Zen energy. Japanese and Chinese Zen: Are They the Same? The principles of Zen Buddhism are the four truths

The answer to the question of what is Zen should be known to every person who is starting to get acquainted with Buddhism. This concept forms a strong personality capable of a reasonable analysis of their actions and contemplation of them from the outside. The goal of this process should be true.

Zen - what is it?

There are several key principles in Buddhism, such as faith, the desire for self-determination, and respect for nature. Most Buddhist schools have a common understanding of what Zen energy is. They believe that it is revealed in such aspects as:

1. Knowledge and wisdom that are not transmitted by letter, but from teacher to student during personal communication.
2. The mystery of Tao is the nameless source of the existence of earth and sky.
3. Rejection of efforts to understand Zen: It is believed that the more you try to understand it, the faster it moves away from consciousness.
4. Many ways to understand Zen: Throughout the history of mankind, Zen has been transmitted completely unconsciously from person to person through emotions, touch, jokes.

What is Zen Buddhism?

Zen Buddhism is the most important school of East Asian Buddhism, the process of formation of which was completed in China in the 5th-6th centuries. In his homeland, as well as in Vietnam and Korea, he remains the most popular monastic form of religion to this day. Deen Buddhism is an ever-changing belief that has three strands:

1. « Intellectual Zen»- a philosophy of life that has moved as far as possible from religion and has become popular among artists, philosophers and scientists.
2. Psychedelic Zen- a doctrine that involves the use of drugs in order to expand the boundaries of consciousness.
3. Beat direction- it is known among young people for its simplified rules that promote moral and sexual freedom.

How is Zen Buddhism different from Buddhism?

The desire to achieve Zen means a willingness to sacrifice oneself on the way to it - for example, to show meekness and humility in front of a teacher. Zen Buddhism insists on the observance of a system of rules by the student when the classical direction does not require any kind of worship and testing in the name of religion. Zen is like a technique that is suitable for people who do not want to spend a lot of time on the religious component of the teachings.

Zen and Tao

Both directions originated from the same teaching, so the differences between them are minimal. No one can express Tao in words, because it expresses the naturalness of human existence. The Zen state is absolutely real, but it can be accurately described. In the main books of the teaching - the works of sages commenting on koans and sutras, this knowledge is stored.

Zen Buddhism - Basic Ideas

The depth and power of this teaching is amazing, especially if a person is just starting to get acquainted with it. It is not possible to fully understand what Zen means if we deny the fact that emptiness is real essence and the purpose of enlightenment. This teaching is based on the nature of the mind, which cannot be expressed in words, but can be realized. Its main principles:

1. By nature, each person is equal to the Buddha and he can discover the enlightening basis in himself.
2. The state of satori can only be achieved through complete rest.
3. Receiving a response from one's own, which is inside a person.

Koans of Zen Buddhism

Koans are short instructive stories or dialogues similar to the suras of the Qur'an. They reveal the essence of the questions that arise both for beginners and experienced religious followers. Zen koans were created to give a psychological boost to the student, to motivate him. The value of each of these stories is revealed in his decision:

1. The master gives the student a koan for which he must find the correct answer. Every statement is made with the intent to provoke a contradiction in the inexperienced follower of Buddhism.
2. Being in a meditative state or close to it, the student reaches satori - enlightenment.
3. In the state of samadhi (the unity of knowledge and the knower), a person understands what real Zen is. Many consider him intimate with a sense of catharsis.

Zen Meditation

Meditation is a special psycho-physical state of a person, which is easiest to achieve in an atmosphere of deepest silence and concentration. In Buddhist monasteries, the need for preliminary preparation to immersion in it was not, because the members of the communities initially protected themselves from all temptations. The monks answering the question about what Zen meditation is, they say that this feeling pure consciousness without content. You can achieve it by following the steps below:

1. First you need to sit on the floor, facing the wall, placing a pillow or a blanket folded in several layers under the buttocks. Its thickness should not prevent you from taking a comfortable, stable posture. Clothing for meditation is chosen loose so as not to restrict movement.
2. For a comfortable fit, it is recommended to take or half lotus.
3. You should close your eyes and abstract from problems and thoughts.
4. When the emptiness replaces the mental noise, there will be a feeling of incomparable relaxation and contentment.

What does it mean to "comprehend Zen"?

A person who wants to find an answer to a question that interests him turns to this oriental technique, as a rule, being in despair. He seeks to know Zen after simple ways the solutions to the dilemma have been exhausted. For some, this process is a kind of fasting with abstinence from food, relationships with the opposite sex and active labor activity. Most Buddhists, on the other hand, adhere to more traditional ways of understanding the subtle matter of Zen:

1. Following the advice of the first teachers of Buddhism. They advised to remain calm even in difficult situations and renounce life's troubles.
2. Finding the source of evil. If a religious person is overcome by a series of failures and problems, then he must look for the cause of the vicissitudes of fate in himself or his enemies.
3. Crossing the boundaries of classical thinking. Zen rules say that a person is too accustomed to the benefits of civilization to know his essence. He needs to get out of his comfort zone to hear the voice of the soul.

