1 the Religion of the Samurai

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THE RELIGION OF THE SAMURAI

A STUDY OF ZEN PHILOSOPHY AND DISCIPLINE IN CHINA AND

JAPAN

BY

KAITEN NUKARIYA

PROFESSOR OF KEI-O-GI-JIKU UNIVERSITY AND OF

SO-TO-SHU BUDDHIST COLLEGE, TOKYO

[1913]

!"##$% "& '''("!)$%-&$*&(!+, S$&$.$) /000

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

(1) The Southern and Northern Schools of Buddhism

(2) The Develoment and Differentiation of Buddhism

(!) The O"#ect of this Boo$ is the %&lainin' of the ahaanistic *ie+ of ,ife and the-orld

(.) /en holds a Uni0ue osition amon' the %sta"lished Reli'ions of the -orld

() The 3istorical 4nti0uit of /en(5) The Denial of Scritural 4uthorit " /en

(6) The ractisers of /en hold the Buddha as their redecessor7 +hose Siritual ,evel

the 4im to 4ttain

(8) The Iconoclastic 4ttitude of /en(9) /en 4ctivit

(1:) The hsical and ental Trainin'

(11) The 3istorical Imortance

C34T%R I

3ISTOR; O< /%N IN C3IN4

1= The Ori'in of /en in India

2= The Introduction of /en into China " Bodhidharma

!= Bodhidharma and the %meror -u.= Bodhidharma and his Successor7 the Second atriarch

= Bodhidharma>s Disciles and the Transmission of the ,a+


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5= The Second and the Third atriarchs

6= The


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1= The 4ncient Buddhist antheon

2= /en is Iconoclastic

!= Buddha is Unnama"le.= Buddha7 the Universal ,ife

= ,ife and Chan'e

5= The essimistic *ie+ of 4ncient 3indus6= 3inaanism and its Doctrine

8= Chan'e as seen " /en

9= ,ife and Chan'e1:= ,ife7 Chan'e7 and 3oe

11= %verthin' is ,ivin' accordin' to /en

12= The Creative


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1= The ethod of Instruction adoted " /en asters

2= The


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R%CONCI,I4TION O< T3% T%OR4R; -IT3 T3% R%4, DOCTRIN%

Ne&tG Introduction

INTRODUCTIONBUDD3IS is 'eo'rahicall divided into t+o schoolsH1@@the Southern7 the older andsimler7 and the Northern7 the later and more develoed faith= The former7 "ased mainl

on the ali te&tsH2 is $no+n as 3inaanaH! (small vehicle)7 or the inferior doctrineJ

+hile the latter7 "ased on the various Sans$rit te&ts7 H. is $no+n as ahaana (lar'e

H1= The Southern School has its adherents in Celon7 Burma7 Siam7 4nan7 etc=J +hile the

Northern School is found in Neal7 China7 ?aan7 Ti"et7 etc=

2= The chiefl consist of the Sacred Boo$s of Buddhist7> vols= ii=@iii=7 and

of seven suttas " the same author in >Sacred Boo$s of the %ast7> vol= &i=

!= The Southern Buddhists never call their faith 3inaana7 the name "ein' an invention oflater Buddhists7 +ho call their doctrine ahaana in contradistinction to the earlier form

of Buddhism= -e have to notice that the +ord 3inaana fre0uentl occurs in ahaana

"oo$s7 +hile it does not in 3inaana "oo$s=

.= 4 catalo'ue of the Buddhist Canon7 E>@uen@luh7 'ives the titles of 896 ahaanasutras7 et the most imortant "oo$s often 0uoted " Northern Buddhist teachers amount

to little more than t+ent= There e&ist the %n'lish translation of ,ar'er Su$havati@vuha@

sutra7 Smaller Su$havati@vuha@sutra7 *a#racchedi$a@sutra7 ,ar'er ra#na@aramita@

hrada@sutra7 Smaller ra#na@aramita@hrdaa@sutra7 " a& ller7 and 4mitaur@dhana@sutra7 " ?= Ta$a$usu7 in >Sacred Boo$s of the %ast7> vol= &li&= 4n %n'lish

translation of Saddharma@undari$a@sutra7 " Eern7 is 'iven in >Sacred Boo$s of the %ast7>

*ol= &&i= Comare these "oo$s +ith >Outlines of ahaana Buddhism7> " D= Suu$i=

vehicle)7 or suerior doctrine= The chief tenets of the Southern School are so +ell $no+nto occidental scholars that the almost al+as mean the Southern School " the +ord

Buddhism= But +ith re'ard to the Northern School ver little is $no+n to the -est7

o+in' to the fact that most of its ori'inal te&ts +ere lost7 and that the teachin's "ased onthese te&ts are +ritten in Chinese7 or Ti"etan7 or ?aanese lan'ua'es unfamiliar to non@

Buddhist investi'ators=
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa02.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa02.htm


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It is hardl #ustifia"le to cover the +hole sstem of Buddhism +ith a sin'le eithet H1

>essimistic> or >nihilistic7> "ecause Buddhism7 havin' "een adoted " sava'e tri"es as

+ell as civilied nations7 " 0uiet7 enervated eole as +ell as " +arli$e7 sturd hordes7durin' some t+ent@five hundred ears7 has develoed itself into "eliefs +idel diver'ent

and even diametricall oosed= %ven in ?aan alone it has differentiated itself into

thirteen main sects and fort@four su"@sectsH2 and is still in full vi'our7 thou'h in othercountries it has alread assed its rime= Thus ?aan seems to "e the "est reresentative

of the Buddhist countries +here the ma#orit of eole a"ides " the 'uidin'

H1= 3inaanism is7 'enerall sea$in'7 inclined to "e essimistic7 "ut ahaanism in the

main holds the otimistic vie+ of life= Nihilism is advocated in some ahaana sutras7"ut others set forth idealism or realism=

2= (1) The Ten Dai Sect7 includin' three su"@sectsJ (2) The Shin Aon Sect7 includin'

eleven su"@sectsJ (!) The Ritsu SectJ (.) The Rin /ai Sect7 includin' fourteen su"@sectsJ

() The So To SectJ (5) The O Ba$u SectJ (6) The ?o Do Sect7 includin' t+o su"@sectsJ

(8) The Shin Sect7 includin' ten su"@sectsJ (9) The Nichi Ren Sect7 includin' nine su"@sectsJ (1:) The ;u /u Nen Butsu SectJ (11) The 3osso SectJ (12) The Ee Aon SectJ (1!)

The ?i Sect= Out of these thirteen Buddhist sects7 Rin /ai7 So To7 and O Ba$u "elon' to/en= 4 Short 3istor of the T+elve ?aanese Buddhist

Sects7> " Dr= B= Nan#o=

rincile of the Northern School= To stud her reli'ion7 therefore7 is to enetrate into

ahaanism7 +hich still lies an une&lored land for the -estern minds= 4nd toinvesti'ate her faith is not to di' out the remains of Buddhist faith that e&isted t+ent

centuries a'o7 "ut to touch the heart and soul of ahaanism that enlivens its devotees at

the resent moment=

The o"#ect of this little "oo$ is to sho+ ho+ the ahaanistic vie+ of life and of the+orld differs mar$edl from that of 3inaanism7 +hich is 'enerall ta$en as Buddhism

" occidentals7 to e&lain ho+ the reli'ion of Buddha has adated itself to its

environment in the


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H1= The +ord /en is the Sinico@?aanese a""reviation of the Sans$rit Dhana7 or

editation= It imlies the +hole "od of teachin's and disciline eculiar to a Buddhist

sect no+ oularl $no+n as the /en Sect=

2 There e&ists a societ formed " men +ho have "ro$en +ith the old creeds of

Buddhism7 and +ho call themselves the Ne+ Buddhists= It has for its or'an >The Ne+Buddhism7> and is one of the influential reli'ious societies in ?aan= -e mean " the Ne+

Buddhists7 ho+ever7 numerous educated oun' men +ho still adhere to Buddhist sects7and are carrin' out a reformation=

the statement of these ideas ma serve as an e&lanation of the resent movement

conducted " oun' and a"le reformers of ?aanese Buddhism=

Thirdl7 Buddhist denominations7 li$e non@Buddhist reli'ions7 la stress on scrituralauthoritJ "ut /en denounces it on the 'round that +ords or characters can never

ade0uatel= e&ress reli'ious truth7 +hich can onl "e realied " mindJ conse0uentl it

claims that the reli'ious truth attained " Sha$a uni in his %nli'htenment has "eenhanded do+n neither " +ord of mouth nor " the letters of scritures7 "ut from teacher>s

mind to discile>s throu'h the line of transmission until the resent da= It is an isolated

instance in the +hole histor of the +orld>s reli'ions that hol scritures are declared to

"e >no more than +asteH1 aer " reli'ionists7 as done " /en masters=


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Si&thl7 there is another characteristic of /en7 +hich cannot "e found in an other

reli'ion@that is to sa7 its eculiar mode of e&ressin' rofound reli'ious insi'ht " such

actions as the liftin' u of a hair@"rush7 or " the tain' of the chair +ith a staff7 or " aloud outcr7 and so forth= This +ill 'ive the student of reli'ion a stri$in' illustration of

differentiated forms of reli'ion in its scale of evolution=

Besides these characteristics7 /en is noted for its hsical and mental trainin'= That the

dail ractice of /aenH2 and the "reathin' e&ercise remar$a"l imroves one>s hsicalcondition is an esta"lished fact= 4nd histor roves that most /en masters en#oed a lon'

life in site of their e&tremel simle mode of livin'= Its mental disciline7 ho+ever7 is "

far more fruitful7 and $ees one>s mind in e0uioise7 ma$in' one neither assionate nordisassionate7 neither sentimental nor unintelli'ent7 neither nervous nor senseless= It is

+ell $no+n as a cure to all sorts of mental disease7 occasioned " nervous distur"ance7 as

a nourishment to the fati'ued "rain7 and also as a stimulus to toror and sloth= It is self@control7 as it is the su"duin' of such ernicious assions as an'er7 #ealous7 hatred7 and

the li$e7 and the a+a$enin' of no"le emotions such as smath7 merc7 'enerosit7 and

+hat not= It is a mode of %nli'htenment7 as it is the disellin'

H1= 4 Chinese /en teacher7 +ell $no+n for his eculiarities7 +ho died in 4=D= 82.=


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H1= See >4 3istor of Chinese hilosoh7> " Ru$ichi %ndo7 and 4 3istor of Chinese

hilosoh7> " Aiichi Na$auchi=

2


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L4fter the Nirvana of the Tatha'ata7

There +ill "e a man in the future7

,isten to me carefull7 O ahatma74 man +ho +ill hold m la+=

In the 'reat countr of South7

There +ill "e a venera"le Bhi$suThe Bodhisattva Na'ar#una " name7

-ho +ill destro the vie+s of 4sti$as and Nasti$as7

-ho +ill reach unto men m ;ana7The hi'hest ,a+ of the ahaana7

4nd +ill attain to the ramudita@"humi=L

his thirtieth ear7 +hen he +as sittin' a"sor"ed in rofound meditation under the Bodhi

Tree= It is said that then "e a+o$e to the erfect truth and declaredG L4ll animated and

inanimate "ein's are %nli'htened at the same time=L 4ccordin' to the traditionH1 of thissect Sha$a uni transmitted his msterious doctrine from mind to mind to his oldest

discile aha$aKaa at the assem"l hold on the

H1= The incident is related as follo+sG -hen the Buddha +as at the assem"l on theount of 3ol *ulture7 there came a Brahmara#a +ho offered the Teacher a 'olden

flo+er7 and as$ed him to reach the Dharma= The Buddha too$ the flo+er and held it

aloft in his hand7 'ain' at it in erfect silence= None in the assem"l could understand+hat he meant7 e&cet the venera"le aha$aKaa7 +ho smiled at the Teacher= Then the

