Don't Be A Saint - Alan Watts

Summary

The video script explores the philosophical underpinnings of Buddhism and its evolution into Zen, highlighting the concept of 'awakening' from the illusion of separateness. It discusses the stripping of cultural context to export essential elements, the method of 'letting go' as central to Buddhist practice, and the transformation of Zen in China and its subsequent influence on Japanese culture. The script delves into the teachings and practices of Zen, including meditation, the use of paradoxical questions (koans), and the master-student relationship, emphasizing the pursuit of genuine self-realization beyond intellectual understanding.

Takeaways

• 😀 Buddhism is often described as a form of Hinduism that has been adapted for export, focusing on essential elements that can transcend Indian culture.
• 🧘 The term 'Buddha' comes from the Sanskrit root 'Budd' meaning 'to be awake', signifying an individual who has awakened from the illusion of separateness.
• 🌌 Buddhism emphasizes the concept of 'non-attachment', which is about letting go of clinging to beliefs, ideas, and concepts, rather than suppressing desires.
• 🔮 The state of ignorance in Buddhism is referred to as 'avidya', which is a state of being entranced or spellbound, focusing only on what is immediately in front of us.
• 🤔 The method of Buddhism, or 'Dharma', aims to strip away everything to which one clings, promoting a complete letting go, rather than offering doctrines to believe in.
• 💭 Zen, a school of Buddhism, is particularly focused on direct experience and personal realization, often using paradoxical questions (koans) to provoke enlightenment.
• 🏮 Zen training involves a dialogue between a student and a teacher, where the teacher often uses tricks and challenges to guide the student toward self-realization.
• 📚 The introduction of Buddhism to China around 400 AD and its subsequent integration with Chinese philosophy, especially Daoism, led to the development of a unique form of Buddhism with a strong emphasis on humor and practical living.
• 🎭 The concept of 'total presence of mind' is central to Zen, where one is completely in the moment, not distracted by past or future thoughts.
• 🤝 The relationship between Zen masters and students is dynamic, starting with a strict and authoritative approach, evolving into a supportive friendship, and ultimately leading the student to realize their own wisdom.
• 🌏 Zen has migrated and transformed across cultures, from India to China and then to Japan, and is currently experiencing a resurgence in the West.

Q & A

What is the relationship between Hinduism and Buddhism as described in the script?

The script describes Buddhism as a form of Hinduism that has been 'stripped for export'. Hinduism is a comprehensive way of life that encompasses various aspects of culture and daily activities, and cannot be exported as it is deeply rooted in Indian soil and culture. Buddhism, on the other hand, is one of the ways to transmit the essential elements of this philosophy outside of India.

What does the term 'Buddha' mean in the context of the script?

In the script, the term 'Buddha' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Budd', which means 'to be awake'. Therefore, Buddha refers to 'the awakened man', or someone who has woken up from a state of ignorance or illusion.

What is the concept of 'avidya' in the script's explanation of Buddhism?

Avidya, in the script, is a Sanskrit term for ignorance, which is the opposite of 'vidya' or knowledge. It represents a state of being entranced, spellbound, or fascinated, akin to being hypnotized. It is the state from which Buddha awakens.

What is the concept of Sakaya drishti in Buddhism as mentioned in the script?

Sakaya drishti is referred to in the script as the 'view of separateness' in Buddhism. It is the illusion of being separate individuals that a Buddha overcomes upon awakening.

How does the script describe the approach of Buddhism towards beliefs and doctrines?

The script explains that Buddhism has no doctrines that one must believe in. It is about letting go of all beliefs, ideas, and concepts about life, leading to a complete release or letting go.

What is the significance of the story of Hui Neng (referred to as AA qu in the script) in Zen Buddhism?

The story of Hui Neng, who cut off his arm to show dedication to learning from Bodhidharma, illustrates the extreme commitment and determination required in Zen practice to seek enlightenment.

What does the script suggest about the role of suffering in Buddhism?

The script suggests that even suffering offers no security in Buddhism. It is an illusion to cling to suffering as a means of validation or righteousness, and true awakening involves letting go of all attachments, including the attachment to suffering.

How does the script describe the impact of modern science on Western culture in relation to traditional religious beliefs?

The script suggests that the impact of modern science has been similar to the Buddhist concept of letting go. It has challenged traditional religious beliefs that provided a firm foundation, forcing people to navigate without something to hold onto, much like learning to swim in a vast ocean.

What is the concept of 'non-attachment' in the script's explanation of Buddhism?

Non-attachment, as explained in the script, does not mean losing one's appetite for life. Instead, it means stopping the act of 'grabbing' or clinging to things, and learning to be in a state of 'total presence of mind'.

What is the significance of the 'old rogue' or 'joker' archetype in the script's discussion of Zen?

The 'old rogue' or 'joker' archetype in the script represents the ideal Zen practitioner who is free, nonviolent, and not bound by societal norms or self-righteousness. This figure embodies the humor, humility, and the understanding of the irreducible rascality in human nature that is essential in Zen.

How does the script describe the method of Zen training?