Zen Buddhism - books

Each religious school and method of scientific knowledge has its own literary works, allowing even inexperienced beginners to understand its concept. Zen philosophy also involves familiarity with a whole library of books, which includes:

1. A team of authors with comments by Alexei Maslov "Classic Zen texts". One book includes the works of the first masters of Chan Buddhism, which affect all areas human life both in antiquity and in modern life Asian countries.
2. Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind". It reveals the content of the conversations of an experienced mentor with his American students. Shunryu managed not only to comprehend what Zen is, but also to learn how to focus on the main goals.
3. Won Kew-Kit, Encyclopedia of Zen. The book is devoted to the difficulties of understanding being, the simplest understanding of its laws and concepts. The path of Zen, according to the author, ends with a mystical experience of experiencing the Absolute - a flash of comprehension outside of time and space.
4. Tit Nhat Khan, The Keys of Zen. The work of the Japanese author contains only comments on the sutras and koans of southern Buddhism.
5. Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings. Warrior Musashi 300 years ago wrote a monograph on the management of the state, people and his own emotions. The medieval swordsman considered himself a Zen teacher, so the book is written in the format of a conversation with student readers.

Zen is the doctrine of full awareness of the nature of reality, of enlightenment. It is believed that this variety of Buddhism was brought to China by the Indian monk Bodhidharma, and from there spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam, and in the 19th and 20th centuries to the West. Bodhidharma himself defined Zen Buddhism as "a direct transition to awakened consciousness, bypassing tradition and sacred texts."

It is believed that the truth of Zen lives in each of us. You just need to look inside and find it there without resorting to outside help. Zen practice stops all mental activity by focusing your thoughts on what you are doing at the present moment, here and now.

Zen style life

- Master, you have reached a venerable age and deep enlightenment. How did you do it?
- All because I don't stop practicing Zen.
- Zen - what is it?
- Nothing special. Knowing Zen is easy. When I want to drink, I drink; when I want to eat, I eat; when I want to sleep, I sleep. As for the rest, I follow nature and the laws of naturalness. These are the basic ideas of Zen Buddhism.
But doesn't everyone do the same?
- Not. Judge for yourself: when you need to drink - you go over your problems and failures in your head, when you need to eat - you think about anything but food, when you need to sleep - you try to solve all the world's problems. Drinks, eats, sleeps only your body. Your thoughts revolve around money, fame, sex, food and much more. But when I'm hungry, I just eat. When I'm tired, I only sleep. I have no thinking, and therefore I have no inner and outer.

The challenge for a Zen practitioner is to see the uniqueness, simplicity, and essence of each thing. And seeing this - to find harmony with the world, every thing in it and with oneself.

The man of Zen Buddhism does not attach to anything, and does not reject anything. He is like a cloud that moves wherever he wants. Lives with open heart and allows life to flow calmly through it, accepting all its gifts: grief and joy, gains and losses, meetings and partings. To be Zen means to do everything perfectly. Being completely deluded, suffering from stomach pain, watching a butterfly, making soup or writing a report.

In this way, you are able, by discarding prejudices and limitations, to penetrate into the essence of life itself. Right now. Zen philosophy is directly in front of you at this moment.

What is Zen? 10 Rules of Zen Buddhism for Harmony

- Be mindful of everything you are doing at the moment. If you wash the cup, wash the cup. Invest 100% with your mind and heart in what you are doing right now, and then you will achieve really good results. The mind will always be sharp and fresh if you learn to focus on the present moment. It's easy, you just need to remind yourself to be careful. When you eat, be aware of the taste and texture of food - by the way, it is very easy to lose weight this way, because you will no longer automatically eat too much. As you walk down the stairs, focus on the descent, don't think about the papers waiting for you in the office or about the person who lives in another city. Monks practice walking meditation, where they become aware of their feet touching or leaving the ground. A great way to get rid of thoughts is to listen to your breath. And when such attentiveness becomes a habit, your efficiency will increase several times. You will learn to concentrate easily, not to be distracted by anything. Become a great negotiator, subtly feeling the interlocutor. And in general, in work you will not be equal. (But for you zen, ambition doesn't matter.)

- Act, don't just talk. Here is the real secret to success. In the East, words without practice are worthless: mastery can be achieved by laying bricks every day, but not by reading books about it. Bodhidharma asked his disciples to burn scriptures so that they would not become slaves to words instead of practicing the teaching expressed by the word. Knowledge is a map on which the ultimate goal is indicated, but in order to achieve it, you need to go through the entire route yourself.

- Take direct action. Many hours of thinking about "what will happen if ..." - this is not about Zen. It is simple, direct and immediate. So if you want to say or do something, just say or do it without complicating it. For example, hug your father with the words: "You know, dad, I love you very much." Or tell your boss that you need a raise. (Or hug your boss and say, "You know, dad, you need a raise for me.")

- Relax. This is the most enjoyable part of everyday Zen. True, if the world is illusory, is it worth straining? Why bother if events cannot be changed? And if you can, then there is nothing to worry about. Let yourself live a little, like grass, go with the flow ... Accept yourself and your manifestations: there are no shortcomings, it is people who invented them. You are perfect. And stop blaming yourself for everything. When you reproach yourself, you reproach the divine principle, the Absolute in yourself, as if it could be imperfect. It's like blaming the moon for not being yellow enough and the sun for being too hot.

- Rest. Use the quiet moments that arise during the day as a time of self-observation and calmness, meditation or a short nap. Even young people can benefit from a short afternoon break. Learn some of the qigong exercises or learn how to breathe with your stomach. Contemplate something pleasant. Don't forget to recharge the internal batteries.

- listen to your heart. Reach out to him every time you make an important decision. Don Juan warned: if your Way has no heart, it will kill you. Stop doing what you don't like and do what you love. If you have not yet chosen the Path, remember your dreams. About the most secret childhood desires. Maybe this is just what you need right now?

- Accept things as they are. Get used to them. Events happen the way they happen, and we divide them into good and bad instead of looking at the facts directly. You know, anything can become a source of conflict, threat or violence. But maybe - compassion, love and joy. It all depends on the angle of view. Watch life and move according to its flow: this will help you live and develop.