Buddha saidG LI have the %e and Treasur of Aood Dharma7 Nirvana7 the -onderful

Sirit7 +hich I no+ hand over to aha$aKaa=L The "oo$ in +hich this incident is

descri"ed is entitled >Sutra on the Areat Brahman Ein'>s uestionin' Buddha to Disel aDou"t7> "ut there e&ists no ori'inal te&t nor an Chinese translation in the Triita$a7 It is

hi'hl ro"a"le that some earl Chinese /en scholar of the Sun' dnast (4=D= 95:@1125) fa"ricated the tradition7 "ecause -an' N'an Shih (O@an@se$i)7 a o+erful inister

under the %meror Shan Tsun' (Shin@so7 4=D= 1:58@1:8)7 is said to have seen the "oo$

in the Imerial ,i"rar= There is7 ho+ever7 no evidence7 as far as +e $no+7 ointin' to

the e&istence of the Sutra in China= In ?aan there e&ists7 in a form of manuscrit7 t+odifferent translations of that "oo$7 $et in secret veneration " some /en masters7 +hich

have "een roved to "e fictitious " the resent +riter after his close e&amination of the

contents7 See the 4endi& to his /en@'a$u@hi@han@ron=

ount of 3ol *ulture7 and the latter +as ac$no+led'ed as the first atriarch7 +ho7 inturn7 transmitted the doctrine to 4nanda7 the second atriarch7 and so till Bodhidharma7

the t+ent@ei'hth> atriarch= -e have little to sa a"out the historical value of this

tradition7 "ut it is +orth +hile to note that the list of the names of these t+ent@ei'htatriarchs contains man eminent scholars of ahaanism7 or the later develoed school

of Buddhism7 such as 4Kva'hosa7H2 Na'ar#una7H! Eanadeva7H. and *asu"handhu=H

H1= The follo+in' is the list of the names of the t+ent@ei'ht atriarchsG


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1= aha$aKaa= 11= unaaKas= 2:= ?aata=

2= 4nanda= 12= 4Kva'hosa= 21= *asu"andhu=

!= Manavasu= 1!= Eaimala= 22= anura=

.= Ua'uta= 1.= Na'ar#una= 2!= 3a$lanaaKas=

= Dhrta$a= 1= Eanadeva= 2.= Simha=

5= iccha$a= 15= Rahulata= 2= *aKasuta=

6= *asumitra= 16= Sam'hanandi= 25= unamitra=

8= Buddhanandi= 18= Sam'haacas= 26= ra#atara=

9= Buddhamitra= 19= Eumarata= 28= Bodhidharma=

1:= arKva=

The first t+ent@three atriarchs are e&actl the same as those 'iven in >The Sutra on the

Nidana of transmittin' Dharmaita$a7> translated in 4=D= .62= Ein' Teh Ch+en Tan' Iuh(Eei@to$u@den@to@ro$u)7 a famous /en histor of China7 'ives t+o ela"orate narratives

a"out the transmission of Ri'ht Dharma from teacher to discile throu'h these t+ent@

ei'ht atriarchs7 to "e trusted +ithout hesitation= It +ould not "e difficult for an scholar

of sense to find these statements +ere made from the same motive as that of theanonmous author +ho 'ives a short life7 in Dir'ha'ama@sutra7 of each of the si&

Buddhas7 the redecessors of Sha$a uni7 if he carefull comare the list 'iven a"ove

+ith the lists of the atriarchs of the Sarvastivada school 'iven " San ;in (So@u died

4=D= 18) in his Chuh San Tsun' Ei (Shutsu@san o@$i)=

2= One of the founders of ahaana Buddhism7 +ho flourished in the first centur 4=D=

There e&ists a life of his translated into Chinese " Eumara#iva in 4=D= .:1@.:9= The

most imortant of his +or$s areG ahaanaKraddhotada@Kastra7 ahalan$ara@sutra@Kastra7 Buddha@carita$ava=

!= The founder of the adhami$a school of ahaana Buddhism7 +ho lived in the

second centur 4=D= 4 life of his +as translated into Chinese " Eumara#iva in 4=D=

.:1@.:9= T+ent@four "oo$s are ascri"ed to him7 of +hich ahara#aaramita@Kastra7adhami$a@Kastra7 ra#adia@Kastra7 DvadaKani$aa@Kastra7 4stadaKa$aKa@Kastra7 are

+ell $no+n=

.= Sometimes called 4radeva7 a successor of Na'ar#una= 4 life of his +as translated into

Chinese " Eumara#iva in 4=D= .:1@.:9= The follo+in' are his imortant +or$sG Mata@Kastra7 >Mastra " the Bodhisattva Deva on the refutation of four heretical 3inaana

schools mentioned in the ,an$atvatara@sutra>J >Mastra " the Bodhisattva Deva on the

e&lanation of the Nirvana " t+ent 3inaana teachers mentioned in the ,an$avatara@sutra=>


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= 4 oun'er "rother of 4sam'a7 a famous ahaanist of the fifth centur 4=D= There

are thirt@si& +or$s ascri"ed to *asu"andhu7 of +hich DaKa"humi$a@Kastra7

4arimitaus@sutra@Kastra7 ahaari@nirvana@sutra@Kastra7 ahaana@Katadharmavidadvara@Kastra7 *ida@matrasiddhi@tridaKa@Kastra7 Bodhicittoadana@Kastra7

Buddha@'otra@Kastra7 *idamatrasiddhivinKati'atha@Kastra7 adhantavi"ha'a@Kastra7

4"hidharma@$oKa@Kastra7 Tar$a@Kastra7 etc=7 are +ell $no+n=

2= I#&)+%4!&+# + Z$# #&+ C5#" .6 B+%5%5")"=@@4n eoch@ma$in' event too$lace in the Buddhist histor of China " Bodhidharma>s comin' over from Southern

India to that countr in a"out 4=D= 2:=H1 It +as the introduction7 not of the dead

scritures7 as +as reeatedl done "efore him7 "ut of a livin' faith7 not of an theoreticaldoctrine7 "ut of ractical %nli'htenment7 not of the relies of Buddha7 "ut of the Sirit of

Sha$a uniJ so that Bodhidharma>s osition as a reresentative of /en +as uni0ue= 3e

+as7 ho+ever7 not a missionar to "e favoura"l received " the u"lic= 3e seems tohave "ehaved in a +a 0uite oosite to that in +hich a modern astor treats his floc$=

-e ima'ine him to have "een a reli'ious teacher entirel different in ever oint from a

oular Christian missionar of our a'e= The latter +ould smile or tr to smile at everface he haens to see and +ould

H1= Buddhist historians differ in oinion resectin' the date of Bodhidharma>s aearance

in China= Comare Ch+en


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H1= The %meror -u (Bu@Tei) of the ,ian' dnast7 +hose rei'n +as 4=D= :[email protected]=

the first rincile of Buddhism> Thus thin$in'7 he in0uiredG L-hat is the hol truth7 or

the first rincileL The ans+er +as no less astonishin'G LThat rincile transcends all=There is nothin' hol=L The cro+ned creature +as comletel at a loss to see +hat the

teacher meant= erhas he mi'ht have thou'htG >-h is nothin' hol 4re there not holmen7 3ol Truths7 3ol aths stated in the scritures Is he himself not one of the hol

men H2> LThen +ho is that confronts usL as$ed the monarch a'ain= LI $no+ not7 ourma#est7L +as the laconic rel of Bodhidharma7 +ho no+ sa+ that his ne+ faith +as

"eond the understandin' of the %meror=

The elehant can hardl $ee coman +ith ra""its= The ett orthodo& can " nomeans $ee ace +ith the elehantine stride of /en= No +onder that Bodhidharma left

not onl the alace of the %meror -u7 "ut also the State of ,ian'7 and +ent to the State

of Northern -ei=H1 There he sent nine ears in the Shao ,inH2 onaster7 mostl

sittin' silent in meditation +ith his face to the +all7 and earned for himself the aellation

of >the +all@'ain' Brahmin=> This name itself su''ests that the si'nificance of hismission +as not areciated " his contemoraries= But neither he +as nor the +ere to

"lame7 "ecause the lion>s imortance is areciated onl " the lion= 4 'reat ersona'e isno less 'reat "ecause of his unoularit amon' his fello+ men7 #ust as the 'reat an'H!

is no less 'reat "ecause of his unoularit amon' the +in'ed creatures= Bodhidharma

+as not oular to the de'ree that he +as envied " his contemorar Buddhists7 +ho7

H1= Northern Ai dnast (4=D= !85@!.)=

2 Sho@rin@#i7 erected " the %meror 3iao in' of Northern -ei 4=D= .96=

! Ch+an'@ts in his famous ara"le comares a 'reat sa'e +ith the an'7 an ima'inar"ird of enormous sie7 +ith its +in's of ninet thousand miles= The "ird is lau'hed at "

+rens and sarro+s "ecause of its e&cessive sie=

as +e are told " his "io'rahers7 attemted to oison him three times7H1 "ut +ithoutsuccess=

.= B+%5%5")" "#% 5 S4!!$+) &5$ S$!+#% P"&)")!5=@@China +as not7 ho+ever7 an

uncultivated H2

H1= This reminds us of Nan ;oh 3+ui S (Nan@'a$u@e@shi7 died 4=D= 66)7 +ho is said to

have learned /en under Bodhidharma= 3e sas in his statement of a vo+ that he +asoisoned three times " those +ho envied him=

2= The translation of 3inaana /en sutras first aved the +a for our faith=


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Dhananisthitasamadhi@dharma@ar'a@sutra " Eumara#iva in 4=D= .:2J >4n 4"rid'ed

,a+ on the Imortance of editation> " Eumara#iva in 4=D= .:J ancadvara@

dhanasutra@maharthadharma " Dharmamitra in 4=D= [email protected]= ,eu

Cia Chan (Shi@ru@'a@sen) in 4=D= 15.@185J *imala$irttinirdeKa@sutra7 +hich is much usedin /en7 " Eumara#iva in 4=D= [email protected] ,an$avatara@sutra7 +hich is said to have "een

ointed out " Bodhidharma as the "est e&lanation of /en7 " Auna"hadra in 4=D= .!!J

Saddharma@undari$a@sutra7 in its comlete form7 " Eumara#iva in 4=D= .:5J4vatamsa$a@sutra " Buddha"hadra in 4=D= .18J ahaarinirvana@sutra " Dharmara$sa

in 4=D= .2!=

If +e are not mista$en7 Eumara#iva7 +ho came to China 4=D= !8.7 made a valua"le

contri"ution to+ards the foundation of /en in that countr7 not merel throu'h histranslation of /en sutras a"ove mentioned7 "ut " the education of his disciles7 such as

San' Chao (So@#o7 died 4=D= .1.)7 San' Shan' (So@sho7 +hose +ritin's undou"tedl

influenced later /en teachers= 4 more imortant ersona'e in the histor of /en reviousto the Blue@eed Brahmin is Buddha"hadra7 a +ell@$no+n /en master7 +ho came over to

China 4=D= .:5= 3is translation of Dharmatara@dhana@sutra (+hich is said to have "een

reached " Bodhidharma himself +hen he +as in India) and that of 4vatamsa$a@sutra

ma "e said +ithout e&a''eration to have laid the corner@stone for /en= 3e 'ave a courseof lectures on the /en sutra for the first time in China in 4=D= .1!7 and it +as throu'h his

instruction that man native ractisers of /en +ere roduced7 of +hom Chi ;en (Chi@

'on) and 3en Eao (Aen@$o) are +ell $no+n= In these das /en should have "een in theascendant in India7 "ecause almost all Indian scholars@at least those $no+n to us@+ere

called /en teachers@for instance7 Buddha"hadra7 Buddhasena7 Dharmadhi7 and some

others +ere all /en scholars=

Chinese Buddhist scholars did no less than Indian teachers to+ard the urisin' of /en=The foremost amon' them is 3+ui ;uen (%@on7 died 4=D= .1.)7 +ho ractised /en "

the instruction of Buddha"hadra= 3e founded the Societ of the -hite ,otus7 +hich

comrised ei'hteen eminent scholars of the a'e amon' its mem"ers7 for the urose ofractisin' editation and of adorin' Buddha 4mita"ha= -e must not for'et that durin'

the -estern and the %astern Tsin (Shin) dnasties (4=D= [email protected]:) "oth Taoism and

