Zen Origins

 Tao is a word that loosely translated means the way.  Around 528 A.D. Bodhidharma said that Zen is much like Tao in that it really is difficult to explain if it can be explained at all.

 Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who introduced Zen in China and he began training monks of the Shaolin Temple. He lived in the early fifth century and is considered the father of Zen Buddhism. The history of Bodhidharma is infused with legend and it is somewhat sketchy. Indian history claims he is the third son of a Tamil Pallava King from Kanchipuram, however, the Japanese believe he came from Persia.

 There are a few historical accounts that over the centuries have become legend and are very popular in the Zen teachings to this day. According to the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall, Bodhidharma has been identified as the twenty-eighth Patriarch of Buddhism in an unbroken linage that goes all the way back to the Buddha himself.

 I like what he said in that Zen really depends on your own personal intuition and your own personal view. He goes on to say that, “not dependent on the written word, transmission apart from the scriptures, directly point at one’s heart, seeing one’s nature, becoming Buddha.”

  So if you take into serious consideration the quote from this great teacher and master, you will start to realize that Zen is really an attitude and a philosophy on how you can live your life, and I very much like this point of view. One of the biggest reasons why I like this view point is because it allows you, me, and everyone else to achieve a calm, nonjudgmental, and peaceful life in relationship with a higher being.

Zen is about creating more awareness of everything around you including yourself and others. Zen is also about living in the moment. Sometimes living in the moment is not an easy thing to do, but the more effort you put into it, the easier it will become.

 There is a paradox that is very much a part of Zen. Actually that’s a good thing because sometimes a paradox can be so profound that your mind will begin to consider more than what goes on in your daily life. In some ways it picks up where the rational mind leaves off and increases your ability to become more intuitive. When your intuition takes over you may find truths that you had not discovered before because they had no place in logic or rationality.

 When you are aware of yourself and mindful regarding the way of Zen you begin to realize that the rudimentary beginning of Zen is very simple; focus on being in the here and now, enjoy each moment of your life as much as you can, and meditate on this action often.

Of course there are additional philosophies you may wish to incorporate into your daily Zen practice such as caring, forgiveness, and gratitude and those choices are purely up to you, however, I would encourage you to include all three and any others you feel necessary to help you along the path to a Zen life.

 Zen Master Professor Masunaga Reiho explains in his book, “Zen for Daily Living,” that defining Zen is a difficult thing to do. To create a definition of Zen is to limit it in some way and when you try to turn it into a concept that can be explained, you basically create an abstract from all that Zen is and end up with a small part of the big picture, and not a true representation of what Zen really is.

 Master Reiho goes on to say that “Zen is rooted in the deepest life flow. It is not bound by words, laws, sutras, and doctrine. It does not depend on the teachings of the Buddhist scriptures as it focuses and permeates to the very inherent nature of man, and this is called becoming the Buddha.”

 Master Reiho says “from the very beginning Zen emphasizes human dignity. The important aspect is the experience of Zen.”

 A student asked the master, “what is Zen?” and the master replied, “Zen is Zen.”

 Zen has very close ties and is deeply rooted in the martial arts and other Asian sports. I was privileged to live in Japan for a couple of years during my mid twenties. It was here I began my training in the martial arts and I found many influences of Zen in Judo, Karate, and Kendo. I studied and practiced Shotokan Karate, an orthodox Japanese style that originated in Okinawa. The development of Karate in Japan is called Shorinji Kempo and Bodhidharma is considered to be the creator. A close parallel to formal Zen training is a formal program of study in all styles of martial arts; there is always a master and a student.