Introduction to Zen

1
Introduction to Zen

• Dr. Bill Davidson
• Kyoto
• September 2007

2
Foundations of Japanese Culture

• Buddhism
• Zen Buddhism
• Confucian Thought
• Zen Confucianism Bushido

3
Schools of Zen Buddhism
4
Some Zen Basics

• The word Zen means meditation, from Chan
  (Chinese) and Dhyana (India)
• Zen is a special transmission outside the Sutras
  (the body of sacred Buddhist writings), not
  written and not spoken.
• Zen is beyond word and thought, name and form.

5

• Western ViewCoqito, Ergo SumZen ViewI Am
  Not, Therefore I Am(Diamond Sutra)

6
Prime Source of Human Suffering

• Ignorance
• Misidentification with Ego
• No I can see Enlightenment

7
Two Parties in Each Person

• The Ego
• The Self
• Zen seeks to quiet the ego and become centered
  in the Self

8
The Path to Enlightenment

• The Goal is.. Nothing
• To Achieve Everything, you must first achieve
  Nothing

9
Zen Practice

• Cessation of Thought
• Cessation of Sensory Processing
• Cessation of Ego
• What is Left?
• Take That Away, What is Left?
• Perfection by Subtraction

10
Zen Quotes

• Who can escape the traps and snares of the world
  and come and meditate with me in the clouds at
  the top of the mountain Han Shan
• To the untrained eye, the difference between
  ego-climbing and selfless climbing is not
  apparent Robert Perssig from Zen and the Art
  of Motorcycle Maintenance

11
Koan Meditation

• What is the Difference Between an Eagle and a
  Snake?

12
The Wheel of Zen
Everything is created by mind alone
Everything is true and complete
13
Zen in the World

• What Time is it?
• Where are You?
• Non-Volitional Action
• An Enlightened Being creates no Karma
• Karma Yogi

14
Zen Mastery

• You are becoming a Zen master when
• You can stop thinking without falling asleep.
• You achieve Self-consciousness
• Now becomes eternity
• You create no karma
• You can do something with total concentration and
  complete non-attachment
• You are centered in a higher level of
  consciousness
• You make good soup

15
Your Koan

• How is it that the Master does nothing and
  leaves nothing undone?