Buddhism 're+ roserous to no small e&tent= 4nd China roduced7 on the one hand7Taoists of an eccentric te7 such as the Seven -ise en of the Bam"oo


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eaceful and ha life in 3eaven and in %arth= The ,o+est Aood consists in love and

rotection of sentient "ein's=L Thus his idea of 'ood7 as the reader +ill see +ithout

difficult7 is the result of a comromise of Taoism and Buddhism= Sin -an' in' (Sin@o@mei7 On the ind@Ein')7 one of his masterieces7 to'ether +ith other minor oems7 are

still used as a te&t"oo$ of /en= This fact unmista$a"l roves that Taoist element found

its +a into the constituents of /en from its ver outset in China=

land for the seed of /en@@na7 there had "een man ractisers of /en "eforeBodhidharma= 4ll that he had to do +as to +ait for an earnest see$er after the sirit of

Sha$a uni= Therefore he +aited7 and +aited not in vain7 for at last there came a

learned Confucianist7 Shan' E+an' (Shin@$o) " name7 for the urose of findin' thefinal solution of a ro"lem +hich trou"led him so much that he had "ecome dissatisfied

+ith Confucianism7 as it had no roer diet for his no+ siritual hun'er= Thus Shan'

E+an' +as far from "ein' one of those half@hearted visitors +ho $noc$ed the door ofBodhidharma onl for the sa$e of curiosit= But the silent master +as cautious enou'h to

tr the sincerit of a ne+ visitor "efore admittin' him to the editation 3all= 4ccordin'

to a "io'rahH1 of his7 Shan' E+an' +as not allo+ed to enter the temle7 and had tostand in the courtard covered dee +ith sno+= 3is firm resolution and earnest desire7

ho+ever7 $et him standin' continuall on one sot for seven das and ni'hts +ith "eads

of the froen dros of tears on his "reast= 4t last he cut off his left arm +ith a shar $nife7

and resented it "efore the infle&i"le teacher to sho+ his resolution to follo+ the mastereven at the ris$ of his life= Thereuon Bodhidharma admitted him into the order as a

discile full 0ualified to "e instructed in the hi'hest doctrine of ahaanism=

Our master>s method of instruction +as entirel different from that of ordinar instructors

of learnin'= 3e +ould not e&lain an ro"lem to the learner7 "ut siml hel him to 'etenli'htened " uttin' him an a"rut "ut tellin' 0uestion= Shan' E+an'7 for instance7

said to Bodhidharma7 erhas +ith a si'hG LI have no eace of mind= i'ht I as$ ou7 sir7to acif m mind H2L LBrin' out our mind (that trou"les ou so much)7L relied themaster7 Lhere "efore meP I shall acif it=L LIt is imossi"le for me7L said the discile7

after a little consideration7 Lto see$ out m mind (that trou"les me so much)=L LThen7L

H1= Ein' Teh Ch+en Tan' ,uh (Eei@to$u@den@to@ro$u)7 u"lished " Tao ;uen (Do@'en)

4=D= 1::.7 'ives a detailed narrative concernin' this incident as stated here7 "ut earlierhistorians tell us a different stor a"out the mutilation of Shan' E+an'>s arm= Comare

Suh Eas San Ch+en (/o$u@$o@so@den) and 3+ui ;uen (%@'en)=

e&claimed Bodhidharma7 LI have acified our mind=L 3ereon Shan' E+an' +as

instantl %nli'htened= This event is +orth of our notice7 "ecause such a mode ofinstruction +as adoted " all /en teachers after the first atriarch7 and it "ecame one of

the characteristics of /en=

= B+%5%5")"8 D!$ "#% &5$ T)"#+# + &5$ L"'=H1@@Bodhidharma>sla"our of nine ears in China resulted in the initiation of a num"er of disciles7 +hom

some time "efore his death he addressed as follo+sG LNo+ the time (of m dearture

from this +orld) is at hand= Sa7 one and all7 ho+ do ou understand the ,a+L Tao


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(Do@fu$u) said in resonse to thisG LThe ,a+ does not lie in the letters (of the Scritures)7

accordin' to m vie+7 nor is it searated from them7 "ut it +or$s=L The aster saidG

LThen ou have o"tained m s$in=L Ne&t Tsun' Chi (So@#i)7 a nun7 reliedG L4s 4nandaH2 sa+ the $in'dom of 4$so"haH! onl once "ut not t+ice7 so I understand the ,a+LJ

The master saidG LThen ou have attained to m flesh=L Then Tao ;uh (Do@i$u) reliedG

LThe four elementsH. are unreal from the first7 nor are the five a''re'atesH realle&istent= 4ll is emtiness accordin' to m vie+=L The master saidG LThen ou have

ac0uired m "one=L ,astl7 3+ui Eo (%@$a)7 +hich +as the Buddhist name 'iven "

Bodhidharma7 to Shan' E+an'7 made a olite "o+ to the teacher and stood in his lace+ithout a +ord= L;ou have attained

H1=


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H1= The clerical cloa$7 +hich is said to have "een dar$ 'reen= It "ecame an o"#ect of 'reat

veneration after the Si&th atriarch7 +ho a"olished the atriarchal sstem and did not

hand the sm"ol over to successors=

2 The so@called Three Treasures of the Buddha7 the ,a+7 and the Order=

! The Second atriarch died in 4=D= 9!@@that is7 si&t@five ears after the dearture of

the


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"e mi'ht have "ecome the le'itimate successor of 3un' ?an7 had not the Eachaa of

Bodhidharma "een carried a+a " a oor farmer>s son of Sin Cheu=

3+ui Nan'7 the Si&th atriarch7 seems to have "een "orn a /en teacher= The siritualli'ht of Buddha first flashed in his mind +hen he haened to hear a mon$ recitin' a

sutra= On 0uestionin' the mon$7 "e learned that the "oo$ +as *a#racchedi$a@ra#a@aramita@sutra7H1 and that 3un' ?an7 the 4""ot of the 3+an' ei onaster7 +as used

to ma$e his disciles recite the "oo$ that it mi'ht hel them in their siritual disciline=3ereuon he made u his mind to ractise /en7 and called on 3un' ?an at the onaster=

L-ho are ou7L demanded the


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"od in the future e&istence7 "ut in this ver "od that one had to 'et enli'htened= 4nd

mind is ure and "ri'ht in its nature li$e a mirror7 "ut the dirt and dust of assions and of

lo+ desires often ollute and dim it= Therefore one should dust and +ie it from time totime in order to $ee it "ri'ht=

remar$ed that the are "eautiful7 "ut hardl e&ressive of the Sirit of Sha$a uni7 and+rote his o+n verses7 +hich ran as follo+sG

LThere is no Bodhi@tree7Nor is there a mirror stand=

Nothin' e&ists from the first

-hat can "e dimmed " dust and dirtL

erhas no"od ever dreamed such an insi'nificant fello+ as the rice@ounder couldsurass the venera"le scholar in a reli'ious insi'ht7 "ut the


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(mental) hsio'nomPL Bein' thus 0uestioned7 in' found in an instant the Divine

,i'ht of Buddha +ithin himself7 and "ecame a discile of the Si&th atriarch=

11= T5$ D$


23/190


24/190

H1= There e&ists ,uh Tan 4+a +ith

our idle thou'hts7> to ever 0uestionerJ ;un ;en (Un@'an7 died in 829)J ;oh Shan(;a$u@san7 died in 8!.)J Ta ei (Tai@"ai7 died in 8!9)7 a noted recluseJ Ta Ts (Dai@#i7

died in 852)J E+ei and

other numerous +or$sJ and ;un E (Un@'o7 died in 9:2)=

To the eriod of the


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the founder of the ao ;en Sect= Durin' the Sun' dnast (4=D= 95:@1125) aeared

such teachers as ;an' Ei (;o@'i7 died in 1:.9)7 the founder of the ;an' Ei School of

/enJ Seh Teu (Set@cho7 died in 1:2)7 noted for oetical +or$sJ 3+an' ,un' (O ru7died in 1:59)7 the founder of the 3+an' ,un' School of /enJ 3+an' ,in (Eo@rin7 died in

986)J Ts in' (?i@mo7 died in 1:.:)J Teu Ts (To@shi7 died in 1:8!)J


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(5) ,in Tsi ,uh (Rin@ai@ro$u)7 " ,in Tsi (Rin@ai)=

(6) Tsun' ;un ,uh (Sho@o@ro$u)7 " -an Sun' (Ban@sho)=

Of historical /en "oo$s the follo+in' are of imortanceG

(1) Ein' teh Ch+en Tan@,uh (Eei@to$u@den@to@ro$u)7 u"lished in 1::. " Tao ;uen(Do@'en)=

(2) E+an Tan' ,uh (Eo@to ro$u)7 u"lished in 1:!5 " ,i Tsun Sh (Ri@#un@$o$u)=

(!) Suh Tan' ,uh (/o$u@O@ro$u)7 u"lished in 11:1 " -ei oh (I@ha$u)=(.) ,ien Tan' ,uh (Ren@O@ro$u)7 u"lished in 118! " 3+ui -an' (ai@o)=

() Chin' Tsun' Ei (Sho@#u@$i)7 u"lished in 1:8 " Ei Sun' (E+ai@su)=

(5) u Tan' ,uh (


27/190


28/190

$no+n as the amal'amators= ;un in' declared that those +ho ractise /en7 "ut have no

faith in 4mita"ha7 'o astra in nine cases out of tenJ that those +ho do not ractise /en7

"ut "elieve in 4mita"ha7 are saved7 one and allJ that those +ho ractise /en7 and have thefaith in 4mita"ha7 are li$e the ti'er rovided +ith +in'sJ and that for those +ho have no

faith in 4mita"ha7 nor ractise /en7 there e&ist the iron floor and the coer illars in

3ell= Eu Shan said that some ractise /en in order to attain %nli'htenment7 +hile othersra 4mita"ha for salvationJ that if the +ere sincere and dili'ent7 "oth +ill o"tain the

final "eatitude= -ei ,in also o"servedG LTheoreticall I em"race /en7 and racticall I

+orshi 4mita"ha=L %@chu7 the author of /en@to@nen"utsu (>On /en and the -orshi of4mita"ha>)7 oints out that one of the direct disciles of the Si&th atriarch favoured the

faith of 4mita"ha7 "ut there is no trust+orth evidence7 as far as +e $no+7 that roves

the e&istence of the amal'amation in the Tan' dnast=

This tendenc steadil increasin' +ith time "rou'ht out at len'th the eriod ofamal'amation +hich covered the ;uen (128:@1!56) and the in' dnasties (1!58@159)7

+hen the raer for 4mita"ha +as in ever mouth of /en mon$s sittin' in editation=

The atrons of /en +ere not +antin' in the ;uen dnast7 for such a +arli$e monarch asthe %meror Shi Tsu (Sei@so)7 128:@129.) is $no+n to have ractised /en under the

instruction of iao Eao7 and his successor Chin' Tsun' (129@1!:6) to have trusted in

;ih Shan7H1 a /en teacher of reutation at that time= oreover7 ,in in' Chun' (Rin@

hei@cha7 died in 126.)7 a o+erful minister under Shi Tsu7 +ho did much to+ard theesta"lishment of the administrative sstem in that dnast7 had "een a /en mon$7 and

never failed to atronie his faith= 4nd in the in' dnast the first %meror Tai Tsu

(1!58@1!98)7 havin' "een a /en mon$7 rotected the sect +ith enthusiasm7 and hise&amle +as follo+ed " Tai Tsun' (1.:[email protected].)7 +hose siritual as +ell as olitical

adviser +as Tao ;en7 a /en mon$ of distinction= Thus /en e&ercised an influence

unaralleled " an other faith throu'hout these a'es= The life and ener' of /en7

ho+ever7 +as 'one " the i'no"le amal'amation7 and even such 'reat scholars as Chun'