- Be open. Listen to people not only with your head, but with your whole heart, and not for the sake of continuing your monologue when there is a pause. Embrace new ideas and principles, no matter how wise and experienced you feel. Open up to change and unexpected opportunities - sometimes what seems like a detour turns out to be the shortest path to your goal. Keep looking for new friends, do not shut yourself off from strangers - one of them can change your life and be of great help.

- find funny things in Everyday life . Give free rein to your sense of humor, don't take everything too seriously. Seriousness is a way of making simple things complex. Read the beginner's guide: "You've been set up. You've been scammed on all your money to the cent. All money is an illusion. You have nothing. There wasn't." Or: "Don't be afraid to be alone with yourself. You don't bite."

- Just be. Enter your pure existence without boundaries. Zen contains nothing that fetters human nature. Among the stories about Zen there is this: a student comes to the Master and asks to show him the way to liberation. "Who does not want you?" the Teacher asks. "No one," the student answers, and immediately attains enlightenment.

It is believed that Zen cannot be taught. One can only suggest the way to achieve personal enlightenment.
(More precisely, there is no such thing as enlightenment to be possessed. Therefore, Zen masters ("masters") are more likely to say not "attain enlightenment" but "see one's own nature." (Enlightenment is not a state. It is a way of seeing .))
In addition, the path to the vision of one's own nature is different for everyone, since everyone is in their own conditions, with their own baggage of experience and ideas. That is why it is said that in Zen there is no definite path, there is no one definite entrance. These words should also help the practitioner not to replace his awareness with the mechanical execution of some practice or idea.
It is believed that the Zen teacher must see his own nature, because then he can correctly see the state of the "student" and give him the appropriate instructions or push for him. At different stages of practice, the “student” may be given different, “opposite” advice, for example:
- “meditate to calm the mind; try harder";
“Don’t try to achieve enlightenment, just let go of everything that happens”…
According to general Buddhist ideas, there are three root poisons from which all suffering and delusion arise:
1. ignorance of one's nature (cloudiness of the mind, dullness, confusion, anxiety),
2. disgust (to "unpleasant", the idea of ​​​​something as an independent "evil", generally hard views),
3. attachment (to the pleasant - unquenchable thirst, clinging) ...
Therefore, awakening is promoted by: (1) calming the mind, (2) liberation from hard views, and (3) from attachments.
The two main types of regular Zen practice are sitting meditation and simple physical labor. They are aimed at calming and unifying the mind. When the self-churning ceases, "the haze settles", ignorance and restlessness decrease. A clearer mind can more easily see its nature.
At a certain stage, when the practitioner has calmed the mind, a good mentor - seeing the "obstruction" in the practitioner's mind, such as hard views or attachment - can help to get rid of it. (Thus, the path of the Zen practitioner is both the opening of "one's" wisdom and not the closing off of "their" wisdom. Rather, it is the removal of the false barrier between "my" wisdom and the "alien".)
Many Zen masters claim that the practice may be "gradual" or "sudden", but the awakening itself is always sudden - or rather, not gradually. It is simply discarding the superfluous and seeing what is. Since it is just a drop, it cannot be said that it is somehow achieved. Or that there are "disciples" and "mentors" in it. The mentors can impart Dharma teachings - that is, the ideas and methods of Zen. Dharma Mind, that is, the essence of enlightenment, is already present. She doesn't need any achievements.
So, the practice and teaching of Zen is aimed at: (1) calming the mind, (2) liberation from rigid views, (3) letting go of attachments. This facilitates the vision of one's own nature, which itself is beyond all practice and all paths.
In general, the same is true for the rest of the Buddhist traditions; this school - Zen - aims at maximum simplicity and flexibility of methods and concepts.)
Zen Buddhism denies the superiority of the intellect over pure experience, considering the latter, together with intuition, to be faithful helpers.
The main principles of Buddhism on which Zen is based:
The main difference between Zen and other branches of Buddhism
In Zen, the main attention on the path to achieving satori is paid not only (and not so much) to the Holy Scriptures and sutras, but to direct comprehension of reality based on intuitive insight into one's own nature.
According to Zen, anyone can achieve satori.
The four key differences of Zen are:
1. Special teaching without sacred texts.
2. Lack of unconditional authority of words and written signs.
3. Transmission through direct reference to reality - in a special way from heart to heart.
4. The need for awakening through awareness of one's own true nature.
Quotes:
"Don't Make Written Instructions"
"Pass on the tradition without precepts"
"Point Directly at the Human Heart"
"Look into your nature and you will become a Buddha"
According to legend, the beginning of the Zen tradition was laid by the founder of Buddhism himself - Buddha Shakyamuni (5th century BC), who once raised a flower in front of his students and smiled (“Flower Sermon of the Buddha”).
No one, however, except for one person - Mahakashyapa did not understand the meaning of this gesture of the Buddha. Mahakashyapa answered the Buddha by also holding up a flower and smiling. In that moment, he experienced awakening: the state of awakening was given to him by the Buddha directly, without instructions, verbal or written.