The script describes Zen training as a dialogue between a student and a teacher, involving intense meditation, the practice of zazen, and the grappling with paradoxical questions known as koans. The method aims to break through the student's illusions and attachments to reach a state of awakening.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Buddhism and Hinduism: The Concept of Awakening

The paragraph discusses the relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism, highlighting that Buddhism is essentially Hinduism stripped of cultural elements, making it exportable. It emphasizes Hinduism as a comprehensive way of life that cannot be separated from Indian culture. The term 'Buddha' is derived from 'Buddh', meaning 'awake', and the Buddha is described as an awakened individual who has overcome the illusion of separateness, or Sakaya drishti, in Buddhism. The concept of 'avidya', or ignorance, is introduced as a state of hypnosis that the Buddha has awakened from. The paragraph also touches on the transformative nature of Buddhism, where interactions with a Buddha can lead to the awakening of others.

05:05

🕊️ The Essence of Buddhism: Letting Go and Non-attachment

This paragraph delves into the core principles of Buddhism, focusing on the concept of letting go and non-attachment. It contrasts the idea of using religion as a crutch with the Buddhist approach of faith through letting go. The method of Buddhism, or Dharma, is described as a process of stripping away beliefs and concepts to achieve a state of complete release. The paragraph also discusses the transformative experience of engaging with a Buddha, like Krishnamtya, who challenges and destroys one's fixed beliefs. The ultimate goal is to induce a state of vertigo, where individuals realize the impermanence and fluidity of life, leading to a fearless acceptance of reality.

10:07

📚 Buddhism's Introduction to China and Cultural Synthesis

The paragraph discusses the introduction of Buddhism to China and its subsequent cultural integration. It mentions the arrival of Buddhism in China around 60 AD and its significant impact from the year 400 onwards with the help of Kumarajiva, a Sanskrit scholar who taught Chinese scholars Sanskrit and worked on translating Buddhist scriptures. The translation process led to a blending of Indian and Chinese philosophies, with Chinese interpretations influencing the understanding of Buddhism. The paragraph also highlights the cultural differences, such as the Chinese emphasis on humor and the family, which contrasted with the more serious and celibacy-focused aspects of Indian Buddhism.

15:17

🏔️ Chinese Zen: The Integration of Worldly Life and Spiritual Awakening

This paragraph explores the development of Zen in China, emphasizing its unique blend of Indian Buddhism and Chinese philosophy. It describes the Chinese desire to live a life of awakening while remaining active in the world, encapsulated by the phrase 'being a king on the outside and a sage on the inside'. The paragraph introduces key figures in Zen's development, such as Bodhi Dharma and Huineng, and the concept of Satori, or sudden enlightenment. The story of Huineng's quest for peace of mind and the teaching that true peace comes from realizing one's inherent nature is highlighted as a pivotal moment in Zen understanding.

20:19

🎭 The Nature of Zen: Total Presence and Non-attachment

The paragraph examines the nature of Zen, describing it as a state of total presence and non-attachment. It discusses the concept of 'moo' or emptiness and the practice of Zen as a way of life that involves being fully present and authentic. The paragraph also touches on the Zen approach to questions and challenges, which involves responding to philosophical inquiries with practical answers and vice versa. The story of the Zen monks in Kyoto and their interactions with the local nobility illustrates the Zen principle of resilience and the ability to remain unfazed by external circumstances.

25:25

🤡 The Paradoxical Role of the Zen Master

This paragraph delves into the paradoxical role of the Zen master, who uses a combination of authoritarian and compassionate methods to guide students. It discusses the Zen master's approach to teaching, which involves presenting themselves as having nothing to teach, and the use of 'koans', or seemingly nonsensical questions, to provoke genuine responses from students. The paragraph also highlights the Zen master's ability to adapt their teaching style to suit the needs of the student, ultimately aiming to help the student realize their true nature and the inherent happiness within.

30:33

🎯 The Zen Training Process: Striving for Authentic Realization

The paragraph outlines the Zen training process, emphasizing the struggle and dedication required to achieve realization. It describes the intense meditation practice known as 'ession' and the use of koans to challenge students. The story of an American Zen student who, through desperation and intense practice, experiences a moment of illumination, or 'satori', illustrates the transformative potential of Zen training. The paragraph also discusses the ongoing nature of Zen practice, where even after initial realization, students must continue to discipline and challenge themselves.

35:41

🤔 The Zen Master's Compassionate Deception

This paragraph explores the Zen master's method of teaching through deception, using tricks and challenges to guide students towards self-realization. It discusses the master's role in creating a sense of urgency and the use of various koans to provoke different perspectives and insights. The paragraph also highlights the master's ability to adapt their approach based on the student's progress, ultimately aiming to help the student see through the illusion of seeking something external and recognize their inherent completeness.

40:44

🕹️ The Dynamics of the Zen Master-Student Relationship

The paragraph examines the dynamics of the relationship between the Zen master and student, describing how the master initially appears tough and authoritarian but later becomes more like an older brother, offering friendship and compassion. It discusses the master's occasional return to authoritarian behavior as a teaching tool and the overall nature of the Zen game. The paragraph also reflects on the Zen master's motivations, which stem from compassion and the desire to help students discover their inherent happiness and wisdom.