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consummation " the amal'amation of Confucianism +ith Buddhism eseciall +ith

/en7 to ena"le it to e&ercise lon'@standin' influence on societ7 and that this tendenc

also roduced -an' ;an' in'7H2 one of the 'reatest 'enerals and scholars that the+orld has ever seen7 +hose hilosoh of Consciences still holds a uni0ue osition in the

histor of human thou'ht -ho can den furthermore that -an'>s hilosoh is /en in

the Confucian terminolo'

H1= This +ell@$no+n hilosoh +as first tau'ht " Cheu en Shuh (Shu@mo@shi$u7 diedin 1:6!) in its definite form= 3e is said to have "een enli'htened " the instruction of

3+ui Tan'7 a contemorar /en master= 3e +as succeeded " Chan' in' Tao (Tei@

mei@do7 died in 1:8) and Chan' I Ch+en (Tei@i@sen7 died in 11:6)7 t+o "rothers7 +hodeveloed the hilosoh in no small de'ree= 4nd it +as comleted " Chu Ts (Shu@shi7

died in 12::)7 a cele"rated commentator of the Confucian classics= It is +orth to note

that these scholars ractised editation #ust as /en mon$s= See >3istor of Chinesehilosoh> (= 21@259)7 " A= Na$auchi7 and >3istor of Develoment of Chinese

Thou'ht7> " R= %ndo=

2 3e +as "orn in 1.627 and died in 129= 3is doctrine e&ercised a most fruitful influence

on man of the 'reat ?aanese minds7 and undou"tedl has done much to the ro'ress ofNe+ ?aan=

! See Den@shu@ro$u and O@a@mei@en@sho=

Sacred Te&ts Buddhism Inde& reviousNe&t

CHAPTER II

HISTORY OF ZEN IN JAPAN

1= T5$ E&".5$#& + &5$ R# Z"[1] S!5++ + Z$# # J""#=@@The introduction of

/en into the island emire is dated as earl as the seventh centurJH2 "ut it +as in 1191

that it +as first esta"lished " %i@sai7 a man of "old7 ener'etic nature= 3e crossed the seafor China at the a'e of t+ent@ei'ht in 11587 after his rofound stud of the

H1= The ,in Tsi school +as started " Nan ;oh7 a rominent discile of the Si&th

atriarch7 and comleted " ,in Tsi or Rin /ai=

2 /en +as first introduced into ?aan " Do sha (529@6::) as earl as 5!@557 at the

time +hen the


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China in 5!7 and met +ith 3en Tsan'7 the cele"rated and 'reat scholar7 +ho tau'ht him

the doctrine of the Dharma@la$sana= It +as 3en Tsan' +ho advised Do@sho to stud /en

under 3+ui an (%@man)= 4fter returnin' home7 he "uilt a editation 3all for theurose of ractisin' /en in the Aan@'o monaster7 Nara= Thus /en +as first translanted

into ?aan " Do@sho7 "ut it too$ no root in the soil at that time=

Ne&t a Chinese /en teacher7 I Eun' (Ai@$u)7 came over to ?aan in a"out 81:7 and under

his instruction the %mress Danrin7 a most enthusiastic Buddhist7 +as enli'htened= Sheerected a monaster named Dan@rin@#i7 and aointed I Eun' the a""ot of it for the sa$e

of roa'atin' the faith= It "ein' of no urose7 ho+ever7 I Eun' +ent "ac$ to China

after some ears=

Thirdl7 Ea$u@a in 1161 +ent over to China7 +here he studied /en under


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In 8:. Den@'o +ent over to China " the Imerial order7 and received the transmission

of the doctrine from Tao Sui (Do@sui)7 a atriarch of the sect= 4fter his return he erected a

monaster on ount 3i@ei7 +hich "ecame the centre of Buddhistic learnin'=

. 3e erected the monaster of Sho@fu$u@#i in 1197 +hich is still roserin'=

This rovo$ed the env and +rath of the Ten Dai and the Shin AonH1 teachers7 +ho

resented memorials to the Imerial court to rotest a'ainst his roa'andism of the ne+

faith= Ta$in' advanta'e of the rotests7 %i@sai +rote a "oo$ entitled Eo@en@'o@$o$u@ron(>The rotection of the State " the roa'ation of /en>)7 and not onl e&lained his o+n

osition7 "ut e&osed the i'norance 2 of the rotestants= Thus at last his merit +as

areciated " the %meror Tsuchi@mi$ado (1199@121:)7 and he +as romoted to So ?o7the hi'hest ran$ in the Buddhist riesthood7 to'ether +ith the 'ift of a urle ro"e in

12:5= Some time after this he +ent to the cit of Eama@$ura7 the olitical centre7 "ein'

invited " Sane@tomo7 the Sho'un7 and laid the foundation of the so@called Eama@$ura

/en7 still roserin' at the resent moment=

2= T5$ I#&)+%4!&+# + &5$ S+-T+ S!5++[3] + Z$#=@@4lthou'h the Rin /ai school +as7

as mentioned a"ove7 esta"lished " %i@sai7 et he himself +as not a ure /en teacher7

"ein' a Ten Dai scholar as +ell as an e&erienced ractiser of antra= The first

esta"lishment of /en in its

H1= The Shin Aon or antra Sect is "ased on ahavairocana"hi@sam"odhi@sutra7

*a#raKe$hara@sutra7 and other antra@sutras= It +as esta"lished in China " *a#ra"odhi

and his discile 4moahava#ra7 +ho came from India in 62:= Eu $ai (66.@8!)7 +ell$no+n as Eo Bo Dai Shi7 +ent to China in 8:.7 and received the transmission of the

doctrine from 3+ui E+o (Eei@$a)7 a7 discile of 4mo'hava#ra= In 8:5 he came "ac$ and

roa'ated the faith almost all over the countr= 4 Short 3istor of theT+elve ?aanese Buddhist Sects> (cha= viii=)7 " Dr= Nan#o=

2 Sai@cho7 the founder of the ?aanese Ten Dai Sect7 first learned the doctrine of the

Northern School of /en under Ao@ho (died in 696)7 and after+ards he ursued the

stud of the same faith under Siao ?an in China= Therefore to oose the roa'ation of

/en is7 for Ten Dai riests7 as much as to oose the founder of their o+n sect=

! This school +as started " Tsin'@;uen (Sei@'en)7 an eminent discile of the Si&th

atriarch7 and comleted " Tsin' Shan (To@an)=

urest form +as done " Do@'en7 no+ $no+n as ?o ;o Dai Shi= ,i$e %i@sai7 he +asadmitted into the 3i@ei onaster at an earl a'e7 and devoted himself to the stud ofthe Canon= 4s his scritural $no+led'e increased7 he +as trou"led " ine&ressi"le

dou"ts and fears7 as is usual +ith 'reat reli'ious teachers= Conse0uentl7 one da he

consulted his uncle7 Eo@in7 a distin'uished Ten Dai scholar7 a"out his trou"les= The latter7"ein' una"le to satisf him7 recommended him %i@sai7 the founder of the ne+ faith= But

as %i@sai died soon after+ards7 he felt that he had no cometent teacher left7 and crossed

the sea for China7 at the a'e of t+ent@four7 in 122!= There he +as admitted into the


32/190

monaster of Tien Tun' Shan (Ten@do@san)7 and assi'ned the lo+est seat in the hall7

siml "ecause "e +as a forei'ner= 4'ainst this affront he stron'l rotested= In the

Buddhist communit7 he said7 all +ere "rothers7 and there +as no difference ofnationalit= The onl +a to ran$ the "rethren +as " seniorit7 and he therefore claimed

to occu his roer ran$= No"od7 ho+ever7 lent an ear to the oor ne+@comer>s rotest7

so he aealed t+ice to the Chinese %meror Nin' Tsun' (119@122.)7 and " theImerial order he 'ained his o"#ect=

4fter four ears> stud and disciline7 he +as %nli'htened and ac$no+led'ed as the

successor " his master ? Tsin' (No@#o died in 1228)7 +ho "elon'ed to the Tsao Tun'

(So To) school= 3e came home in 12267 "rin'in' +ith him three imortant /en "oo$s=H1Some three ears he did +hat Bodhidharma7 the -all@'ain' Brahmin7 had done seven

hundred ears "efore him7 retirin' to a hermita'e=

H1= (1) ao Ein' San ei (3o@$o@san@mai7 >recious irror Samadhi>)7 a metrical

e&osition of /en7 " Tn' Shan (To@an7 8:5@859)7 one of the founders of the So To

school= (2) -u -ei 3ien 3eh (Ao@i@$en@$etsu= >%&lanation of the )7 " ;uen -u=

at ) +as +ritten soon after his return from


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China7 and Ben@do@+a and other essas follo+ed7 +hich are included in his 'reat +or$7

entitled Sho@"o@'en@o) (>The %e and Treasur of the Ri'ht ,a+>)=

rovince of %chi@en7 +here his ideal monaster +as "uilt7 no+ $no+n as %i@hei@#i=H1

In 12.67 "ein' re0uested " To$i@ori7 the Re'ent Aeneral (12.6@125!)7 he came do+n toEama@$ura7 +here he staed half a ear and +ent "ac$ to %i@hei@#i= 4fter some time

To$i@ori7 to sho+ his 'ratitude for the master7 dre+ u a certificate 'rantin' a lar'e tract

of land as the roert of %i@hei@#i7 and handed it over to Aen@mo7 a discile of Do@'en=The carrier of the certificate +as so leased +ith the donation that he dislaed it to all

his "rethren and roduced it "efore the master7 +ho severel reroached him sain'G LO7

shame on thee7 +retchP Thou art @defiled " the desire of +orldl riches even to thinmost soul7 #ust as noodle is stained +ith oil= Thou canst not "e urified from it to all

eternit= I am afraid thou +ilt "rin' shame on the Ri'ht ,a+=L On the sot Aen@mo +as

derived of his hol ro"e and e&communicated= olluted> seat in the editation 3all7 +here Aen@mo +as +ont to sit7 to "e removed7 and

the >olluted> earth under the seat to "e du' out to the deth of seven feet=

In 12: the e&@%meror Ao@sa@'a ([email protected]) sent a secial messen'er t+ice to the %i@

hei monaster to do honour to the master +ith the donation of a urle ro"e7 "ut he

declined to accet it= 4nd +hen the mar$ of distinction +as offered for the third time7 heacceted it7 e&ressin' his feelin's " the follo+in' versesG

L4lthou'h in %i@hei>s vale the shallo+ +aters lea7

;et thrice it came7 Imerial favour dee=The 4e ma smile and lau'h the Crane

4t a'ed on$ in urle as insane=L

H1= The monaster +as "uilt in 12.. " ;oshi@shi'e (3atano)7 the feudal lord +ho invited

Do@'en= 3e lived in %i@hei@#i until his death7 +hich too$ lace in 12!= It is stillflourishin' as the head temle of the So To Sect=

3e +as never seen uttin' on the urle ro"e7 "ein' al+as clad in "lac$7 that +as "etter

suited to his secluded life=

.= T5$ S+!" S&"&$ + J""# '5$# Z$# '" $&".5$% .6 E-" "#% D+-2$#=@@No+

+e have to o"serve the condition of the countr +hen /en +as introduced into ?aan "%i@sai and Do@'en= No"ilities that had so lon' 'overned the island +ere no"ilities no

more= %nervated " their lu&uries7 effeminated " their ease7 made insiient " theirde"aucher7 the +ere entirel o+erless= 4ll that the ossessed in realit +as thenominal ran$ and hereditar "irth= On the contrar7 desised as the i'norant7 sneered at as

the ustart7 ut in contemt as the vul'ar7 the Samurai or militar class had everthin' in

their hands= It +as the time +hen ;ori@tomoH1 (11.8@1199) con0uered all over theemire7 and esta"lished the Samurai Aovernment at Eama@$ura= It +as the time +hen

even the emerors +ere dethroned or e&iled at +ill " the Samurai= It +as the time +hen

even the Buddhist mon$sH2 fre0uentl too$ u arms to force their +ill= It +as the time