One day the Buddha was standing in front of a gathering of people at Vulture Peak. All the people were waiting for him to start teaching awakening (dharma), but the Buddha was silent. Quite a lot of time has passed, and he has not yet uttered a single word, in his hand was a flower. The eyes of all the people in the crowd were turned to him, but no one understood anything. Then one monk looked at the Buddha with shining eyes and smiled. And the Buddha said, "I have the treasure of seeing the perfect Dharma, the magical spirit of nirvana, free from the impurity of reality, and I gave this treasure to Mahakashyapa." This smiling monk turned out to be just Mahakashyapa, one of the great disciples of the Buddha. Mahakashyapa's moment of awakening happened when the Buddha raised a flower over his head. The monk saw the flower for what it was and received the “seal of the heart,” to use Zen terminology. The Buddha transmitted his profound understanding from heart to heart. He took the seal of his heart and made an impression with it on the heart of Mahakashyapa. Mahakashyapa was awakened by the flower and his deep perception.
Thus, according to Zen, the tradition of direct ("from heart to heart") transmission of awakening from teacher to student began. In India, awakening was passed on in this way for twenty-eight generations of mentors from Mahakashyapa to Bodhidharma himself - the 28th patriarch of the Buddhist school of contemplation in India and the first patriarch of the Buddhist school of Ch'an in China.
Bodhidharma said, "The Buddha directly conveyed Zen, which has nothing to do with the scriptures and doctrines you study." So according to Zen - true meaning Buddhism is comprehended only through enhanced self-contemplation - "look into your nature and become a Buddha" (and not through the study of doctrinal and philosophical texts), and also "from heart to heart" - through the tradition of transmission from teacher to student.
In order to emphasize the principle of the immediacy of this transmission and to eradicate the students' attachment to the letter, image, symbol, many Chan mentors of the early period defiantly burned sutra texts and sacred images. One could not even speak of teaching Zen, because it cannot be taught through symbols. Zen passes directly from master to student, from mind to mind, from heart to heart. Zen itself is a kind of “seal of the mind (heart)”, which cannot be found in the scriptures, since it is “not based on letters and words” - A special transfer of the awakened consciousness from the heart of the teacher to the heart of the student without relying on written signs what cannot be expressed by speech is "direct indication", a kind of non-verbal way of communication, without which the Buddhist experience could never be passed on from generation to generation.
Zen Practices
Satori
Satori - "Enlightenment", a sudden awakening. Since all human beings inherently possess the capacity for enlightenment, the task of the Zen practitioner is to realize it. Satori always comes suddenly, like a flash of lightning. Enlightenment knows no parts and divisions, so it cannot be perceived gradually.
The Japanese verb "satoru" (悟る) means "to be aware", and one can only be aware with the help of a certain "sixth sense", which in Chan is called "no-mind" (wu-hsin,). "No-mind" is an inactive consciousness that does not separate from the surrounding world. It is this consciousness that is practiced in meditation, which is why meditation is so important in Zen Buddhism.
Awakening Methods
It is believed that in comparison with practical training "from heart to heart" - even the instructions of the Buddha himself play a secondary role in Zen Buddhism. For modern students - in addition to transmission from heart to heart, listening, reading, reflection are also necessary. The direct methods of pointing in Zen are more effective than reading books, but they do not imply complete abandonment of reading either.
For training, the master can use any method, but the most widespread practices are zazen (sitting meditation) and koan (a parable-riddle that does not have a logically substantiated answer).
Zen is dominated by instantaneous, sudden awakening, which can sometimes be brought about by specific techniques. The most famous of them is the koan. This is a kind of paradox, absurd for ordinary reason, which, having become an object of contemplation, stimulates awakening, as it were.
Dialogues (mondo) and self-questioning (huatou) are close to koans:
Some mentors have stimulated awakening by suddenly shouting at the student, or even by hitting the head with a stick. But the main practice was sitting meditation - zazen.
Along with traditional sitting meditation, many branches of Zen have practiced both walking and working meditation. And all Zen monks necessarily engaged in physical labor, which was necessary with intense mental stress in the process of meditation. The connection of Chan with the tradition of martial arts is also well known (starting from the first Chan monastery - Shaolin).
In this way, Zen became a system for training the mind (through meditation), the spirit (through daily practice), and the body (through kung fu and qigong).
The Zen teaching method is a strong emotional impact on the student, as well as the experience of all kinds of paradoxes. From a European point of view, this approach is sometimes simply cruel. It can only be understood within the framework of the Buddhist doctrine of indifference to life and death as such. The methods of educating students in Zen Buddhism are widely borrowed from almost all types of martial arts of the East and had a profound influence on the development of the samurai ethics in Japan.
Meditative practice
Meditation, contemplation, occupies an important place in Zen Buddhism. Despite differences in approach to achieving satori in different schools zen, they all divert meditation essential role.
Zen does not accept extreme asceticism: human desires should not be suppressed. In fact, everyday activities, what you like to do, can become meditation - but with one condition: to be fully present in what you are doing. And under no circumstances should you be distracted from this - whether it's work, a glass of beer, making love or sleeping until dinner.
Any hobby can become a way to comprehend your true nature. It turns life itself in every manifestation into a work of art. “An artist lives in every person from the very beginning - an “artist of life” - and this artist does not need any additional things: his arms and legs are brushes, and the whole universe is a canvas on which he writes his life. Each person is an artist of his own life and each has his own. The key is in the human soul.