Keywords

💡Buddhism

Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that originated in India and emphasizes the path of spiritual development, the cultivation of mindfulness and compassion, and the attainment of insight into the nature of existence. In the video, Buddhism is described as a way of transmitting essential elements of Hinduism outside of India's culture, focusing on awakening or enlightenment, which is central to the theme of the video.

💡Hinduism

Hinduism is a major world religion that originated in the Indian subcontinent and is characterized by a wide array of beliefs, practices, and traditions. The script describes Hinduism as a way of life that encompasses all aspects of living, from family to cooking to house building, and contrasts it with Buddhism, which is presented as a more exportable subset of these teachings.

💡Awakening

Awakening in the context of the video refers to the process of becoming 'awake' or enlightened, as symbolized by the term 'Buddha,' which means 'the awakened one.' The concept is central to Buddhism and is tied to the idea of overcoming ignorance and the illusion of separateness, which is a key theme in the speaker's explanation.

💡Avidya

Avidya is a Sanskrit term that means 'ignorance' and is used in the script to describe a state of being entranced or spellbound, oblivious to the true nature of reality. It is contrasted with 'vidya,' which means knowledge or seeing, and is integral to the discussion of the hypnotic state from which Buddhism seeks to awaken individuals.

💡Sakaya Drishti

Sakaya drishti is a Buddhist term that refers to the view of separateness or the illusion that one is a separate individual. The video discusses how a Buddha is someone who has overcome this illusion, which is a critical concept in understanding the nature of enlightenment in Buddhist philosophy.

💡Kundalini

Kundalini is a concept from Hindu yoga tradition referring to a form of primal energy or spiritual force said to reside at the base of the spine. In the script, it is mentioned as an example of the Indian perspective on sexual energy and spiritual practice, contrasting with the more open Chinese approach to sexuality in the context of Buddhism.

💡Zen

Zen is a school of Buddhism that originated in China and later developed in Japan. It emphasizes meditation and intuitive understanding, and is characterized by its focus on direct personal experience of reality. The script discusses Zen as a blend of Indian Buddhism and Chinese philosophy, highlighting its unique approach to enlightenment and its impact on Chinese and Japanese culture.

💡Non-attachment

Non-attachment in the context of the video refers to the Buddhist practice of letting go of desires and aversions, which are seen as causes of suffering. It is a key principle in Buddhism and is discussed in the script as a way of life that involves not clinging to anything, even concepts of self and security.

💡Satori

Satori is a Japanese term for sudden enlightenment or awakening, which is a pivotal experience in Zen Buddhism. The script mentions satori as the 'AHA' phenomenon, illustrating the moment of realization that comes from Zen practice, where one sees through the illusions of separateness and ignorance.

💡Koan

A koan is a story, dialogue, question, or statement in Zen Buddhism used in teaching to provoke doubt and test a student's progress. The script describes koans as 'impossible questions' designed to elicit a genuine response from the student, which is central to the process of Zen training and understanding the nature of reality.

Highlights

Buddhism is described as a way of life that extends beyond religion, similar to Hinduism, and cannot be exported as it is deeply rooted in culture.

The concept of 'Buddha' implies an awakened or enlightened individual who has overcome the illusion of separateness.

The state of ignorance (avidya) is likened to a hypnotic state where one is oblivious to the broader reality.

Buddhism emphasizes non-attachment and letting go, rather than clinging to beliefs or concepts.

The method of Buddhism, or Dharma, aims to strip away all beliefs and ideas to achieve a state of complete letting go.

Buddhism does not offer doctrines to believe in but instead focuses on the method of personal awakening.

The concept of Sakaya drishti, the view of separateness, is a key illusion that a Buddha overcomes.

Krishna Mty, a modern Buddha figure, challenges people's fixed beliefs and religious ideas.

Religion should not be used as a crutch but as a means to let go and have faith in the impermanence of life.

The art of Buddhism involves learning to swim in the ever-changing universe, symbolized by the need to relax and not cling.

Buddhism teaches that suffering offers no security and that one must accept the impermanent and ever-changing nature of life.

Buddhism's introduction to China was initially unimpressive, but later it integrated with Chinese philosophy, particularly Daoism.

Chinese Buddhism differs from Indian Buddhism in its approach to humor, celibacy, and the role of the family.

Zen, a unique blend of Indian Buddhism and Chinese thought, emphasizes practical living while being spiritually awake.

The story of Bodhi Dharma and his disciple Huike illustrates the intense dedication and the quest for enlightenment in Zen.

Zen training involves a special relationship between the teacher and student, with the teacher guiding the student to see their inherent nature.

Zen uses methods like meditation (zazen) and koans to challenge the student's understanding and lead them to a state of realization.

The Zen master's role is to guide the student until they no longer need a teacher, signifying their self-realization and independence.

Zen's influence on Chinese and Japanese culture, including poetry, painting, and scholarship, is profound and enduring.