34/190

+hen ?aan>s indeendence +as endan'ered " Eu"lai7 the terror of the +orld= It +as the

time +hen the +hole nation +as full of martial sirit= It is "eond dou"t that to these

risin' Samurais7 rude and simle7 the hilosohical doctrines of Buddhism7 reresented" Ten Dai and Shin Aon7 +ere too comlicated and too alien to their nature= But in /en

the could find somethin' con'enial to their nature7 somethin' that touched their chord of

smath7 "ecause /en +as the doctrine of chivalr in a certain sense=

H1= The Samurai Aovernment +as first esta"lished " ;oritomo7 of the inamoto famil7in 11857 and ?aan +as under the control of the militar class until 18567 +hen the

olitical o+er +as finall restored to the Imerial house=

2 The +ere de'enerated mon$s (+ho +ere called mon$@soldiers)7 "elon'in' to 'reatmonasteries such as %n@ra$u@#i (3i@ei)7 Eo@fu$u@#i (at Nara)7 i@i@dera7 etc=

= T5$ R$$."#!$ + &5$ Z$# M+#= &+ &5$ S"4)"=@@,et us oint out in "rief the

similarities "et+een /en and ?aanese chivalr=


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mon$s in his monaster= The +ere often too numerous to "e suorted " his scant

means= This trou"led his discile much +hose dut it +as to loo$ after the food@sul7

as there +as no other means to meet the increased demand than to sul +ith +orsestuff= 4ccordin'l7 one da the discile advised t "other ourself a"out it= If there "e an

ton'ue7 I can taste an sort of food=L 3onest overt ma7 +ithout e&a''eration7 "e called

one of the characteristics of the Samurais and of the /en mon$sJ hence a rover"G L The/en mon$ has no mone7 moneed ontoH1 $no+s nothin'=L

6= T5$ M"##$ + &5$ Z$# M+#= "#% + &5$ S"4)"=@@Thirdl7 "oth the /en mon$

and the Samurai +ere distin'uished " their manliness and di'nit in manner7 sometimes

amountin' to rudeness= This is due artl to the hard disciline that the under+ent7 andartl to the mode of instruction= The follo+in' stor7H2 translated " r= D= Suu$i7 a

friend of mine7 ma +ell e&emlif our statementG

H1= The riest "elon'in' to Shin Shu7 +ho are 'enerall rich=

2= The Journal of the Pali Text Society7 19:5@19:6=

-hen Rin@aiH1+as assiduousl alin' himself to /en disciline under O"a$ (3uan'o in Chinese7 +ho died 8:)7 the head mon$ reco'nied his 'enius= One da the mon$

as$ed him ho+ lon' he had "een in the monaster7 to +hich Rin@ai reliedG >Three

ears=> The elder saidG >3ave ou ever aroached the master and as$ed his instruction inBuddhism> Rin@ai saidG >I have never done this7 for I did not $no+ +hat to as$=> >-h7

ou mi'ht 'o to the master and as$ him +hat is the essence of Buddhism>

LRin@ai7 accordin' to this advice7 aroached O"a$ and reeated the 0uestion7 "ut "efore

he finished the master 'ave him a sla=

L-hen Rin@ai came "ac$7 the elder as$ed ho+ the intervie+ +ent= Said Rin@aiG >BeforeI could finish m 0uestion the master slaed me7 "ut I fail to 'ras its meanin'=> The

elder saidG >;ou 'o to him a'ain and as$ the same 0uestion=> -hen he did so7 he received

the same resonse from the master= But Rin@ai +as ur'ed a'ain to tr it for the thirdtime7 "ut the outcome did not imrove=

L4t last he +ent to the elder7 and said In o"edience to our $ind su''estion7 I have

reeated m 0uestion three times7 and "een slaed three times= I deel re'ret that7o+in' to m stuidit7 I am una"le to comrehend the hidden meanin' of all this= I shallleave this lace and 'o some+here else=> Said the elderG >If ou +ish to deart7 do not fail

to 'o and see the master to sa him fare+ell=>

LImmediatel after this the elder sa+ the master7 and saidG >That oun' novice7 +ho as$ed

a"out Buddhism three times7 is a remar$a"le fello+= -hen he comes to ta$e leave of ou7


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"e so 'racious as to direct him roerl= 4fter a hard trainin'7 he +ill rove to "e a 'reat

master7

H1= ,in Tsi7 the founder of the ,in Tsi school=

and7 li$e a hu'e tree7 he +ill 'ive a refreshin' shelter to the +orld=>

L-hen Rin@ai came to see the master7 the latter advised him not to 'o an+here else= "ut

to Dai@'u (Tai@u) of Eaoan7 for he +ould "e a"le to instruct him in the faith=

LRin@ai +ent to Dai@'u7 +ho as$ed him +hence he came= Bein' informed that he +as

from O"a$7 Dai@'u further in0uired +hat instruction he had under the master= Rin@aians+eredG >I as$ed him three times a"out the essence of Buddhism7 and he slaed me

three times= But I am et una"le to see +hether I had an fault or not=> Dai@'u saidG >O"a$

+as tender@hearted even as a dotard7 and ou are not +arranted at all to come over here

and as$ me +hether anthin' +as fault +ith ou=>

LBein' thus rerimanded7 the si'nification of the +hole affair suddenl da+ned uon the

mind of Rin@ai7 and he e&claimedG >There is not much7 after all7 in the Buddhism of

O"a$=> -hereuon Dai@'u too$ hold of him7 and saidG >This 'hostl 'ood@for@nothin'creatureP 4 fe+ minutes a'o ou came to me and comlainin'l as$ed +hat +as +ron'

+ith ou7 and no+ "oldl declare that there is not much in the Buddhism of O"a$= -hat

is the reason of all this Sea$ out 0uic$P sea$ out 0uic$P> In resonse to this7 Rin@ai

softl struc$ three times his fist at the ri"s of Dai@'u= The latter then released him7 sain'G>;our teacher is O"a$7 and I +ill have nothin' to do +ith ou=>

LRin@ai too$ leave of Dai@'u and came "ac$ to O"a$7 +ho7 on seein' him come7

e&claimedG >

L-hen7 after the usual salutation7 Rin@ai stood " the side of O"a$7 the latter as$ed him

+hence he had come this time= Rin@ai ans+eredG LIn o"edience to our $ind instruction7

I +as +ith Dai@'u= Thence am I come=>

4nd he related7 "ein' as$ed for further information7 all that had haened there=

LO"a$ saidG >4s soon as that fello+ sho+s himself u here7 I shall have to 'ive him a'ood thrashin'=> >;ou need not +ait for him to comeJ have it ri'ht this moment7> +as the

relJ and +ith this Rin@ai 'ave his master a sla on the "ac$=

LO"a$ saidG >3o+ dares this lunatic come into m resence and la +ith a ti'er>s+his$ers> Rin@ai then "urst out into a 3o7H1 and O"a$ saidG >4ttendant7 come and carr

this lunatic a+a to his cell=>L

8= T5$ C+4)"2$ "#% &5$ C++4)$ + M#% + &5$ Z$# M+#= "#% + &5$ S"4)" =@@


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+ould never turn "ac$ from7 "ut fi'ht till his last +ith7 his enem= To "e called a co+ard

+as for him the dishonour +orse than death itself= 4n incident a"out Tsu ;uen (So@'en)7

+ho came over to ?aan in 128:7 "ein' invited " To$i@muneH2 (3o@#o)7 the Re'entAeneral7 +ell illustrates ho+ much /en mon$s resem"led our Samurais= The event

haened +hen he +as in China7 +here the invadin' arm of ;uen sread terror all over

the countr= Some of the "ar"arians7 +ho crossed the "order of the State of -an7 "ro$einto the monaster of Tsu ;uen7 and threatened to "ehead him= Then calml sittin' do+n7

read to meet his fate7 he comosed the follo+in' verses

LThe heaven and earth afford me no shelter at allJ

I>m 'lad7 unreal are "od and soul=-elcome th +eaon7 O +arrior of ;uenP Th trust steel7

That flashes li'htnin'7 cuts the +ind of Srin'7 I feel=L

H1= 4 loud outcr7 fre0uentl made use of " /en teachers7 after Rin@ai= Its Chinese

ronunciation is >3oh7> and ronounced >Eatsu> in ?aanese7 "ut >tsu> is not audi"le=

2= 4 "old statesman and soldier7 +ho +as the real ruler of ?aan 125.@128!=

This reminds us of San' ChaoH1 (So@#o)7 +ho7 on the ver'e of death " the va'a"ond>s

s+ord7 e&ressed his feelin's in the follo+ linesG

LIn "od there e&ists no soul=

The mind is not real at all=No+ tr on me th flashin' steel7

4s if it cuts the +ind of Srin'7 I feel=L

The "ar"arians7 moved " this calm resolution and di'nified air of Tsu ;uen7 ri'htlsuosed him to "e no ordinar ersona'e7 and left the monaster7 doin' no harm to him=

9= Z$# "#% &5$ R$2$#& G$#$)" + &5$ H+-J+ P$)+%=@@No +onder7 then7 that the

reresentatives of the Samurai class7 the Re'ent Aenerals7 eseciall such a"le rulers as

To$i@ori7 To$i@mune7 and others noted for their 'ood administration7 of the 3o@#o eriod(12:@1!!2) 'reatl favoured /en= The not onl atronied the faith7 "uildin' 'reat

temlesH2 and invitin' "est Chinese /en teachers=H!

H1= The man +as not a ure /en master7 "ein' a discile of Eumara#iva7 the founder of

the San Ron Sect= This is a most remar$a"le evidence that /en7 eseciall the Rin /an

school7 +as influenced " Eumara#iva and his disciles=


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!= Tao ,un' (Do@ru)7 $no+n as Dai@$a$u /en@#i7 invited " To$iori7 came over to

?aan in 12.5= 3e "ecame the founder of Een@cho@#i@ha7 a su"@sect of the Rin /ai7 and

died in 1268= Of his disciles7 ;a$u@o +as most noted7 and ;a$u@o>s discile7 ?a$u@shitsu7 "ecame the founder of ;o@'en#i@ha7 another su"@sect of the Rin /ai= Tsu ;uen

(So@'en)7 $no+n as Bu$@$o@$o$u@shi7 invited " To$i@mune7 crossed the sea in 128:7

"ecame the founder of %n@'a$u@#i@ha (a su"@sect of the Rin /ai)7 and died in 1285= Tsin'Choh (Sei@setsu)7 invited " Ta$a@to$i7 came in 1!267 and died in 1!!9= Chu Tsun (So@

shun) came in 1!!17 and died in 1!!5= s $noc$=L

To$i@ori attained to %nli'htenment " the instruction of Do@'en and Do@ru7 and"reathed his last calml sittin' cross@le''ed7 and e&ressin' his feelin's in the follo+in'

linesG

LThirt@seven of ears7Earma mirror stood hi'hJ

No+ I "rea$ it to ieces7

ath of Areat is then ni'h=L

3is successor7 To$i@mune (125.@128!)7 a "old statesman and soldier7 +as no less of adevoted "eliever in /en= T+ice he "eheaded the envos sent " the 'reat Chinese

con0ueror7 Eu"lai7 +ho demanded ?aan should either surrender or "e trodden under his

foot= 4nd +hen the alarmin' ne+s of the Chinese 4rmada>s aroachin' the land reached

him7 "e is said to have called on his tutor7 Tsu ;uen7 to receive the last instruction= LNo+7reverend sir7L said= he7 Lan imminent eril threatens the land=L L3o+ art thou 'oin' to

encounter itL as$ed the master= Then To$i@mune "urst into a thunderin' Ea +ith all his

mi'ht to sho+ his undaunted sirit in encounterin' the aroachin' enem= LO7 the lion>sroarPL said Tsu ;uen=

