of Zen rhetoric . The word Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation ( kana : ぜん) of
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#17328721211926138-861: The Major War Criminals Before the International Military Tribunal, which judged the leaders of Nazi Germany . It was the first of the series commonly known as the Nuremberg Trials . Kapleau later covered the International Military Tribunal for the Far East , commonly known as the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. While in Japan he became intrigued by Zen Buddhism. He became acquainted with Karlfried Graf Dürckheim , then
6237-674: The Song, a new meditation method was developed by Linji school figures such as Dahui (1089–1163) called kanhua chan ("observing the phrase" meditation) which referred to contemplation on a single word or phrase (called the huatou , "critical phrase") of a gōng'àn . Dahui famously criticised Caodong's "silent illumination." While the two methods of Caodong and Linji are sometimes seen as competing with each other, Schlütter writes that Dahui himself "did not completely condemn quiet-sitting; in fact, he seems to have recommended it, at least to his monastic disciples." In Chinese Chan and Korean Seon ,
6336-418: The Zen adept as follows: "the person of the Way is the one who has nothing to do [wu-shih], who has no mind at all and no doctrine to preach. Having nothing to do, such a person lives at ease." Likewise, John McRae notes that a major development in early Ch'an was the rejection of traditional meditation techniques in favor of a uniquely Zen direct approach. Early Chan sources like the Bodhidharma Anthology,
6435-406: The abandonment of the ten fetters and the cessation of dukkha or suffering. Full awakening is reached in four stages. According to Nyanatiloka, (Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements ( kilesa , q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths ( sacca , q.v.). Since the 1980s, western Theravada-oriented teachers have started to question
6534-427: The activities of daily life. The goal of the practice is often termed kensho (seeing one's true nature), and is to be followed by further practice to attain a natural, effortless, down-to-earth state of being, the "ultimate liberation", "knowing without any kind of defilement". This style of kōan practice is particularly emphasized in modern Rinzai , but it also occurs in other schools or branches of Zen depending on
6633-441: The awakening of the Buddha. The term bodhi acquired a variety of meanings and connotations during the development of Buddhist thoughts in the various schools. In early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous to nirvana , using only a few different metaphors to describe the insight, which implied the extinction of lobha (greed), dosa (hate) and moha (delusion). In Theravada Buddhism , bodhi and nirvana carry
6732-423: The body should expand forward slightly as one breathes. Over time the breathing should become smoother, deeper and slower. When the counting becomes an encumbrance, the practice of simply following the natural rhythm of breathing with concentrated attention is recommended. A common form of sitting meditation is called "Silent illumination" (Ch. mòzhào, Jp . mokushō ). This practice was traditionally promoted by
6831-477: The conception of what exactly this "liberating insight" was developed throughout time. Whereas originally it may not have been specified, later on the four truths served as such, to be superseded by pratityasamutpada , and still later, in the Hinayana schools, by the doctrine of the non-existence of a substantial self or person. And Schmithausen notices that still other descriptions of this "liberating insight" exist in
6930-502: The four truths represents a later development, in response to concurring religious traditions, in which "liberating insight" came to be stressed over the practice of dhyana . Vimukthi, also called moksha , means "freedom", "release", "deliverance". Sometimes a distinction is being made between ceto-vimukthi , "liberation of the mind", and panna-vimukthi , "liberation by understanding". The Buddhist tradition recognises two kinds of ceto-vimukthi , one temporarily and one permanent,
7029-619: The importance of traditional Buddhist ideas and practices. The Record of the Dharma-Jewel Through the Ages ( Lidai Fabao Ji ) for example states "better that one should destroy śīla [ethics], and not destroy true seeing. Śīla [causes] rebirth in Heaven, adding more [karmic] bonds, while true seeing attains nirvāṇa." Similarly the Bloodstream Sermon states that it doesn't matter whether one
7128-466: The inherent potential of every sentient being to become a Buddha . This idea was integrated with the Yogacara-idea of the ālaya vijñāna , and further developed in Chinese Buddhism , which integrated Indian Buddhism with native Chinese thought. Buddha-nature came to mean both the potential of awakening and the whole of reality, a dynamic interpenetration of absolute and relative. In this awakening it
7227-430: The insight into and certainty about the way to follow to reach enlightenment. In some Zen traditions, however, this perfection came to be relativized again; according to one contemporary Zen master, "Shakyamuni buddha and Bodhidharma are still practicing." Mahayana discerns three forms of awakened beings: Within the various Mahayana-schools exist various further explanations and interpretations. In Mahāyāna Buddhism,
7326-403: The jungle, and the attainment of awakening. The Mahasaccaka Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 36) describes his ascetic practices, which he abandoned. Thereafter he remembered a spontaneous state of jhana, and set out for jhana-practice. Both suttas narrate how, after destroying the disturbances of the mind , and attaining concentration of the mind , he attained three knowledges (vidhya): Insight into