Transcripts

it has been well said that Buddhism is Hinduism  stripped for export you see Hinduism is a way of  

life that goes far far beyond what we in the west  call religion it involves cookery everyday Family  

Life house building uh just everything it's  the whole Hindu way of life and so you can't  

export it just as you can't export Shinto from  Japan it belongs to the soil and the culture but  

there are essential elements in it that can  be transmitted outside the culture of India  

and Buddhism was one of the ways of doing just  that so one might say simply this to try and  

sum up what Buddhism is about the word Buddha  is derived from the root Budd in Sanskrit bu  

U DH which means to be awake so the Buddha is the  the awakened man the man who woke up what does he  

wake up from obviously a dream and what kind of  a dream is this well I would call it uh a state  

of hypnosis and this state of hypnosis although  I'm using hypnosis in a rather archaic sense of  

the word is a state of being entranced Spellbound  fascinated and this is called in Sanskrit avidya a  

v i d y a Vidya is knowledge in Sanskrit and it  is the root from which we get viere in Latin to  

see and so Vision in English so putting the  a in front of it means non aidia not seeing  

ignorance ignorance where uh you see but you  ignore everything that you're not looking at  

when you put the beak of a chicken on a white  chalk line and the chicken is fascinated with  

that and can't get away from the chalk line  that's Avidia so in the same way our beaks  

were put on a chalk line when we were hypnotized  into the notion of attending to Life by conscious  

attention Alone by the spotlight to the exclusion  of the floodlight and so we began to imagine that  

we were separate individuals what is called in  Buddhism Sakaya drishti the view of separateness  

and a Buddha is one who has overcome that he  is awakened from that illusion from that state  

of hypnosis and he knows that uh well I can't  put what he knows in any positive terms this is  

the special thing about Buddhism everything in  Buddhism sounds negative let's put it this way  

let's suppose uh you engage yourself in a in a uh  relationship with the Buddha or with one I mean  

there are hundreds of Buddhas one we call Goa is  just the historical Buddha that everybody knows  

about but one Buddha leads to another because  as a result of his relationships with people  

he turns them into Buddhas too awakened people  now you meet one of these people and he's going  

to give you a rough time but one one of the the  Buddhas running around these days is Krishna mty  

and Krishna MTI uh absolutely destroys everybody's  religion he okay why do you believe this why are  

you hanging on to that why do you want to insist  that this idea is so see and he shows you that all  

your fixed formulations all the ideas to which you  cling are spurious and then you suddenly get into  

a kind of vertigo dizziness that you feel suddenly  that you're no longer standing on the firm ground  

but that the Universe has suddenly turned into  water or Worse air or Worse still empty space  

there's nothing to hold on to now you see often  when one discusses religion with people they say  

well I I need a religion because I need something  to hold on to well that's the way not to use a  

religion because if you use religion as something  to hold on to your religion is an expression of  

unfaith faith is where you let go not where you  hold on when the cat falls off the tree the cat  

relaxes you see and so the cat lands with a soft  thud and doesn't get hurt because the cat has  

Faith but if the cat in midair were suddenly to  grab itself with all four feet and and tighten up  

you see it would be hurt and that's what people  do when they say Rock of Ages C for me let me  

hide myself in thee they want something to hold  on to you see and that is unfaith so the method  

of Buddhism it's called the Dharma doesn't mean  the law it means the method the method is to knock  

the stuffing out of you to take away everything  to which you cling to cleanse you completely of  

all beliefs all ideas all concepts of what life  is about so that you are completely let go so Budd  

M has no doctrines at all that you have to  believe in I don't care what background you  

come from whether you're a Roman Catholic or  at one extreme or a logical positivist at the  

other both are clinging to something you see and  so the method of Buddhism is to knock out the  

underpinnings and say well we just not only do we  not believe in anything we don't even believe in  

not believing in anything you know you crawl into  a hole and pull the hole in after you but in this  

case you do the exact opposite of that that's  a defensive move to crawl into a hole in this  

way you crawl into great space and then pull  the space out after [Laughter] you and uh to  

go through this is pretty pretty rough because  you can do it on what seems at first to be a  

merely intellect ual level so you can engage a  group of people in the discussion and you can  

start whenever they propose an idea that is their  sort of guiding principle of life you demolish it  

show that it doesn't hold water and step by  step you unearth by talking with them what  

are the fundamental ideas they're operating  on everybody is everybody is a philosopher  

everybody has metaphysics although they may  not know what it is cu they've never examined  

but by this method you bring it out and you  demolish it and this suddenly what seemed like  

a very nice intellectual discussion turns into  sheer murder uh people get really anxious they  

develop all the trembles and the symptoms of  extreme anxiety and so they finally say to the  

guru the teacher well heaven's sakes what do you  believe in he says I'm not proposing anything I  

didn't set anything up well how do you navigate  how do you how do you exist this is what's the

problem because you see uh what we're moving from  as as I suggested a moment ago we're moving from  

a state of affairs where we are accustomed to  navigation on land to a state of affairs where  

we're in the water and this is very critical  for today because the impact of modern science  

on Western culture has been very similar to this  in you say in Christianity we sing hymns like How  

firm a foundation and Rock of Ages in Festa B and  Mighty Fortress Is Our God uh we' have something  

to stand on the church's One Foundation is Jesus  Christ her Lord you know and it's this firm  

