Buddhism in Japan: Zen Koans

1
Buddhism in Japan Zen Koans

• Berger
• Intro to Asian Religions

2
The Japanese Reception of Buddhism and Zen

• Buddhism introduced from Korean court in 552
• Empress Suiko sends envoys to China in 607
• Scholastic Buddhism of Nara Period (710-784)
• Kamakura Period (1185-1333) schools of Zen
• Soto (Sitting Meditation) brought by Dogen in
  1227
• Rinzai (Lin-chi) brought by Eisai in 1191
• Zen a self-styled response to Buddhist corruption

3
The Koan (??) in Rinzai Zen

• Collections of precedents, pivotal dialogues or
  one-liners from great Zen teachers
• Rinzais (d. 866) method of dharma combat, a
  confrontational example of encounter dialogue
• Koans and commentaries collected and studied by
  Zen masters and given to students as tests and
  meditational guides
• Not unansweable questions or riddles, but
  cues for responses that reveal level of
  enlightenment

4
The 1st Koan on Buddha Nature from Mumankan (???)
of 1228

• Joshus answer to the question ? mu no- 361)
• The need to reject the precedent (362(
• A rejection of dualistic thinking (363)
• The living negation of oneself and reality and
  yet the grasping of it (Hakuins initiation)
  (364)
• Differing interpretations ending in negation
  (365)
• The fundamental contradiction of human existence,
  having and not having Buddha-nature (365-66)

5
A Visual Koan Hakuin

• From Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768)
• Can you guess the title and meaning of this
  painting?

6
for Next Class

• Prepare Questions for Exam Review