The master of ink painting, having reached the highest meditative state of Zen consciousness, the state of the Spirit, “poureds” it onto canvas or paper. What is important is not the result itself or this activity, but the state of consciousness reflected as a result of this process. Any ordinary occupation is an effort for the sake of something. This is a kind of work. Zen, on the other hand, cleansed this work as much as possible from the feeling of the efforts of its accomplishment, brought out the “spontaneity” of these efforts to the maximum and, one might say, turned it ultimately into an “effort-without-effort” paradox.
A real work of art in the Chan tradition cannot be created by labor in the truest sense of the term. The same goes for traditional zazen sitting meditation. Sitting meditation is by no means an exercise in patience or anything else, but is essentially "sitting just like that."
In general, the concept of “just like that”, “suchness” (tathata) of action is one of the basic concepts of Zen Buddhism. One of the names of the Buddha in Buddhism: "So going" (Tathagata) - one who comes and goes just like that. (
Zazen practice
Zazen - meditation in the "lotus position" - requires, on the one hand, the utmost concentration of consciousness, on the other hand, the ability not to think about any specific problem. “Just sit” and, not paying attention to any thing in particular, perceive everything around you as a whole, to the smallest detail, knowing about their presence in the same way as you know about the presence of your own ears, without seeing them.
“The perfect man uses his mind like a mirror: he lacks nothing and rejects nothing. Accepts but does not hold
Instead of trying to clear or empty the mind, one should simply let it go, because the mind is not something that can be mastered. Letting go of the mind is the same as letting go of the flow of thoughts and impressions that come and go "into the mind". There is no need to suppress them, or hold them back, or interfere with their course. It is in zazen meditation that the action of the Taoist "wu-xin" - "no-mind" is practiced.
Koans
Koans (Chinese 公案, gong'an, Japanese 公案, ko:an) - short stories, telling about specific cases of achieving enlightenment, or alogism riddles, the main task of which is to awaken the mind of the listener. Koans often seem confusing and even paradoxical. However, they are widely used in the practice of Zen Buddhism, along with meditation. Koans were present in all schools of Chinese Buddhism such as Rinzai,
Stages of the Zen State of Mind
There were several stages of achieving "emptiness" of consciousness:
- “one-point consciousness” (i-nian-hsin),
- “consciousness devoid of thoughts” (wu-nian-xin),
- “non-consciousness” (wu-xin) or “not-I” (wu).
These are the stages of “emptying” the consciousness and achieving shunyata or kun (Chinese), that is, emptiness, because one of the goals of Chan art is to create special conditions when the psyche is left to itself and works spontaneously, being globally holistic or transpersonal (in sense of co-existence or co-knowledge with other people and with the world).
Martial Arts Zen and Samurai Zen
Quite unexpectedly, the way to comprehend Buddhism has become something that contradicts one of the five fundamental Buddhist prohibitions - "refrain from killing." Probably it was in China, where Buddhism was subjected to the liberating influence of Taoism, that Zen destroyed the conventional ethical framework of Buddhism and, as an effective psycho-training, first joined the military disciplines.
“Of all those gathered, only the closest disciple of the Buddha, Mahakashyapa, accepted the sign of the Teacher and barely perceptibly smiled in response from the corners of his eyes.” It is from this recognized canonical episode that the whole tradition of transmitting the teachings of Chan / Zen with the help of the so-called. "tricks" - any improvised and, it would seem, the most inappropriate things for this, secular and other activities, such as brewing tea, theatrical performance, playing the flute, the art of ikebana, composing. The same goes for martial arts.
For the first time, martial arts were combined with Zen as a body-developing gymnastics, and then also as a tempering with the spirit of fearlessness - in the Chinese Buddhist monastery of Shaolin.
Since then, Zen has been what distinguishes the martial art of the East from the Western sport. Many outstanding masters of kendo (fencing), karate, judo, aikido were adherents of Zen. This is due to the fact that the situation of a real fight, a fight in which severe injuries and death are possible, requires from a person precisely those qualities that Zen cultivates.
In a combat situation, a fighter does not have time to reason, the situation changes so quickly that a logical analysis of the enemy’s actions and planning his own will inevitably lead to defeat. Thought is too slow to follow such a technical action as a blow that lasts a fraction of a second. A pure consciousness, unclouded by unnecessary thoughts, like a mirror reflects any changes in the surrounding space and allows the fighter to react spontaneously, not far-fetched. It is also very important during the fight the absence of fear, like any other emotions.
Takuan Soho (1573-1644), a Zen master and author of treatises on the ancient Japanese art of swordsmanship (now preserved in kendo techniques), calls the calmness of a warrior who has reached the highest level of skill unshakable wisdom. "You certainly see a sword about to hit you," Takuan says. “But don't let your mind 'stop' on it. Abandon the intention to contact the enemy in response to his threatening attack, stop making any plans for this. Just perceive the opponent's movements and don't let your mind "stop" on it."
The martial arts of China and Japan are, first of all, arts, a way of developing the "spiritual abilities of the samurai", the implementation of the "Way" ("tao" or "do") - the path of a warrior, the path of the sword, the path of the arrow. Bushido, the famous "Way of the Samurai" - a set of rules and norms for the "true", "ideal" warrior has been developed in Japan for centuries and absorbed most of the provisions of Zen Buddhism, especially the ideas of strict self-control and indifference to death. Self-control and self-control were elevated to the rank of virtue and were considered valuable qualities of the character of the samurai. In direct connection with bushido was also zazen meditation, which developed confidence and composure in the samurai in the face of death.
Zen ethics
Do not treat anything as good or bad. Just be an observer (witness).

Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

For us, people of the Western world, the word "Zen" is associated with something peaceful, calm. This sound contains Eastern wisdom, and the mere mention of it takes us to where the sun rises earlier.

There, in the east, there is a whole direction, and it would be even more correct to say a worldview, which is based on this concept.

In today's article, we will tell you briefly about philosophy, about the history of its occurrence, and the main provisions. We will try to explain in an accessible and understandable way what truths Zen contains, how it differs from other areas of Buddhism and how to live according to this teaching.

What it is

Zen is one of the directions of Mahayana Buddhist thought, which is firmly rooted in East Asia: in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese spaces and especially in Japan. Curiously, the same philosophy on different languages named differently:

• in Japanese - zen;
• in Chinese - Chan;
• in Vietnamese - thien;
• in Korean, sleep.

The rest of the world is familiar with the Japanese name - "Zen". But whatever you call it, it has Sanskrit roots and comes from the word "dhyana". "Dhyana" is translated as "contemplation", "higher concentration", "profoundness", which perfectly reveals the essence of the teaching.

Zen teaching sometimes has other names:

• "Heart" - is inextricably linked with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bmahakaruna, which proclaims a comprehensive feeling of love and empathy;
• School of Buddha Consciousness.

Zen philosophy was originally a school of contemplation, through which one can achieve enlightenment - main goal Buddhist path. Zen is the search for the inner prophet that lives in each of us.

Having renounced the simple mind, calming the mind and penetrating its nature, contemplating the expanses of the inner world, plunging into oneself, one can find the truth, draw it - not from the outside, but precisely in the depths of the true "I".

For followers, Zen is not a philosophy with strict methods, rules, principles. Rather, it becomes a way of life - measured, calm, filled with spirituality, internal practices that take them beyond the limits of the rational.

The Zen road can lead students to important goals: the disclosure of their own inner essence, the knowledge of the absolute and the state of enlightenment - satori.

A bit of history

The sprouts of the Zen teaching were sown by the Buddha Shakyamuni himself, when he passed on the awakened state to his supporter Mahakashyapa. The transmission of the revelation was done without any words or sounds, with the help of a lotus flower, linking one heart and its impulses to another heart.

Later, philosophy "migrated" from India to China thanks to the great Bodhidharma, an important figure in the history of Buddhism, a symbol of Buddhist thought and awakening. Already by the 5th-6th century, Zen philosophy covered the entire Celestial Empire, in many respects also incorporating the ideas of Taoism, which dominated earlier.

Gradually, philosophy spread, reaching the borders of other countries of the Far East. In China, Vietnam, Korea, she found recognition, and continued to develop, and in each country she went her own way.

The imprints of the Zen Buddhist way of thinking can be found in art, in music, in literature, and even in medicine.

But Zen especially influenced Japanese culture. For almost a millennium, Zen has been associated with the Land of the Rising Sun - ever since he came here, at the end of the 12th century. One in five Buddhist temples in Japan belongs to the Zen tradition.

Here it is presented in different directions:

• Obak;
• Rinzai;
• Soto;
• Fuke.

Since the middle of the 19th century, when hitherto "closed" Japan began to gradually open its doors to other cultures, Zen became known to Westerners as well. He, incredibly flexible and adaptive, fell in love with the inhabitants of the West, who so needed peace, spiritual enrichment and knowledge of the inner world.

By the middle of the 20th century, it gained great popularity in America and European countries. Zen followers united in communities, built temples, universities, deeply studied its theoretical and practical aspects.

To this day, this interest has not faded: the number of adherents of this worldview is constantly growing, and world literature is increasingly replenished with a stock of books that acquaint the inexperienced reader with wonderful world in the spirit of zen.

Fundamentals of Philosophy

Zen philosophy helps a person to penetrate into the deep nature of his own mind and know it. To achieve this, you do not need to include thought processes and use the capabilities of the intellect. One should concentrate on the "ordinary", natural mind.

The concept of "Tao" is central to the practice of Chinese Zen, the path that everyone should follow. It is what gives rise to all things. To some extent, this is the mind.

Focusing on a certain subject helps to free thoughts - in other words, meditation. It is an important guide to self-knowledge and comprehension of satori.

Zen teaching, like other areas of Buddhism, emphasizes the significance of the generally accepted four noble truths, three jewels. But at the same time, it says that the truth cannot be understood through words, scriptures, texts, prescribed doctrines - it can only be felt by the heart, understood by the gut, because the truth is inexpressible.

Therefore, Zen denies the practice of studying the sutras, scriptures, and this is its main difference from other branches of Buddhism.

The founder of the teachings, Bodhidharma, said that Zen is “a direct transition to an awakened state, bypassing tradition and sacred texts.».

Zen suggests purifying the heart through certain penetrations and actions.

• zhu li - direction inward, through the principle, which means the study of the true essence of oneself;
• zhu shi - direction outward, through deeds, which means calming the mind when performing all deeds.

Orientation to the outside world, zhu shi, involves 4 actions:

1. Refusal of hatred and bad deeds

Bad actions have consequences - bao. It is right to understand evil and not worry about future troubles.

1. following karma

Everything that awaits us in the future is the result of the actions of the past and the present. Karma is inevitable, so it remains to accept it.

1. Renunciation of desires and attachments

The Buddha bequeathed that desires are the root cause of all suffering, therefore, on the path to awakening, you need to give them up.

1. Achieving harmony with and Tao

One should take the right path, examine oneself, get rid of bad thoughts, open oneself to the eternal.

Ignorance, hatred and attachment are the three poisons known to every Buddhist. Zen calls for eradicating them through meditation practices. They will help to expand the boundaries of the world, to see that all things are not dual, as is commonly thought, to know the essence of the Buddha.

Such a non-dual essence of things can be seen by understanding that at the basis of all things, Zen sees emptiness. Emptiness cannot be seen with the eyes or described with language, it can only be comprehended.

At the same time, emptiness in Buddhism does not mean the absence of something, incompleteness. Rather, on the contrary: it says that a person and the world around him are not separated by any boundaries.