thing all right suddenly all that disappears or  becomes implausible and we find ourselves swimming  

or Sinking now when you find that you're living  in the midst of the universe of Relativity well  

there's nothing you could hold on to you got  to learn how to swim and to swim youve got to  

relax and stop stop grabbing so this is what  Buddhism does when it says it's the art of  

let go of non-attachment non-attachment doesn't  mean that you uh lose your appetite for dinner  

it means simply that you stop grabbing you get  rid of stickiness stickiness in the sense of for  

example when a wheel has a an axle that's too  tight and it sticks you want to loosen it up a  

bit you don't want it too loose you don't want it  floppy like a lot of people when you tell them to  

to relax they become like a limp rag it's not  relaxing relaxing is having still tone but um  

it's a certain it's a middle way so this is what  this is entirely what Buddhism is about it's  

about learning uh for example if I may put it in a  vivid way when you were born you were kicked off a

precipice and you're you there's nothing that  can stop you falling and although there are a  

lot of rocks falling with you with trees growing  on them and all sorts of things like that you can  

cling to one of those rocks if you like as it goes  down with you for safety but it's not safe nothing  

is safe everything is for fall apart everything  is in a state of change and uh there's no way of  

stopping it and when you are really resigned  to that and when you really accept that then  

there's nothing left to be afraid of and when  there's nothing left to be afraid of and you've  

given everything up and uh you know that uh even  you know a lot of people in religion cling to  

suffering because they know they are right as long  as they hurt oh I bless the good Lord for my boils  

for my mental and bodily pains for without them  my faith all congeals and I am doomed to Hell's  

n ending Flames uh you know there are a lot of  people who know that they're right so long as they  

suffer but that's an illusion too even suffering  offers no Security even suicide offers no security  

in Buddhism you see there is no security at all  you simply have to face this fact that everything  

is in flux and go go go go with it and so the  question then is simply how to convince people  

of this if anybody wants to be convinced you know  it's not the sort of thing you shove down people's  

throats you don't convert them to this because  if they don't want to be converted they won't let  

go so Buddhism therefore involves a very special  relationship between the questioner and the person  

to whom the question is addressed the pupil and  the teacher and now then Buddhism came to China  

as early as 60 AD but didn't at that time make a  very great impression it was not until about about  

the year 400 that a very great Sanskrit scholar by  the name of kumarajiva came and started teaching  

Chinese Scholars Sanskrit and they worked with  him to translate Sanskrit into Chinese and they  

translated the Buddhist scriptures they didn't  of course do them all at that time because the  

Buddhist scriptures occupy about as many as  much space as the encyclopedia britanica in  

fact a little more the Indians are great talkers  well anyway uh they found that when they translate  

this into Chinese you had to find equivalent  Chinese words for the Sanskrit ideas and they  

found these from the from the Dost philosophy well  slowly then Indian attitudes began to be modified  

by Chinese attitudes because the Chinese read into  these translations daoist meanings so things got  

a little altered now here came the alteration that  is crucial first of all in Indian Buddhism there's  

very little humor but Chinese uh life is full of  humor the greatest philosopher of China janga you  

know is the only philosopher who is in I think  in the whole world who is profoundly humorous  

there's a book in the um modern Library published  by Random House called the wisdom of laer and uh  

this is translated by linu tang and he includes  along with the translation of laa huge sections  

of tra and this is absolutely fascinating because  of the humor of it Indian Buddhism had very little  

humor some yes but very little next it was all  tied up with celibacy which to the Chinese was  

absolutely incomprehensible because Chinese  civilization is rigged around the family to  

a far greater extent than ours is which is saying  something and uh they could just couldn't see any  

point or any wisdom ins celibacy when Buddhism  came to China it still retained a certain element  

of celibacy but for different reasons than than  Hindu the Chinese way of celibacy is not that  

sex is naughty but it's terribly convenient not to  have a [Laughter] wife in other words the ideal of  

of the uninvolved life uh has a certain appeal  but they could never never get through into their  

heads the notion that uh sexual desire was bad  which plays has always played a fairly strong  

role in Hindu thinking not in the same way as  it has in the west they don't have a the Hindus  

don't have a guilt take on it but they think that  it it dissipates your spiritual energies and you  

see the in in yoga they envisage the idea that  at the base of the spine there is what is called  

the Kundalini the the the serpent power or the the  force of psychic energy and so long as it remains  

at the base of the spine this force is dissipated  in sexuality Now yoga is to suck this thing up  

the spine and get it into the head and so then you  withdraw from the manifestation of this energy or  

the dissipation of it in sexuality and uh it's  put on a higher level only uh which end is up

uh you can do it the other way too they  have What's called the right hand way of  

doing it and the left hand way of doing  it I'm not going to go into that now but  

the the Chinese didn't see it that way they  couldn't see that it was a dissipation of

energy

uh so what they wanted to aim at was a way of  living Buddhism and being awake but at the same  

time remaining active in the ordinary life of  the world it's what's called in their phraseology  

being King on the outside and a sage on the inside  

managing practical Affairs completely  involved in whatever life is but at the  

same time inwardly living on top of a  mountain being Cloud hidden whereabouts

unknown so Chinese Zen is the  preeminent expression of this  

because it is the mixture of Indian Buddhism  and Chinese ISM plus a certain confusion

practicality Zen developed out of the work  of kumarajiva came into China as I said four  