LThou art a 'enuine lion= Ao7 and never turn "ac$=L Thus encoura'ed " the teacher7 the

Re'ent Aeneral sent out the defendin' arm7 and successfull rescued the state from the

mouth of destruction7 'ainin' a slendid victor over the invaders7 almost all of +homerished in the +estern seas=

1:= Z$# "&$) &5$ D+'#" + &5$ H+-J+ R$2$#!6=@@To+ards the end of the 3o@?o

eriod7H1 and after the do+nfall of the Re'enc in 1!!!7 san'uinar "attles +ere fou'ht


39/190

"et+een the Imerialists and the re"els= The former7 "rave and faithful as the +ere7

"ein' outnum"ered " the latter7 erished in the field one after another for the sa$e of the

ill@starred %meror Ao@dai@'o (1!19@1!!8)7 +hose

H1= 4lthou'h /en +as first favoured " the 3o@#o Re'enc and chiefl rosered at

Eama@$ura7 et it raidl "e'an to e&ercise its influence on no"les and %merors at Eo@to= This is mainl due to the activit of %n@ni7 $no+n as Sho@Ichi@Eo$u@Shi (12:2@128:)7

+ho first earned /en under Ao@u7 a discile of %i@sai7 and after+ards +ent to China7+here he +as %nli'htened under the instruction of -u Chun7 of the monaster of Ein'

Shan= 4fter his return7 ichi@ie (


40/190

H1= The event is detailed at len'th in a life of So@shun7 "ut some historians susect it to "e

fictitious= This a+aits a further research=

2= 4s +e have alread mentioned7 Do@'en7 the founder of the ?aanese So To Sect7shunned the societ of the rich and the o+erful7 and led a secluded life= In conse0uence

his sect did not ma$e an raid ro'ress until the


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distin'uished himself as a veteran soldier and tactician= %ach of them +as $no+n as an

e&erienced ractiser of /en= One +as 3aru@no"uH1 (Ta$e@da7 died in 16!)7 "etter

$no+n " his Buddhist name7 Shin@'en= The other +as Teru@toraH2 (Ue@su'i7 died in168)7 "etter $no+n " his Buddhist name7 Een@shin= The character of Shin@'en can "e

ima'ined from the fact that he never "uilt an castle or citadel or fortress to 'uard himself

a'ainst his enem7 "ut relied on his faithful vassals and eoleJ +hile that of Een@shin7from the fact that he rovided his enem7 Shin@'en7 +ith salt +hen the latter suffered

from +ant of it7 o+in' to the co+ardl strata'em of a rival lord= The heroic "attles +a'ed

" these t+o 'reat 'enerals a'ainst each other are the flo+ers of the ?aanese +ar@histor= Tradition has it that +hen Shin@'en>s arm +as ut to rout " the furious attac$s

of Een@shin>s troos7 and a sin'le +arrior mounted on a hu'e char'er rode s+iftl as a

s+eein' +ind into Shin@'en>s head@0uarters7 do+n came a "lo+ of the heav s+ord

aimed at Shin@'en>s forehead7 +ith a 0uestion e&ressed in the technical terms of /enGL-hat shalt thou do in such a state at such a momentL 3avin' no time to dra+ his

s+ord7 Shin@'en arried it +ith his +ar@fan7 ans+erin' simultaneousl in /en +ordsG L4

fla$e of sno+ on the red@hot furnacePL 3ad not his attendants come to the rescue Shin@

'en>s life mi'ht have 'one as >a fla$e of sno+ on the red@hot furnace=> 4fter+ards thehorseman +as $no+n to have "een Een@shin himself= This tradition

H1= Shin@'en ractised /en under the instruction of E+ai@sen7 +ho +as "urned to death

" No"u@na'a (O@da) in 182= See 3on@cho@$o@so@den=

2 Een@shin learned /en under Shu@$en7 a So Ta master= See To@#o@ren@to@ro$u=

sho+s us ho+ /en +as racticall lived " the Samurais of the Dar$ 4'e=

4lthou'h the riests of other Buddhist sects had their share in these "lood affairs7 as +as

natural at such a time7 et /en mon$s stood aloof and siml cultivated their literature=Conse0uentl7 +hen all the eole 're+ entirel i'norant at the end of the Dar$ 4'e7 the/en mon$s +ere the onl men of letters= None can den this merit of their havin'

reserved learnin' and reared for its revival in the follo+in' eriod=H1

12= Z$# 4#%$) &5$ T+=4-2"#" S5+24#"&$=@@eace +as at last restored " Ie@asu7 the

founder of the To$u@'ana Sho'unate (15:!@1856)= Durin' this eriod the Sho'unate 'avecountenance to Buddhism on one hand7 ac$no+led'in' it as the state reli'ion7 "esto+in'

rich roert to lar'e monasteries7 ma$in' riests ta$e ran$ over common eole7

orderin' ever householder to "uild a Buddhist altar in his houseJ +hile7 on the otherhand7 it did everthin' to e&tirate Christianit7 introduced in the revious eriod (1..)=

4ll this araled the missionar sirit of the Buddhists7 and ut all the sects in dormant

state= 4s for /enH2 it +as

H1= 4fter the introduction of /en into ?aan man imortant "oo$s +ere +ritten7 and thefollo+in' are chief doctrinal +or$sG Eo@en@'o@$o$u@ron7 " %i@saiJ Sho "o@'en@oJ

Aa$u@do@o@in@shuJ


42/190


43/190

moment7 +ho is the victor7 ou or I=> The 'auntlet +as ic$ed u +ithout hesitation= >But

+e must not fi'ht7> said Bo$u@den7 >in the ferr7 lest the assen'ers should "e hurt=

;onder a small island ou see= There +e shall decide the contest=> To this roosal theman a'reed7 and the "oat +as ulled to that island= No sooner had the "oat reached the

shore than the man #umed over to the land7 and criedG >Come on7 mon$7 0uic$7 0uic$P>

Bo$u@den7 ho+ever7 slo+l risin'7 saidG >Do not hasten to lose our head= It is a rule ofm school to reare slo+l for fi'htin'7 $eein' the soul in the a"domen=> So sain' he

snatched the oar from the "oatman and ro+ed the "oat "ac$ to some distance7 leavin' the

man alone7 +ho7 stamin' the 'round madl7 cried outG >O7 ou fl7 mon$7 ou co+ard=Come7 old mon$P> >No+ listen7> said Bo$u@den7 >this is the secret art of the Con0uerin'@

enem@+ithout@fi'htin'@school= Be+are that ou do not for'et it7 nor tell it to an"od

else=> Thus7 'ettin' rid of the "ra+lin' fello+7 Bo$u@den and his fello+@assen'ers safel

landed on the oosite shore=LH1

The O Ba$u School of /en +as introduced " ;in ;uen (In@'en) +ho crossed the sea in

15.7 accomanied " man a"le disciles=H2 The Sho'unate 'ave him a tract of land at

U#i7 near Eo@to7 and in 159 he "uilt there a monaster

H1= Shi@se$i@shu@ran=

2 In@'en (15.@156!) came over +ith Ta@ei (Dai@"i7 died 156!)7 3+ui ,in (%@rin died1581)7 Tuh Chan (Do$u@tan7 died 16:5)7 and others=


44/190

The O Ba$u School is the amal'amation of /en and the +orshi of 4mita"ha7 and

different from the other t+o schools= The statistics for 1911 'ive the follo+in' fi'uresG

The Num"er of Temles The Num"er of Teachers

The So To School 1.72 9765

The Rin /ai School 57128 .72!

The O Ba$u School .5 !.9

It +as also in this eriod that /en 'ained a 'reat influence on the oular literature

characteried " the shortest form of oetical comosition= This +as done throu'h the'enius of Ba@sho7H1 a 'reat literar man7 recluse and traveller7 +ho7 as his +ritin's sho+

us7 made no small ro'ress in the stud of /en= 4'ain7 it +as made use of " the teachersof oular H2 ethics7 +ho did a 'reat deal in the education of the lo+er classes= In this+a /en and its eculiar taste 'raduall found its +a into the arts of eace7 such as

literature7 fine art7 tea@ceremon7 coo$er7 'ardenin'7 architecture7 and at last it has

ermeated throu'h ever fi"re of ?aanese life=

1!= Z$# "&$) &5$ R$&+)"&+#=@@4fter the Restoration of the ei@#i (1856) the oularitof /en "e'an to +ane7 and for some thirt ears remained in inactivitJ "ut since the


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Russo@?aanese -ar its revival has ta$en lace= 4nd no+ it is loo$ed uon as an ideal

faith7 "oth for a nation full of hoe and ener'7 and for a erson +ho has to fi'ht his o+n

+a in the strife of life= Bushido7 or the code of chivalr7 should "e o"served not onl "the soldier in the "attle@field7 "ut " ever citien in the stru''le for e&istence= If a erson

"e a erson and not a "east7 then he must "e a Samurai@"rave7 'enerous7 uri'ht7 faithful7

and manl7 full of self@resect and self@confidence7 at the same time full of the sirit ofself@sacrifice= -e can find an incarnation of Bushido in the late Aeneral No'i7 the hero of

ort

H1= 3e (died 159.) learned /en under a contemorar /en master (Buccho)7 and is said to

have "een enli'htened "efore his reformation of the oular literature=

2 The teachin' +as called Shin@'a$u7 or the >learnin' of mind=> It +as first tau'ht " Bai@

'an (Ishi@da)7 and is the reconciliation of Shintoism and Buddhism +ith Confucianism=

Bai@'an and his successors ractised editation7 and +ere enli'htened in their o+n +a=

Do@ni (Na$a@a+a7 died 18:!) made use of /en more than an other teacher=

4rthur7 +ho7 after the sacrifice of his t+o sons for the countr in the Russo@?aanese

-ar7 'ave u his o+n and his +ife>s life for the sa$e of the deceased %meror= 3e died

not in vain7 as some mi'ht thin$7 "ecause his simlicit7 uri'htness7 loalt7 "raver7

self@control7 and self@sacrifice7 all com"ined in his last act7 surel insire the risin''eneration +ith the sirit of the Samurai to 'ive "irth to hundreds of No'is= No+ let us

see in the follo+in' chaters +hat /en so closel connected +ith Bushido teaches us=

Ne&tG Chater IIIG The Universe is the Scriture of /en

Sacred Te&ts Buddhism Inde& reviousNe&t

CHAPTER III

THE UNIVERSE IS THE SCRIPTURE[1]OF ZEN

1= S!)&4)$ #+ M+)$ &5"# 7"&$ P"$)=@@/en is "ased on the hi'hest siritual laneattained " Sha$a uni himself= It can onl "e realied " one +ho has

H1= /en is not "ased on an articular sutra7 either of ahaana or of 3inaana= There are

t+ofold Triita$as (or the three collections of the Buddhist scritures)@namel7 theahaana@triita$a and the 3inaana@triita$a= The former are the "asis of the

ahaana7 or the hi'her and reformed Buddhism7 full of rofound metahsical
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa05.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa04.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa06.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa06.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/cdshop/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa05.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/index.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa04.htmhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/rosa06.htm


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reasonin'sJ +hile the latter form that of the 3inaana7 or the lo+er and earl Buddhism7

+hich is simle and ethical teachin'= These t+ofold Triita$as are as follo+sG

T3% 434;4N4@TRIIT4E4=

The Sutra Pitaka=@The Saddharma@undari$a@sutra7 Samdhi@nirmocana@sutra74vatamsa$a@sutra7 ra#aaramita@sutra7 4mitaus@sutra7 ahaarinirvana@sutra7 etc=