7425-545: The koan's question constantly. They are also advised not to attempt to answer it intellectually, since the goal of the practice is a non-conceptual insight into non-duality. The Zen student's mastery of a given kōan is presented to the teacher in a private interview (referred to in Japanese as dokusan , daisan , or sanzen ). The process includes standardized answers, "checking questions" ( sassho ) and common sets of "capping phrase" ( jakugo ) poetry, all which must be memorized by students. While there are standardized answers to
7524-409: The kōan method as hopelessly contrived. Similarly, the Song era master Foyan Qingyuan (1067-1120) rejected the use of koans (public cases) and similar stories, arguing that they did not exist during the time of Bodhidharma and that the true koan is "what is presently coming into being." Nianfo (Jp. nembutsu, from Skt. buddhānusmṛti "recollection of the Buddha") refers to the recitation of
7623-400: The last being equivalent to panna-vimukthi . Yogacara uses the term āśraya parāvŗtti , "revolution of the basis", ... a sudden revulsion, turning, or re-turning of the ālaya vijñāna back into its original state of purity [...] the Mind returns to its original condition of non-attachment, non-discrimination and non-duality". Nirvana is the "blowing out" of disturbing emotions, which
7722-495: The mind" and serve to focus and purify the mind, and support the development of the stages of dhyana . Chan Buddhists may also use other classic Buddhist practices like the four foundations of mindfulness and the Three Gates of Liberation ( emptiness or śūnyatā , signlessness or animitta , and wishlessness or apraṇihita ). Early Chan texts also teach forms of meditation that are unique to Mahāyāna Buddhism. For example,
7821-594: The most influential Zen communities in the West. His lineage includes teachers active in the USA, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Germany, the UK and New Zealand. Kapleau was born in New Haven, Connecticut . As a teenager he worked as a bookkeeper. He briefly studied law and later became an accomplished court reporter. In 1945 he served as chief Allied court reporter for the Trial of
7920-494: The most influential early Chinese meditation texts are the Anban Shouyi Jing (安般守意經, Sutra on ānāpānasmṛti ), the Zuochan Sanmei Jing (坐禪三昧經，Sutra of sitting dhyāna samādhi ) and the Damoduoluo Chan Jing (達摩多羅禪經, Dharmatrata dhyāna sutra) . These early Chinese meditation works continued to exert influence on Zen practice well into the modern era. For example, the 18th century Rinzai Zen master Tōrei Enji wrote
8019-510: The name of Shakyamuni Buddha: namu Shakamuni Butsu ) and Amida nembutsu were promoted by Soto school priests as easy practices for laypersons. Nianfo chan is also widely practiced in Vietnamese Thien . Since Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism , it is grounded on the schema of the bodhisattva path, which is based on the practice of the "transcendent virtues" or "perfections" ( Skt . pāramitā , Ch. bōluómì , Jp. baramitsu ) as well as
8118-476: The narrative. The Ariyapariyesana Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 26) describes how the Buddha was dissatisfied with the teachings of Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta , wandered further through Magadhan country, and then found "an agreeable piece of ground" which served for striving. The sutta then only says that he attained Nibbana. In the Vanapattha Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 17) the Buddha describes life in
8217-467: The objects of experience to "the nature of conscious awareness itself", the innately pure buddha-nature , which was compared to a clear mirror or to the sun (which is always shining but may be covered by clouds). This type of meditation is based on classic Mahāyāna ideas which are not uniquely "Chan", but according to McRae it differs from traditional practice in that "no preparatory requirements, no moral prerequisites or preliminary exercises are given," and
8316-497: The one which includes the Four Dhyanas and the destruction of the intoxicants. It calls in question the reliability of these accounts, and the relation between dhyana and insight, which is a core problem in the study of early Buddhism. Originally the term prajna may have been used, which came to be replaced by the four truths in those texts where "liberating insight" was preceded by the four jhanas. Bronkhorst also notices that
8415-674: The personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others . Some Zen sources de-emphasize doctrinal study and traditional practices, favoring direct understanding through zazen and interaction with a master (Jp: rōshi , Ch: shīfu ) who may be depicted as an iconoclastic and unconventional figure. In spite of this, most Zen schools also promote traditional Buddhist practices like chanting, precepts , rituals, monasticism and scriptural study. With an emphasis on Buddha-nature thought, intrinsic enlightenment and sudden awakening , Zen teaching draws from numerous Buddhist sources, including Sarvāstivāda meditation,
8514-610: The practice of "observing the huatou " ( hwadu in Korean) is a widely practiced method. It was taught by Seon masters like Chinul (1158–1210) and Seongcheol (1912–1993), and modern Chinese masters like Sheng Yen and Xuyun . In the Japanese Rinzai school, kōan introspection developed its own formalized style, with a standardized curriculum of kōans , which must be studied, meditated on and "passed" in sequence. Monks are instructed to "become one" with their koan by repeating