Such a revelation can be comprehended by abandoning the subjective vision of phenomena, which distorts the real picture of the world. At the moment when a person has completely abandoned egoism and illusions, he can see the true "I".

Zen is based on four principles that adherents must follow:

1. Understand Buddhist philosophy without the help of scriptures.
2. Refuse words and text.
3. Directly refer to your consciousness.
4. Behold inner nature human and strive for a state of satori.

The Teaching does not accept violence against oneself, which can be expressed in a sharp rejection of absolutely all human desires. It teaches to a harmonious way of life, understanding of the internal and external nature and gradual knowledge of the truth through the path of meditation, the study of the mind, contemplation.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We wish you successful meditation practice and attaining the peaceful state of Zen.

For a European person, everything connected with the East seems to be imbued with the spirit of Zen. We interpret this concept quite freely, perceiving it as one of the mystical teachings based on the principles preached by the Buddha in his time.
Zen Buddhism is one of the main schools of Buddhism in Southeast Asia and China, which found its form in the Celestial Empire around the 5th-6th centuries AD. A very strong influence on the formation of this trend was the doctrine of Tao, the original Eastern hybrid of religion and philosophy.

The Buddha's Teaching as the Source of Religious Currents in Southeast Asia

The “School of contemplation” originated in China, where the teachings of the Buddha were brought by one of his followers, the Buddhist Bodhidharma, better known as Damo. He is considered the 28th patriarch of Buddhism (the first was Shakyamuni Buddha himself). From the Buddha, the teaching passed without words and records in a lotus flower to his disciple - Mahakashyapa. This moment is considered the basis for the formation of the principle on which Zen Buddhism will subsequently be built - the transmission of the teaching not by studying religious texts and historical treatises, but by direct non-material contact between the teacher and the student - "from heart to heart."

Now Zen is considered the most widespread and popular Buddhist school, which is devoted to many printed and multimedia publications, monographs and studies. Its name is well known to everyone and is associated with a special peaceful and contemplative state, which is not affected by material worldly problems.

Features of teaching in China

Arriving in China, Bodhidharma settled in the Shaolin Monastery, from where Chinese Zen Buddhism began to spread. Bodhidharma is considered the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism, and in total, before the collapse of the teaching into the northern and southern branches, there are six of them.

Chan is the sinicized form of the word "dhyana", that is, "contemplation". The doctrine was formed in China, where Mahayana Buddhism successfully overlapped with the local traditions of Taoism. As a result, Chan Buddhism arose, which spread widely throughout China, and then was transferred to neighboring states - Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In each new country, the religious direction "overgrown" with its own local traditions and images, receiving specific features on the common basic basis of Buddhism. As a result, such local trends as Thien in Vietnam were born and strengthened, which took shape as a separate branch first of all - in the 6th century, then, during the 6th-7th centuries AD, the Son school appeared in Korea, and already in the 12th century, the Zen school was formed. in Japan.

During the Manchurian Dynasty (Qin, 17th-20th centuries), Chinese Chan gradually lost its position, while Zen in Japan gradually spread beyond the borders of this country and became very popular in other countries. Over time, the Japanese name began to spread to all schools of Buddhism in Asia, and they began to be called the national schools of Zen.

Chinese Zen Buddhism was spread by the followers of this teaching, who traveled throughout the vast country, spreading their knowledge and teaching the people martial arts and calligraphy. At the same time, they lived among ordinary people, also engaged in agriculture, like the rest of the people. Thus, the teaching spread from person to person, in strict adherence to the four main principles of Chan Buddhism:

• Do not rely on written sources or religious texts.
• To convey knowledge without words, as the Buddha conveyed it to Mahakashyapa.
• It is in direct contact with the spiritual component of a person.
• By contemplating one's primordial nature, attain the state of the Buddha.

The Chan school made a significant contribution to art, not only to the religious and philosophical life of the country. Calligraphy was created and brought to the state of high art by Chan monks - image Chinese characters. The most perfect examples of calligraphy were created in a state of deep meditation.

Some proponents of the doctrine took the four basic postulates too literally and destroyed documentary evidence, believing that they contradicted the most basic idea of ​​the transmission of knowledge and enlightenment without religious treatises or any records in any material form. At the same time, too active, straightforward “search for the Buddha within oneself” was also considered wrong. It was believed that a person is already a Buddha, only he does not know this and has not comprehended this. But it is impossible to do this by volitional effort, the realization of this must come by itself, almost on unconscious level like illumination or enlightenment.

Influence of Buddhism on the religion of Vietnam

In Vietnam, Zen Buddhism emerged as a result of Vinitaruchi's missionary work. This man was born in the south of India, but traveled to China, where he became a student of Seng Can, the third patriarch of Chinese Chan Buddhism. He moved around the country and came with missionary work to the territory of present-day Vietnam, where he became the founder of the Thien school, which is a local version of the Buddhist tradition, rethought in China and adopting many local traditions and religious and philosophical trends.

As in most states of Southeast Asia, in Vietnam, by the beginning of the last century, this direction was gradually fading away and losing its former influence and popularity. However, already in the 30s, a trend arose among the people for the revival ancient traditions Vietnamese Thien, thanks to which numerous pagodas and monasteries began to be built around the country. In this country, traditions are highly respected and revered by the people, and now the state has begun to support them as a symbol of the succession of modern Vietnam to the achievements of the great kingdoms of the past.

Son Buddhism in Korea

Zen Buddhism also entered Korea from outside, having been brought there by the master Pomnang. He was a student of Daoxin, who was the fourth patriarch in the Chan tradition. A feature of Korean Zen, which was called sleep, was that, unlike previous countries (China and Vietnam), here it developed and spread for quite a long time from the 7th to the middle of the 9th century.