The Vinaya Pitaka=@@Brahma#ala@sutra7 Bodhisattva@caranirdeKa7 etc=

The Abhidharma Pitaka=@@ahara#aaramita@sutra7 ahaana@craddhotada@Kastra7

adhama$a@Kastra7 ;o'acara "humi@Kastra7 etc=

T3% 3IN4;4N4@TRIIT4E4=

The Sutra Pitaka=@@Dir'ha'ama7 %$ottara'ama7 adhama'ama7 Samu$ta'ama7 etc=

The Vinaya Pitaka=@@Dharma'uta@vinaa7 ahasam'hi$a@vinaa7 Sarvastivada@vinaa7

etc=

The Abhidharma Pitaka=@@Dharma@s$andha@ada7 Sam'iti@araa@ada7 ?anarasthana@

Kastra7 4"hidharma@$osa@Kastra7 etc7

The term >Triita$a7> ho+ever7 +as not $no+n at the time of Sha$a uni7 and almost all

of the northern Buddhist records a'ree in statin' that the Triita$a +as rehearsed and

settled in the same ear in +hich the uni died= ahavansa also sasG LThe "oo$ called

4"hidharma@ita$a +as comiled7 +hich +as reached to 'od7 and +as arran'ed in due

order " :: Budhu riests=L But +e "elieve that Sha$a uni>s teachin' +as $no+n tothe earl Buddhists7 not as Triita$a7 "ut as *inaa and Dharma7 and even at the time of

Ein' 4Ko$a (+ho ascended the throne a"out 259 B=C=) it +as not called Triita$a7 "utDharma7 as +e have it in his %dicts= ahaanists unanimousl assert the comilation of

the Triita$a in the first council of Ra#a'rha7 "ut the differ in oinion as to the 0uestion

+ho rehearsed the 4"hidharmaJ not+ithstandin'7 the a'ree as for the other resects7 asou see in the follo+in'G

The Sutra ita$a7 comiled " 4nandaJ the *inaa ita$a7 comiled " UaliJ the

4"hidharma ita$a7 comiled " 4nanda@@accordin' to Na'ar#una (ahara#aaramita@

Kastra)=

The Sutra ita$a7 comiled " 4nandaJ the *inaa ita$a7 comiled " UaliJ the4"hidharma ita$a7 comiled " EaKaa accordin' to 3en Tsan' (Ta@tan@si@@$i)=

The Sutra ita$a7 comiled " 4nandaJ the *inaa ita$a7 comiled " UaliJ the

4"hidharma ita$a7 comiled " urna@@accordin' to aramartha (>4 Commentar on the3istor of the 3inaana Schools>)=


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The a"ove@mentioned discreanc clearl "etras the uncertaint of their assertions7 and

'ives us reason to discredit the comilation of 4"hidharma ita$a at the first council=

Besides7 #ud'in' from the Dharma@'uta@vinaa and other records7 +hich states thaturna too$ no art in the first council7 and that he had different oinions as to the

alication of the rules of disciline from that of EaKaa7 there should "e some errors in

aramartha>s assertion=

Of these three collections of the Sacred -ritin's7 the first t+o7 or Sutra and *inaa7 ofahaana7 as +ell as of 3imaana7 are "elieved to "e the direct teachin's of Sha$a

uni himself7 "ecause all the instructions are ut in the mouth of the aster or

sanctioned " him= The ahaanists7 ho+ever7 comare the 3inaana doctrine +ith arestin'@lace on the road for a traveller7 +hile the ahaana doctrine +ith his

destination= 4ll the denominations of Buddhism7 +ith a sin'le e&cetion of /en7 are

"ased on the authorit of some articular sacred +ritin's= The Ten Dai Sect7 for instance7is "ased on Saddharma@undari$a@sutraJ the ?o Do Sect on ,ar'er Su$havati@vuha7

Smaller Su$havati@vuha7 and 4mitaus@dhana@sutraJ the Ee Aon Sect on 4vatamsa$a@

sutraJ the 3osso Sect on Samdhi@nirmocana@sutra=

attained the same lane= To descri"e it in full " means of +ords is "eond the o+ereven of Aotama himself= It is for this reason that the author of ,an$avatara@sutra insists

that Sha$a uni so$e no +ord throu'h his lon' career of fort@nine ears as a reli'ious

teacher7 and that of ahara#aaramita@sutraH1 also e&ress the same oinion= TheScriture is no more nor less than the fin'er ointin' to the moon of Buddhahood= -hen

+e reco'nie the moon and en#o its "eni'n "eaut7 the fin'er is of no use= 4s the fin'er

has no "ri'htness +hatever7 so the Scriture has no holiness +hatever= The Scriture is

reli'ious currenc reresentin' siritual +ealth= It does not matter +hether mone "e'old7 or sea@shells7 or co+s= It is a mere su"stitute= -hat it stands for is of aramount

imortance= 4+a +ith our stone@$nifeP Do not +atch the sta$e a'ainst +hich a runnin'hare once struc$ its head and died= Do not +ait for another hare= 4nother ma not comefor ever= Do not cut the side of the "oat out of +hich ou droed our s+ord to mar$

+here it sun$= The "oat is ever movin' on= The Canon is the +indo+ throu'h +hich +e

o"serve the 'rand scener of siritual nature= To hold communion directl +ith it +emust 'et out of the +indo+= It is a mere stra fl that is al+as "uin' +ithin it7

stru''lin' to 'et out= Those +ho send most of their lives in the stud of the Scritures7

ar'uin' and e&lainin' +ith hair@slittin' reasonin's7 and attain no hi'her lane insiritualit7 are reli'ious flies 'ood for nothin' "ut their "uin' a"out the nonsensical

technicalities= It is on this account that Rin@ai declaredG H2 >The t+elve divisions of the

Buddhist Canon are nothin' "etter than +aste aer=>

2= N+ N$$% + &5$ S!)&4)" A4&5+)&6 +) Z$#=@@Some Occidental scholarserroneousl identif Buddhism +ith the rimitive faith of 3inaanism7 and are inclined

to call ahaanism7 a later develoed faith7 a de'enerated one= If the rimitive faith "e

called the 'enuine7 as

H1= ahara#aaramita@sutra7 vol= .2=


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2= Rin@ai@ro$u=

these scholars thin$7 and the later develoed faith "e the de'enerated one7 then the child

should "e called the 'enuine man and the 'ro+n@u eole "e the de'enerated onesJsimilarl7 the rimitive societ must "e the 'enuine and the modern civiliation "e the

de'enerated one= So also the earliest +ritin's of the Old Testament should "e 'enuineand the four Aosels "e de'enerated= Beond all dou"t /en "elon's to ahaanism7 et

this does not iml that it deends on the scritural authorit of that school7 "ecause itdoes not trou"le itself a"out the Canon +hether it "e 3inaana or ahaana7 or +hether

it +as directl so$en " Sha$a uni or +ritten " some later Buddhists= /en is

comletel free from the fetters of old do'mas7 dead creeds7 and conventions ofstereoted ast7 that chec$ the develoment of a reli'ious faith and revent the

discover of a ne+ truth= /en needs no In0uisition= It never comelled nor +ill comel

the comromise of a Aalileo or a Descartes= No e&communication of a Sinoa or the"urnin' of a Bruno is ossi"le for /en=

On a certain occasion ;oh Shan (;a$u@san) did not reach the doctrine for a lon' +hile7and +as re0uested to 'ive a sermon " his assistant teacher7 sain'G L-ould our

reverence reach the Dharma to our uils7 +ho lon' thirst after our mercifulinstructionL LThen rin' the "ell7L relied ;oh Shan= The "ell ran'7 and all the mon$s

assem"led in the 3all ea'er to "ear the sermon= ;oh Shan +ent u to the ulit and

descended immediatel +ithout sain' a +ord= L;ou7 reverend sir7L as$ed the assistant7Lromised to deliver a sermon a little +hile a'o= -h do ou not reachL LSutras are

tau'ht " the Sutra teachers7L said the masterJ LMastras are tau'ht " the Mastra teachers=

No +onder that I sa nothin'=LH1 This little eisode +ill sho+ ou that /en is no fi&ed

doctrine em"odied in a Sutra or a

H1= /en@rin@rui@shu and %@'en=

Mastra7 "ut a conviction or realiation +ithin us= To 0uote another e&amle7 an officer

offered to Tn' Shan (To@an) lent of alms7 and re0uested him to recite the sacred

Canon= Tn' Shan7 risin' from his chair7 made a "o+ resectfull to the officer7 +ho didthe same to the teacher= Then Tn' Shan +ent round the chair7 ta$in' the officer +ith

him7 and ma$in' a "o+ a'ain to the officer7 as$edG LDo ou see +hat I meanL LNo7 sir7L

relied the other= LI have "een recitin' the sacred Canon7 +h do ou not seeLH1 Thus/en does not re'ard Scritures in "lac$ and +hite as its Canon7 for it ta$es to@das and

tomorro+s of this actual life as its insired a'es=

!=T5$ U4" E*"#"&+# + &5$ C"#+#

=@@4n eminent Chinese Buddhist scholar7 +ell

$no+n as Ten Dai Dai Shi (4=D= !8@96)7 arran'ed the +hole reachin's of Sha$auni in a chronolo'ical order in accordance +ith his o+n reli'ious theor7 and o"served

that there +ere the


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his oinion +as universall acceted as an historical truth7 not merel " the Chinese7 "ut

also " the ?aanese ahaanists= -e shall "riefl state here the so@called s first sermon and its date7 all traditions a'ree in this that he sent some time inmeditation7 and then delivered the first sermon to the five ascetics at *aranasi=

2= (1) 4n'uttara7 (2) a##hima7 (!) Di'ha7 (.) Samutta=

!= Eondaa7 *aa7 Baddia7 ahanana7 4ssa#i=


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or the adherents of 3inaanism +ere converted durin' this eriod= The trained their

hearts in accordance +ith the modified ,a+7 learned the four no"le truths7H1 and +or$ed

out their o+n salvation=

The Buddha then havin' found his disciles firml adherin' to 3inaanism +ithout

$no+in' that it +as a modified and imerfect doctrine7 he had to lead them u to a hi'herand erfect doctrine that he mi'ht lead them u to Buddhahood= -ith this o"#ect in vie+

Sha$a uni reached *imala$irtti@nirdeKa@sutraH27 ,an$avatara@sutra7 and other sutras7in +hich he comared 3inaanism +ith ahaanism7 and descri"ed the latter in 'lo+in'

terms as a dee and erfect ,a+7 +hilst he set forth the former at nau'ht as a suerficial

and imerfect one= Thus he sho+ed his disciles the inferiorit of 3inaanism7 andcaused them to desire for ahaanism= This is said to "e the third eriod7 +hich lasted

some ei'ht ears=

The disciles of the Buddha no+ understood that ahaanism +as far suerior to

3inaanism7 "ut the thou'ht the hi'her doctrine +as onl for Bodhisattvas and "eond

their understandin'= Therefore the still adhered to the modified doctrine7 thou'h the didno lon'er decr ahaanism7 +hich the had no mind to

H1= The first is the sacred truth of sufferin'J the second the truth of the ori'in of

sufferin'@@that is7 lust and desireJ the third the sacred truth of the e&tinction of sufferin'Jthe fourth the sacred truth of the ath that leads to the e&tinction of sufferin'= There are

ei'ht no"le aths that lead to the e&tinction of sufferin'@@that is7 Ri'ht faith7 Ri'ht

resolve7 Ri'ht seech7 Ri'ht action7 Ri'ht livin'7 Ri'ht effort7 Ri'ht thou'ht7 and Ri'htmeditation=