400 or a little before he had two disciples  who began to work on Buddhism from a daoist  

point of view and they were actually  The Originators of Zen then apparently  

about uh shortly before 500 as the dates now  check out another Indian came to China whose  

name was Bodhi Dharma and Bodhi Dharma was  the person who touched off Zen as a specific

movement bod Dharma had a pupil  by the name of um AA qu in Chinese  

AA is Japanese pronunciation like Zen is the  Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese Chan and  

uh the story is that when AKA came to Bod Dharma  bodh Dharma refused to accept him as a student all  

Zen Masters do this they reject you and this  stimulates you you see to come back stronger  

if I mean if you're going to learn at all and AAR  came back stronger and stronger and stronger and  

Bodhi Dharma resisted him stronger and stronger  and finally he cut off his left arm and presented  

it to bodh Dharma and said look here's my left  arm given to you as a token that nothing in the  

world matters to me except to find out what  you're all about all right he said what do  

you want to know AAR said I have no peace of  mind please please pacify my mind in Chinese  

mind is um this word pronounced shin and shin  is here Shin is the heart mind it's the psychic

Center and so bodh Dharma said bring out  your shin here before me and I will pacify  

it AA said when I look for it I can't  find it bodh Dharma said then it's B

ified and eka immediately understood what  all the thing was about that's the experience  

called Satori in Japanese wo in Chinese  Mandarin and in the Cantonese [Laughter]

dialect uh it's just what we call in our  modern psychological jargon the AHA phenomenon

uh the AHA phenomenon aha now I

see well now um what was all this this Zen  is uh a translation of the Sanskrit word

Jana and so this is being  pronounced in Chinese and Zen  

in Japanese is unfortunately untranslatable  in English it designates a certain State of

Consciousness that is sometimes called

meditation but that won't do it all contemplation  

isn't really the point Chinese have  a different word for contemplation

and uh sometimes one pointedness of

mind I would prefer to translate this word with  the notion of total presence of mind when we say  

a person is crazy we often say they're not  all there now go to the opposite of that and  

visualize a person who is completely there or who  is completely here person who lives totally and  

absolutely now that doesn't mean he's incapable  of thinking about the past or the future because  

thoughts about the past and about the future are  included in the present you have them now but  

imagine the kind of person who is not distracted  who when he talks to you it really gives you his  

whole being who doesn't as it were look over your  shoulder and wander after something else somebody  

who first of all he's completely here and he's so  much here that you can't phase him now this idea  

of phasing is crucial in Zen you see I referred a  moment ago to attachment that Buddhism is living  

free from attachments and I made the point  that this is not abandoned a sense of a good  

appetite for dinner but it's stopping sticking in  psychological jargon you don't block a mind of no  

hesitation it's sometimes called in Chinese  the phrase Mo Chu is used of going straight

ahead so supposing somebody walks up to you on  the street and says are you saved now most of  

us who are intelligent people feel embarrassed  by such a question you know what this wretched  

Salvation Army person or Jehovah's Witness  doing asking me whether I'm saved or not  

and we all a little bit you know what do  you do with a nut like that so but as in  

Zen this is a perfect moment to respond see  to the most embarrassing question are you  

saved but Zen comes back in a very funny way  uh in Zen uh one doesn't give philosophical  

answers to a question like that you give  practical answers I had a boiled egg this

[Music] morning because whenever you are  asked about matters sacred theoretical and  

philosophical you answer in terms of things  earthy and practical but then on the other  

hand when you asked about things earthy and  practical iCal you answer in terms of things  

religious and philosophical is dinner ready  you know who's asking this question who are

you

so this is then the flavor of Zen is you know  bodh Dharma is supposed to have meditated so  

long that his legs fell [Music] off and he's  usually drawn this way something like this

[Music] anyway it looks like a Shmo but  uh in Japan you buy these toys that are  

darumas and they are so weighted in here  that you can never knock them over you can  

bat it on the floor bat it this way  bat it that way but it always comes  

up again and so the poem says seven  times down eight times up such is

life so uh this is the the the  principle of not being phased not being

attached so to play the game you can't phase me  

this is uh very important in the art of  lifemanship fundamental gamesmanship because  

you see when the Zen monks moved into Kyoto  uh they took over the best part of town simply  

fantastic how this happened the beautiful Hills  were occupied by The brigands Who later became  

the Japanese nobility uh the great dios these  were the toughest characters and the Zen monks  

played a game with them which was that you know  you possess all these lands and you are powerful  

and so on but so what it's all falling apart  then what will you do well they said that's  

too bad we don't know and the Zen monk said no  you haven't got the hang of the thing you see so  

they found that they couldn't terrify Zen monks  that uh they played all sorts of Tricks but the  

