Zen 101

Introduction
 Tone and Standards
● I’m presenting primary sources.
● Controversy largely the result churches and academics from
church graduate programs
● Churches and 1900’s academics often refused to address
PRIMARY SOURCES
● These primary sources illustrate misunderstandings between
Zen and Buddhism, China and Japan, Eastern and Western
Cultures.
● This material includes the collective efforts over the last
decade of the sangha of r/Zen.
● You and I are fellow students.
 Zen 101: What will you learn?

1. Be REASONABLE (and willing to laugh)

a. We will take a rational, factual, historical approach
b. Interpretations and controversies will be reasonably addressed
c. Zen is famous for its humor and style... if it’s not fun, it’s not Zen

2. WHERE the textual evidence is:

a. Learn about the FAMOUS 1,000 year Zen historical record
b. transcripts (koans aka Legal Cases)
c. written manuals of instruction

3. WHAT Zen Masters teach

a. Why is Zen not a religion OR a philosophy?
b. How can Zen be described to others?
c. What do Zen Masters mean when they say that crazy stuff?

4. HOW Zen has been misrepresented.

a. Zen vs Zazen churches, Buddhism, LSD, and Alan Watts
b. YOU WILL SEE SOME CHINESE. USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE.
 Course Summary

1. What is Zen
a. Where “Zen” comes from India -> China -> You
b. 1,000 tradition of creating historical records
c. Four Statements Describe the tradition, don’t define it
d. Zen not compatible with Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Mysticism
e. Famous Cases (Koans) from the exclusive enlightenment of Zen
2. Overview of the Four Statements of Zen
a. Transmission outside,
b. Not Dependent,
c. Seeing self,
d. Becoming Buddha
e. BONUS: Wumen’s 10 Warnings
3. Overview of Source Texts
a. Transcripts aka Koans
b. Instructional Verses, Sermons, Commentary
c. Books of Instruction
4. Controversies
a. Zazen and other meditation are not related to Zen
b. LSD and changing mental states not related to Zen
c. 8FP and Buddhist faith not related to Zen
d. Scholarship errors that make churches who taught those scholars look good
Zen 101
What is “Zen”
Zen is the name for Bodhidharma’s Lineage

BCR Excerpt
Zen is a Japanese word for a Chinese tradition that
became and English name!
● How Zen got to America... Meet D.T. Suzuki and R.H. Blyth!
● A note about all those Romans dhyana chan zen
● A short history of dhyana
Meet some Zen Masters!

Mazu

Zhaozhou

Foyan

Wumen
Two Famous Women who were Zen
Masters 1500 Years Ago!

Iron Grinder

Miaozong - Wrote instructional verses, famous for Case about sexuality.

Zen does not have the history of treating women differently the way Buddhist
religions often do.
Overview of the Four Statements of Zen

What is the role the Four Statements of Zen?

1. The Four Statements define Zen in a way similar to Buddhism’s 4th Noble
Truth of the 8FP, and Christianity’s 10 Commandments.
2. The Four Statements also define Zen like a bounding problem in Philosophy,
like “what is Utilitarianism”.
3. Zen is not a philosophy or a religion, so neither of these is a perfect fit.
"To speak
teaching
outside the
historical of
that the
is
Four Statements of Zen

謂之教外別傳。 records"
"Zen Master
單傳心印。
transmitted
seal" Mind
直指人心。
"Straight
person's
見性
"See pointing
mind"
nature... at
成佛。 Buddha.
...become
Four Statements, competing Translations:
Yuanwu, Cleary trans:
"The special transmission outside the (written) teachings,
the sole transmission of the mind seal,
directly pointing to the human mind
for the perception of nature realization of Buddhahood."

D.T. Suzuki:
"A special transmission outside of Scriptures
No dependence on words and letters
Direct pointing to the soul of man
Seeing into one's nature and the attainment of Buddhahood"
Four Statements of Zen vs Religion

The Four Statements clearly deny...

Buddhism... depends on faith in immutable “truths” of (some) sutras to save

Christianity... depend on faith in a supernatural being to save

Taoism... depends on superstitious view of Nature (gods and alchemy) to save

Zen: nothing to be saved from, nobody to save you, no state of having-been-saved

Five Lay Precepts
1. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Eastern_Buddhist/dPXBVic-sDEC?hl=en&gbpv=0
○ Do not kill, steal, adultery, lie, consume liquor
2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Harvard_Oriental_Series/uM8oAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
○ destroys life, takes what is not given, adultery, utters falsehood, addicted

The Five Lay Precepts are woven into Zen teachings throughout the 1,000 year historical record of transcripts and
teachings.

There are no records of enlightened people not following the five lay precepts.
Overview of Primary Texts
Major periods of Zen historical records

1. Sayings texts and the Last Patriarch

a. Sayings were collected
b. Huineng end the Zen patriarchy
c. Mazu had so many Masters under him that sayings texts exploded in popularity
2. Sayings texts with teachings
a. Masters like Xutang wrote brief teachings on specific Case Collections
b. Masters like Xuedou wrote teachings and “instructional poetics” on Case Collections
c. Masters like Yuanwu took texts like Xuedou’s and added tons of commentary and instruction
3. Lecture texts and Literary texts
a. Foyan’s text is a collection of lectures
b. Mingben’s Illusory Man is instruction-as-literature
The Get Started List

Get from web

 Overview of Controversies
Can't quote Zen Masters? What other minorities do people claim to “know all about”, but refuse to let the minorities speak?

Mislabeling Zen as Buddhism: Buddhism is about a messiah with a path. Zen Master Buddha didn’t teach that.

Zazen Dogenism: Modern scholars agree that Dogen’s Shikantaza was never a Zen practice

Secret Password Hakuinism: Why keep it a secret if it’s honest?

Zen is based on the Lanka, wait no the Diamond, wait, no it's the Heart Sutra.

Zen link to Taoism has never been proven.

Religious/Racial motives affecting Zen scholarship