2 This is one of the most noted ahaana "oo$s7 and is said to "e the "est secimen of

the sutras "elon'in' to this eriod= It is in this sutra that most of Sha$a>s eminentdisciles7 $no+n as the adherents of 3inaanism7 are astonished +ith the rofound+isdom7 the elo0uent seech7 and the suernatural o+er of *imala$irtti7 a Bodhisattva7

and confess the inferiorit of their faith= The author fre0uentl introduces eisodes in

order to condemn 3inaanism7 ma$in' use of miracles of his o+n invention=

ractise= Uon this Sha$a uni reached ra#aaramita@sutrasH1 in the si&teenassem"lies held at four different laces7 and tau'ht them ahaanism in detail in order to

cause them to "elieve it and ractise it= Thus the "ecame a+are that there +as no

definite demarcation "et+een ahaanism and 3inaanism7 and that the mi'ht "ecomeahaanists= This is the fourth eriod7 +hich lasted a"out t+ent@t+o ears=

No+7 the Buddha7 a'ed sevent@t+o7 thou'ht it +as hi'h time to reach his lon'@

cherished doctrine that all sentient "ein's can attain to Sureme %nli'htenmentJ so he

reached Saddharma@undari$a@sutra7 in +hich he rohesied +hen and +here hisdisciles should "ecome Buddhas= It +as his 'reatest o"#ect to cause all sentient "ein's to

"e %nli'htened and ena"le them to en#o the "liss of Nirvana= It +as for this that he had

endured 'reat ain and hardshis throu'h his revious e&istences= It +as for this that hehad left his heavenl a"ode to aear on earth= It +as for this that he had reached from


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time to time throu'h his lon' career of fort@seven ears= 3avin' thus realied his 'reat

aim7 Sha$a uni had no+ to reare for his final dearture7 and reached

ahaarinirvana@sutra in order to sho+ that all the animated and inanimate thin's +ereendo+ed +ith the same nature as his= 4fter this last instruction he assed to eternit= This

is called the fifth eriod7 +hich lasted some ei'ht ears=

These five eriods a"ove mentioned can scarcel "e called historical in the roer sense

of the term7 et the are in'eniousl invented " Ten Dai Dai Shi to set the BuddhistScritures in the order of doctrinal develoment7 and lace Saddharma@undari$a in the

hi'hest ran$ amon' the ahaana "oo$s= 3is ar'ument7 ho+ever do'matic and anti@

historical in no small de'ree7 +ould "e

H1= Na'ar#una>s doctrine deends mainl on these sutras=

not a little valua"le for our reader7 +ho +ants to $no+ the 'eneral hase of the Buddhist

Canon7 consistin' of thousands of fascicles=

.= S4&)" 4$% .6 Z$# M"&$)=@@Ten Dai failed to e&lain a+a the discreancies and

contradictions of +hich the Canon is full7 and often contradicted himself " the i'norin'of historicalH1 facts= To sa nothin' of the stron'

H1= ,et us state our o+n oinion on the su"#ect in 0uestion= The foundation of

3inaanism consists in the four Ni$aas7 or four 4'amas7 the most imortant "oo$s of

that school= Besides the four 4'amas7 there e&ist in the Chinese Triita$a numerous"oo$s translated " various authors7 some of +hich are e&tracts from 4'amas7 and some

the lives of the Buddha7 +hile others are entirel different sutras7 aarentl of later date=

?ud'in' from these sources7 it seems to us that most of Sha$a uni>s ori'inal teachin's

are em"odied into the four 4'amas= But it is still a matter of uncertaint that +hetherthe are stated in 4'amas no+ e&tant #ust as the +ere7 for the Buddha>s reachin's +ere

rehearsed immediatel after the Buddha>s death in the first council held at Ra#a'rha7 etnot consi'ned to +ritin'= The +ere handed do+n " memor a"out one hundred ears=

Then the mon$s at *aisali committed the so@called Ten Indul'ences7 infrin'in' the rules

of the Order7 and maintained that Sha$a uni had not condemned them in his

reachin's= 4s there +ere7 ho+ever7 no +ritten sutras to disrove their assertion7 theelders7 such as ;aKa7 Revata7 and others7 +ho oosed the Indul'ences7 had to convo$e

the second council of 6:: mon$s7 in +hich the succeeded in 'ettin' the Indul'ences

condemned7 and rehearsed the Buddha>s instruction for the second time= %ven in thiscouncil of *aisali +e cannot find the fact that the aster>s reachin's +ere reduced to

+ritin'= The decisions of the 6:: elders +ere not acceted " the art of oosition7

+ho held a searate council7 and settled their o+n rules and doctrine= Thus the samedoctrine of the Teacher "e=@an to "e differentl stated and "elieved=

This "ein' the first oen schism7 one disrution after another too$ lace amon' the

Buddhistic Order= There +ere man different schools of the Buddhists at the time +hen

Ein' 4Ko$a ascended the throne (a"out 259 B=C=)7 and the atrona'e of the Ein' dre+ a'reat num"er of a'an ascetics into the Order7 +ho7 thou'h the dressed themselves in


52/190

the ello+ ro"es7 et still reserved their reli'ious vie+s in their ori'inal colour= This

naturall led the Church into continual distur"ances and moral corrution= In the

ei'hteenth ear of 4Ko$a>s rei'n the Ein' summoned the council of 17::: mon$s atataliutra (atna)7 and settled the orthodo& doctrine in order to $ee the Dharma ure

from heretical "eliefs= -e "elieve that a"out this time some of the Buddha>s reachin's

+ere reduced to +ritin'7 for the missionaries desatched " the Ein' in the earfollo+in' the council seem to have set out +ith +ritten sutras= In addition to this7 some of

the names of the assa'es of the Dharma are 'iven in the Bhar"ra edict of the Ein'7

+hich +as addressed to the mon$s in a'adha= -e do not suose7 ho+ever7 that all thesutras +ere +ritten at once in these das7 "ut that the +ere coied do+n from memor

one after another at different times7 "ecause some of the sutras +ere ut do+n in Celon

15: ears after the Council of atna=

In the introductor "oo$ of %$ottara'ama (4n'uttara Ni$aa)7 no+ e&tant in the ChineseTriita$a7 +e notice the follo+in' ointsG (1) It is +ritten in a stle 0uite different from

that of the ori'inal 4'ama7 "ut similar to that of the sulementar "oo$s of the

ahaana sutrasJ (2) it states 4nanda>s comilation of the Triita$a after the death of theasterJ (!) it refers to the ast Buddhas7 the future Buddha aitrea7 and innumera"le

BodhisattvasJ (.) it raises the rofound doctrine of ahaanism= s deathJ the second at *aisali7 some 1:: ears after

the BuddhaJ the third at the time of Ein' 4Ko$a7 a"out 2! ears after the asterJ the

fourth at the time of Ein' Eanish$a7 the first centur 4=D= But all these councils +ereheld to comile the 3inaana sutras7 and nothin' is $no+n of the rehearsal of the

ahaana "oo$s= Some are of oinion that the first council +as held +ithin the

Sattaanni cave7 near Ra#a'rha7 +here the 3inaana Triita$a +as rehearsed " ::mon$s7 +hile outside the cave there assem"led a 'reater num"er of mon$s7 +ho +ere not


53/190

admitted into the cave7 and rehearsed the ahaana Triita$a= This oinion7 ho+ever7 is

"ased on no relia"le source=

(2) The Indian orthodo& Buddhists of old declared that the ahaana sutras +ere thefa"rication of heretics or of the %vil One7 and not the teachin's of the Buddha= In rel to

this7 the ahaanists had to rove that the ahaana sutras +ere comiled " the directdisciles of the asterJ "ut even Na'ar#una could not vindicate the comilation of the

dou"tful "oo$s7 and said (in ahara#aaramita@Kastra) that the +ere comiled "4nanda and an#uKri7 +ith mriads of Bodhisattvas at the outside of the Iron ountain

Ran'e7 +hich encloses the earth= 4san'a also roved (in ahaanalan$ara@sutra@Kastra)

+ith little success that ahaanism +as the Buddha>s direct teachin's= Some ma 0uoteBodhisattva@'ar"hastha@sutra in favour of the ahaanaJ "ut it is of no avail7 as the sutra

itself is the +or$ of a later date=

(!) 4lthou'h almost all of the ahaana sutras7 e&cetin' 4vatamsa$a@sutra7 treat of

3inaanism as the imerfect doctrine tau'ht in the first art of the aster>s career7 et not

merel the +hole life of Aotama7 "ut also events +hich occurred after his death arenarrated in the 3inaana sutras= This sho+s that the ahaana sutras +ere comosed

after the esta"lishment of earl Buddhism=

(.) The narratives 'iven in the 3inaana sutras in reference to Sha$a uni seem to "e"ased on historical facts7 "ut those in the ahaana "oo$s are full of +onders and

e&trava'ant miracles far from facts=

() The 3inaana sutras retain the traces of their havin' "een classified and comiled as+e see in %$ottara'ama7 +hile ahaana "oo$s aear to have "een comosed one after

another " different authors at different times7 "ecause each of them strives to e&cel

others7 declarin' itself to "e the sutra of the hi'hest doctrine7 as +e see in Saddharma@undari$a7 Samdhinirmocana7 Suvarnara"hasottamara#a7 etc=

(5) The dialo'ues in the 3inaana sutras are in 'eneral those "et+een the Buddha and his

disciles7 +hile in the ahaana "oo$s ima'inar "ein's called Bodhisattvas ta$e the

lace of disciles= oreover7 in some "oo$s no mon$s are mentioned=

(6) ost of the ahaana sutras declare that the themselves ossess those mstico+ers that rotect the reader or the o+ner from such evils as eidemic7 famine7 +ar7

etc=J "ut the 3inaana sutras are ure from such "eliefs=

(8) The ahaana sutras e&tol not onl the merits of the readin'7 "ut the coin' of thesutras= This unfailin'l sho+s the fact that the +ere not handed do+n " memor7 as the3inaana sutras7 "ut +ritten " their resective authors=

(9) The 3inaana sutras +ere +ritten +ith a lain stle in ali7 +hile the ahaana

"oo$s7 +ith "rilliant hraseolo'7 in Sans$rit=


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(1:) The Buddha in the 3inaana sutras is little more than a human "ein'7 +hile Buddha

or Tatha'ata in the ahaana is a suerhuman "ein' or Areat Deit=

(11) The moral recets of the 3inaana +ere laid do+n " the aster ever time +henhis disciles acted indecentl7 +hile those of the ahaana "oo$s +ere so$en all at

once " Tatha'ata=

(12) Some ahaana sutras aear to "e the e&a''eration or modification of +hat +as

stated in the 3inaana "oo$s7 as +e see in ahaarinirvana@sutra=

(1!) If +e ta$e "oth the 3inaana and the ahaana as so$en " one and the sameerson7 +e cannot understand +h there are so man contradictor statements7 as +e see

in the follo+in'G

(a)Historical Contradictions=@@3inaana=> It is therefore evident that +hen the 3inaana "oo$s too$ the resent shaethere aeared no ahaana sutras=

(1) The authors of the ahaana sutras should have e&ected the oosition of the

3inaanists7 "ecause the sa not seldom that there mi'ht "e some +ho +ould= not

"elieve in and oose ahaanism as not "ein' the Buddha>s teachin'7 "ut that of the%vil One= The sa also that one +ho +ould venture to sa the ahaana "oo$s are

fictitious should fall into 3ell=


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Buddha had infinite o+er7 endless life7 and limitlessl 'reat "od= The author of

ahaarinirvana@sutra also sas that Buddha is immortal7 his Dharma@$aa is infinite and

eternal= The authors of ahaana@mula'ata@hrdaa"humi@dhana@sutra and ofSuvarnara"ha@sottamara#a@sutra enumerate the Three Bodies of Buddha7 +hile the +riter

of ,an$avatara@sutra descri"es the


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(2!) Chi@leu@cia@chin7 +ho came to China in 4=D= 1.6 or 4=D= 15.7 translated some art

of ahaana "oo$s $no+n as aharatna$uta@sutra and ahavaiula@mahasanniata@

sutra=

(2.) 4n@shi@$ao7 +ho ca

1 the Religion of the Samurai

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Transcript of 1 the Religion of the Samurai