Zen monks were better Masters at it see supposing  you say to somebody uh look I'm not afraid of you  

you can do anything you like you can kill me or  anything at all well if I go and kill the fellow  

who says this I'll never find out whether he was  afraid or [Laughter] not so they outfaced these  

people and said you you we have a secret you see  that you don't have and we'll teach your your uh  

servitors to be great warriors because they'll  learn the secret too and they won't be afraid  

of anything and this is what they did and so the  dios the noblemen uh built great monasteries for  

these Zen Masters and monks on their best land the  finest artists of Japan made Gold Leaf screens uh  

for almost every room in the place and although  nobody owns anything individually the community  

owns it collectively with the protection  of the daos and they had a tremendous scene

going now to us that sounds extremely weird even  immoral you don't expect religious people to do  

things like that no I know you don't uh if if  the religious people are self-righteous and  

have no humor but these people didn't go around  pretending that they were specially good they  

didn't dupe themselves they were people who  understood what human nature is that in every  

one of us there is an element of irreducible  rascality in Jewish theology this is called the

yahar ye z r h a r a the Yahara the element of  irreducible rascality which was created by God  

because God has one too and that's why when you  are really affectionate with somebody else when  

for example men I don't know what women do in  their private lives between each other but men  

uh as we all know say to someone they're  very fond of why you old bastard you know  

just like that you know there's a certain way of  saying to a person uh there's a certain glint of  

recognition and so there's a Z poem which  says when two Zen Masters meet each other  

on the road they need no introduction when a  thief meets a thief they recognize each other

instantly and this goes back you see  again Into the Heart of Chinese philosophy

that human nature is considered to be basically  good and even the rascally elements of it are good  

they are the sort of salt in the human stew there  has to be this little thing that human passions  

and that the the natural uh contentiousness and  greed or whatever that we have is an essential  

element in our makeup and that when people lose  sight of that they go mad nothing for example  

is more dangerous than a saint that is say an  unconscious Saint who thinks that he is right  

and who Endeavors to live an absolutely Pure Life  and to eliminate all selfish thoughts somebody who  

undertakes that task is going to be a menace to  all around because he loses his humor he loses  

his real humility which is knowing that after all  since we're humans we have certain needs we are  

need to eat we need uh sex we need this that and  the other and this this sort of has a a quality of  

humor to it and uh so this is why in Zen art the  sages are always drawn to look a little bit like

bums you know that Pai or h as he's called  what's called The Laughing Buddha the fat  

Buddha with an immense belly uh and carrying  around an enormous bag of rubbish into which he  

indiscriminately puts anything he finds around  and then gives it away to Children this is the  

sort of uh type which the Chinese call the old  Rogue and the old Rogue as a type of the poet  

Sage Monk and Scholar you see is greatly admired  he's the nonviolent brigand the Rolling Stone the  

free man or in our words The Joker The Joker you  see is the card that can be play any role in the

pack so then Zen developed in  China after Bodhi dharma's time

and came to a a sort of golden age in the tong and  Sun dynasties the Golden Age of Zen lies between  

713 ad and approximately 1100 1200 11 to 1200  that's the great creative period in which all all  

the marvelous Masters emerged and during which Zen  exercised a profound influence on the development  

of Chinese poetry and painting calligraphy and  scholarship then between 11 and 1200 uh it shifted  

to Japan and uh underwent a new development rather  different in quality and in tone and after it had  

done that for some Curious reason but it's very  complicated historical question it slowly faded  

away in China so that as we find it today it is  principally a Japanese phenomenon and it is slowly  

fading in Japan and slowly growing in the west  it's a very funny thing now then let me indicate  

what Zen training what its method is how does it  work I said before what is involved is a dialogue  

an interchange between two people one who's  defined himself as a student and has therefore  

defined the other as the teacher there is no  teacher until a student arrives no problem until  

a question is raised so students create teachers  if you ask a question you get 30 blows with a  

stick if you don't ask a question you get 30 blows  with a stick because you simply you put yourself  

in statu pilari you've defined yourself as having  a problem now nobody really has a problem but the  

Maya the game of life is to pretend that you do  going back to fundamental Hinduism the godhead  

or the self pretends it's all of us and so gets  lost and so has a ball dreams all this going on  

so uh when you are on your way out from the dream  it suddenly occurs to you that you have a problem  

life is suffering you would like to get out of  this so one such student went to a zen master  

and he said we have to dress and eat every day and  how do we get out of all that in other words you  

might ask the question in this way we have to  work get up Monday morning go to the office do  

all this routine beans sell something and so on  how do we get out of the Rat Race so we have to  

dress and eat every day and how do we get rid of  all that and the master said we dress we eat the  

student said I don't understand he replied if you  don't understand put on your clothes and eat your

food this is the kind of dialogue so  characteristic of Zan so the position is this  

the master on being approached by a student about  the problem of Life says I have nothing to teach

you I a zen master I have nothing to say Zen is  not words and furthermore everything is perfectly

clear there was a Confucian scholar who went to a  zen master and said what is your secret teaching  

and he replied there is a saying in your  own teacher confucious which Explains It  