During this period, 9 schools professing Zen appeared in Korea at once. In the period from the beginning of the 10th to the end of the 14th century, between the school of sleep and others, more formalized and divorced from real life there are serious controversies and tensions in schools, which is why sleep has become more popular and widespread. However, in the subsequent long period until the beginning of the 20th century, the son gradually lost its leading positions due to the penetration of neo-Confucianism into the country and its conquest of the dominant positions in the country. The situation was also aggravated due to the fact that neo-Confucianism was supported by the official authorities and the ruling elite of the country. Buddhism is being persecuted, the number of monasteries is gradually decreasing, as a result of which there are at first two, and then only one Buddhist school in the country - a dream. Monks are not allowed into the cities, which makes spreading the teachings difficult.

After the country split into North and South, Buddhism survived only on the territory of South Korea, being completely destroyed by the communist ideology of the DPRK.

After the end of the Korean War, this trend began to revive in South Korea, thanks to which several large monasteries operate in the country at once and there are two large Buddhist schools. In addition, there is an international school of Korean Zen, which has many branches around the world, including the United States and the Russian Federation. At the moment, it is the Korean direction that is considered the purest and most consistent with the original positions of Zen.

Japanese Zen

Unlike the two previous states, Zen Buddhism was not brought to Japan by a foreign missionary preacher. A Japanese monk named Dosho went to China in the middle of the 7th century AD to get acquainted with the basics and study Yogachara, one of the two main philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism.

In China, he began to study with the Zen master Xuan Jiang. Thanks to him, Dosho was completely imbued with the spirit of this school and, returning to Japan, created his own school, which inherited the yogachar traditions and professed Zen Buddhism. Gradually, several schools were formed around the country, based on the Chinese Chan and strongly influenced by local traditions.

Gradually, other teachers came from China to Japan, bringing with them the traditions of Chan, which contributed to the formation of philosophy in the country and the development of a number of traditions that have survived to this day. As in other states, Buddhism in Japan has repeatedly experienced ups and downs, in recent centuries being strongly influenced by other religions and philosophies, in particular, Christianity and the traditional Japanese religion - Shinto.

Since the Japanese state and society have always been highly formalized and professed strict observance of all rules and laws, this presented certain difficulties for Buddhism. For a long time, the state kept a strict record of all existing monasteries and even monks, and their movements and activities were also under control. This prevented the free development of the flow, while maintaining the stability and firmness of Zen. However, outwardly it prospered, as the state built new temples, one more beautiful and richer than the other - this was evidence of the wealth and prosperity of the country.

In later years in Japan, as in many other countries, attempts were also repeatedly made to return to the original, "pure" form of Buddhism, as well as progressive methods of combining tradition with modernity. Be that as it may, there are now more than six million Zen Buddhists in Japan, which indicates that he has many supporters in this country and a good prospect for the future.

Zen and Modernity

Naturally, such a voluminous, powerful and comprehensive religious and philosophical trend as Zen Buddhism could not but interest the progressive minds in the West. However, acquaintance with it was complicated by the closeness and inaccessibility of many eastern states, in particular Japan, which opened up to the Western world only in the 10th century. This was not facilitated by the hostility and suspicion with which European travelers, military men, merchants and explorers were initially treated. They were perceived as something foreign, invading the well-established inner world of the state and religion. Gradually, very slowly and in stages, Zen began to spread beyond Japan, Korea and China. An important role in this, oddly enough, was played by Christian missionaries.

In the history of the penetration of Christianity into the East, there are many dark spots and unpleasant stories, when representatives of opposing religions arguing among themselves descended to direct clashes between believers and even to arson of churches and Buddhist temples and monasteries. But at the same time, there were deeply respectful and even friendly relations between some significant figures in local Christianity and Buddhism. The most intelligent and far-sighted of Christian preachers found much in common between their religion and local beliefs, even admired some manifestations of Zen. It was they who were the first to bring to Europe and America the news of the existence of such an interesting religious and philosophical trend.

At the beginning of the 20th century, in some states, especially in the USA, books and scientific works on this subject appeared, as well as people who were seriously carried away by oriental practices. But the main surge of interest occurred in the 60s, when, against the backdrop of the sexual revolution, a spiritual revolution occurred, and young people began to get carried away with the religion and philosophy of Eastern countries en masse.
Due to the complexity of combining the traditional way of the Buddhist monastery and modern look life there were significant changes in the style of Zen. Monasteries ceased to exist exclusively as closed communities, women began to be allowed in them, family life and work outside the monastery. Women were even able to become nuns and study deeply the basics of Zen. Gradually, this direction is transformed into a more secular, abstract form. Many consider this interpretation a perversion of the nature of the doctrine and do not want to recognize its right to exist. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to combine meditation and abstract reflections with the practical and very mundane realities of ordinary life and sexual life, the birth of children and the "extraction" of money, means of subsistence. Now, along with a simplified version, there are also traditional forms of Zen Buddhism, recognized by Americans as square, that is, they prefer to follow clear historical guidelines.

Of great interest is the symbiosis of Christianity and Zen, and in this area there are Christian theologians and Buddhist teachers who both welcome such trends and speak sharply negatively about them. In a word, there is a great future for Zen in the West, somewhat pressed by the relatively recently penetrating and very popular Tibetan Buddhism, but it is quite possible that it can give us a unique symbiosis of several religious trends and currents. Who knows if it will not become the basis of a new, universal world religion?