8613-426: The primacy of insight. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu , jhana and vipassana (insight) form an integrated practice. Polak and Arbel, following scholars like Vetter and Bronkhorst, argue that right effort , c.q. the four right efforts (sense restraint, preventing the arising of unwholesome states , and the generation of wholesome states ), mindfulness, and dhyana form an integrated practice, in which dhyana
8712-491: The realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. According to Nyanatiloka, (Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements ( kilesa , q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths ( sacca , q.v.). This equation of bodhi with the four noble truths is a later development, in response to developments within Indian religious thought, where "liberating insight"
8811-454: The same meaning: that of being freed from greed, hate and delusion. Bodhi , specifically, refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant . It is equal to supreme insight, the realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. Reaching full awakening is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirvāṇa . Attaining Nirvāṇa is the ultimate goal of Theravada and other śrāvaka traditions. It involves
8910-502: The study of meditation ( Chinese : 禪學 ; pinyin : chánxué ) though it is often used as an abbreviated form of Chánzong . Zen is also called 佛心宗, fóxīnzōng (Chinese) or busshin-shū (Japanese), the "Buddha-mind school," from fó-xīn , "Buddha-mind"; "this term can refer either to the (or a) Buddha's compassionate and enlightened mind , or to the originally clear and pure mind inherent in all beings to which they must awaken." Busshin may also refer to Buddhakaya ,
9009-680: The taking of the bodhisattva vows . The most widely used list of six virtues is: generosity , moral training (incl. five precepts ), patient endurance , energy or effort , meditation ( dhyana ), wisdom . An important source for these teachings is the Avatamsaka sutra , which also outlines the grounds ( bhumis ) or levels of the bodhisattva path. The pāramitās are mentioned in early Chan works such as Bodhidharma 's Two entrances and four practices and are seen as an important part of gradual cultivation ( jianxiu ) by later Chan figures like Zongmi . An important element of this practice
9108-454: The teaching line. In the Caodong and Soto traditions, koans were studied and commented on, for example Hongzhi published a collection of koans and Dogen discussed koans extensively. However, they were not traditionally used in sitting meditation. Some Zen masters have also critiqued the practice of using koans for meditation. According to Haskel, Bankei called kōans "old wastepaper" and saw
9207-708: The temple Hosshin-ji . Later he became a disciple of Hakuun Yasutani , a dharma heir of Harada. After 13 years' training, Kapleau was ordained as a priest by Yasutani in 1965 "according to the rites prescribed by the Patriarch Eihei Dogen" as described by Yasutani in a certificate from the Sanbo "Three Treasures" Buddhist Religious Association, dated June 28, 1964, and given permission to teach. Kapleau ended his relationship with Yasutani formally in 1967 over disagreements about teaching and other personal issues. According to James Ishmael Ford , "Kapleau had completed about half of
9306-652: The term 'enlightenment' is credited (by the Oxford English Dictionary) to the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (February 1836). In 1857 The Times used the term "the Enlightened" for the Buddha in a short article, which was reprinted the following year by Max Müller . Thereafter, the use of the term subsided, but reappeared with the publication of Max Müller's Chips from a german Workshop , which included
9405-451: The traditional Buddhist meditations. This uniquely Zen approach goes by various names like “maintaining mind” (shouxin 守心), “maintaining unity” (shouyi 守一), “pacifying the mind” (anxin 安心), “discerning the mind” (guanxin 觀心), and “viewing the mind” (kanxin 看心). A traditional phrase that describes this practice states that "Chán points directly to the human mind, to enable people to see their true nature and become buddhas." According to McRae
9504-419: The translation "enlightenment" for bodhi , but this is misleading ... It is not clear what the buddha was awakened to, or at what particular point the awakening came. According to Norman, bodhi may basically have meant the knowledge that nibbana was attained, due to the practice of dhyana . Originally only "prajna" may have been mentioned, and Tillman Vetter even concludes that originally dhyana itself
9603-589: Was deemed essential for Liberation . The four noble truths as the liberating insight of the Buddha eventually were superseded by Pratītyasamutpāda , the twelvefold chain of causation, and still later by anatta, the emptiness of the self. In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhi is equal to prajna , insight into the Buddha-nature , sunyata and tathatā . This is equal to the realisation of the non-duality of absolute and relative . In Theravada Buddhism pannā (Pali) means "understanding", "wisdom", "insight". "Insight"
9702-399: Was deemed liberating, with the stilling of pleasure or pain in the fourth jhana, not the gaining of some perfect wisdom or insight. Gombrich also argues that the emphasis on insight is a later development. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant . In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi is equal to supreme insight, and
9801-429: Was not dependent upon a dogmatic external form. At the same time he recognized that it was not always easy to discern the form from the essence, and one had to be careful not to " throw the baby out with the bathwater ". He was a strong advocate for Buddhist vegetarianism . He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease for several years. While his physical mobility was reduced, he enjoyed lively and trenchant interactions with
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