Zen Buddhism from a Western Perspective

Zen Buddhism from a Western Perspective

University of Phoenix

World Religious Traditions

Zen Buddhism from a Western Perspective

Introduction

The student's thesis for this paper is elements of Zen Buddhism can benefit a person of any faith or of no faith.Religion plays a role in today's world both spiritually and in society. A full spectrum of wars being waged to peace agreements being reached can be traced to religious roots. Some fanatical religion zealots want to kill all people who not think as they do. Others will allow themselves to be martyrs for their religion, not raising a hand in self-defense. This student prefers more peaceful paths to dispute resolution than war but will go war if that is the point to which the dispute arises. This student's understanding is some of the religions, or way of life, that are less inclined to war and prefer a peaceful resolution are Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto. The student states, "religion, 'or way of life'" because after researching for this paper, he has come to find out some of these names (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) are more a way of life, than a religion in the usual sense of the word. A faction of Buddhism is Zen Buddhism or just Zen. The students purpose of this paper is to convey how elements of Zen Buddhism can benefit a person of any faith or of no faith.

What is Zen?

McDowell & Stewart write, "Zen is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that has become widely known in the West" (p. 317, 1983). In What is Zen? a book by Alan Watts, Mark Watts writes, "Zen is a method of rediscovering the experience of being alive, It originated in India and China, and has come west by way of Japan, and although it is a form of Mahayana Buddhism, it is not a religion in the usual sense of the word. The aim of Zen is to bring about a transformation of consciousness, and to awaken us from the dream world of our endless thoughts so that we experience life as it is in the present moment" (p. xi, 2000).

Dialogues

The student found consistency in his research of books that span forty years, to current day internet, to personal interview of a Zen Reverend. Zen is not taught; rather it is transmitted through the Zen term zazen that means contemplation or meditation and through sanzen that is dialogues between student and teacher. The idea of the dialogues is for the teacher, sometimes called the Zen Master, to point the direction for the student when the student has reach an obstacle to his or her understanding and not give the student the answer (Watts, 2000). In this way, the student may gain additional benefit from the session, dialogue. If the Zen Master gives the student the answer, the student has the answer for that particular obstacle. If the Zen Master points the direction and the student can find his or her way, then the next time the student has a similar obstacle, he or she may be able to work through the obstacle without having to consult a Zen Master. The simple way the student thinks of this concept is the old adage, give a man a fish he eats for a meal, teach a man to fish, he eats for life. Alan Watts says, "Zen is extraordinarily simple as long as one doesn't try to be cute about it or beat around the bush! Zen is simply the sensation and the clear understanding that, to put it in Zen terms, there are 'ten thousand formations; one suchness.' Or you might say, 'The ten thousand things that are everything are of one suchness.' That is to say that there is behind the multiplicity of events and creatures in this universe simply one energy - and it appears as you, and everything is it. The practice of Zen is to understand that one energy so as to 'feel it in your bones.'" (p. 21, 2000)

Visit to a Zen Center

The student went to the Zen Center of Orange County, in Costa Mesa, California on October 24, 2004. The Zen Center was not what the student expected. It is a very nondescript building on 18th street. If there were no marking on the outside, one would not know this was a building of Zen Buddhism. It is nothing like a Buddhist temple. There is no religious symbol such as a steeple, cross, Jewish Star, etc.. There are no stained glass windows. The building looked like a large house. Inside the furnishings were very modest, nothing ornate. There were no idols. The student noticed a shoe rack outside of the door with may pairs of shoes on it. He asked if he should remove his shoes but was told no.

Interview with a Zen Reverend

Zen Reverend Carol Aguilar has validated the statement in a preceding paragraph about Zen not being a religion in the usual sense of the word. This student met with Reverend Aguilar on October 24, 2004 at the Zen Center of Orange County and conducted an interview. While her title is reverend, a term usually associated with religion, she indicated that Zen has no god or gods. Zen has no doctrine, no mantra, no set prayers. The act of practicing Zen is not called worshiping in part because, as mentioned earlier, there is no deity in Zen. Zen is based largely on self-awareness, contemplation, and meditation. Other terms and differences to know about Zen are people who practice Zen are called practitioners. They are not members as in a member of a church, religion, cult, and or following. Practitioners meet mostly in Zen Centers.

A Zen Center is probably the closest likeness to a church or temple of a conventional religion. The Zen center is where a practitioner goes multiple times a week to contemplate, meditate, serve, and seek direction. Samu, which translates to work practice, is a primary concept of Zen. The samu is, "to fulfill one's obligations" (Aguilar, 2004). While at the Zen center the student observed samu in practice. Reverend Aguilar said when someone comes in asking to know more about Zen, they are handed a paintbrush. The student understands she was speaking metaphorically but he understood her point. There was a whiteboard with many tasks that needed to be performed. The whiteboard was in the entry area and the practitioners of the center were checking the board regularly to see what needed to be done next. There was furniture being moved, blinds being cleaned, and other routine and not so routine tasks being performed. The center is also where certain Zen practices beyond contemplation, meditation, samu, and seeking