All don't you remember when confucious said to  his disciples do you suppose that I'm concealing  

something from you I've held nothing back and the  scholar didn't get this so a few days later they  

were walking together in the mountains and they  passed the wild Laurel Bush and the Zen master  

said to the Confucian scholar do you smell it  he said yes he said you see I'm holding nothing

back so the position of the Zen master is  there is nothing to tell you there is no we  

we're not offering you any Panacea any solution  any Doctrine any big big goody uh to the problem  

of life because the problem is an illusion well  then the student under these circumstances thinks  

well this is some sort of a come on um he's  testing my sincerity and of course the nothing  

which he has to teach is the The Mystery of the  great void see he doesn't he doesn't take it as  

meaning just plain old ordinary nothing but  the great void and so uh he persists and the  

teacher makes him persist until he gets way  out on a limb he has to persist so much that  

he practically dedicates his life saying just  as the way haa symbolically cut off his arm the  

student is put in the position of dedicating his  life to solving this thing and getting what that  

teacher has and of course there wasn't anything  all along but he's been put in that position so  

uh then uh once he's in statu pilari uh once he  becomes a student he's put through all kinds of  

Hoops they make him learn to meditate to sit  cross-legged practice zazen and then they also  

add to the trouble by asking impossible questions  which are called Coan and these questions are are  

palpably obsurd what they are saying essentially  uh at least the elementary Coan are all concerned  

with this are requests for behavior on the  part of the student that will be perfectly

genuine in other words show me who you are  now wait a minute I don't want to see uh any  

social definition of you I don't want to know  your name your address who your parents were  

I want to see the absolutely authentic you it's  like EX essentialist talk about authentic being  

or it might be in the same way a Confessor  father Confessor and a Christian sense could  

say now give me a really good confession what  is the thing bad bad thing you've really done  

and you confess to him adulteries and murders  and thefts and sacrilege and blasphemies and  

curing and so on and he says oh no no no no  no come off it those are only trivial things  

come on now what is the really awful  thing you've done I don't know what

me this is the backwards way of doing exactly the  same thing as zen master is doing saying who are  

you really are you anybody is anybody home have  you got anything and they what they they do things  

like uh making you shout see this this word is  very important word in Zen uh nothing moo it's  

represented by the empty circle the word moo in  Japanese so they say now say it say moo moo you  

know with all your your guts going into it they  say no no no no you you don't know how to say  

that come on that's feeble that's nothing let's  really say it they have every kind of trick like

that to show you that the more you make an  effort to be genuine the more of a fool you

become and they tie you up in nuts until you're  desperate there was an American Zen student who  

was on a full bride and um that gave him a year  to study Zen and he got started to panic because  

he had only a month to go and he hadn't realized  it and he knew he had to and he went to the sin  

master and said damn it he said look uh I've  got I only got a month left the master said  

all right we'll have what we call ession ession  is an intense uh meditation practice where you  

only sleep 3 hours a night sort of thing and  you meditate all the rest of the time let's go  

let's really do it do it do it do it and every  day three times you come to me and present the  

answer to your Zen problem your Coan and it got  worse and and it got worse and it got worse and  

he got more and more desperate that here was  this full bright going to end and he wouldn't  

know what Zen was all about well practically on  the last day he suddenly saw there was nothing to

see you know it's all right the way it is and this  tremendous illumination this loaded off his head  

was of course what the master was trying to make  him do but now in the ordinary way if you're not  

on a full bride and you uh you can stay around  further in Japan the master will then play a  

trick on you you'll say now that's wonderful you  got your foot in at the gate you saw you realize  

there's nothing to realize you realize the void  there's nothing to cling to you see there no no  

barriers no blocks in any direction it's all  transparent but that is just the beginning  

and many many it's all a necessity now for you  to discipline yourself much harder to make great  

efforts really to get through so what are you  going to do about that uh the student may say  

well I don't know I've had enough I think I've  realized what it's all about and he goes away  

sometime later he begins to worry because you see  the Great emotional relief of this Insight begins  

to wear off and life begins to look ordinary again  and so you thought maybe I did miss something that  

was a very good master I went to and I better  go back so back he goes and the teacher comes  

on very very tough and says you no you're no  good you didn't stick with it why should I take  

you back oh master I'm so sorry I didn't realize  I was young and inexperienced and I now I've come  

to my senses so the teacher finally says all  right all right all right you're on probation  

so again he starts another Coan and this one  comes in from a completely different point of

view and he's got others that come from this  way and from this way and from this way and  

from this way and the point is always  so long as I can begal you as teacher  

into thinking that something you  can get you need to study with

me when I can no longer fool you into  thinking that there's something to get  

out of life you'll know that you're alive  you don't get something out of it you're

it but so long as you can be phased and you can  be taken in by the teacher you need a teacher  

so in the end when the student no  longer needs a teacher and he sees  

that it's old boy who's fooled him the  whole way through he says at the same

time profound respect and you wonderful  [Laughter] Rascal there's a very strange  

thing in the uh I've poked around a  good deal lately in Japan among American  

Zen students to find out what's going on and  they tell me that um the initial come on of a  

zen master is very tough and very authoritarian  and paternalistic but as you move in he turns  

into your older brother and uh is a person  you feel going right along with you beside you  

uh helping you in this thing full of friendship  and compassion and everything but occasionally  

he will suddenly turn and uh bring on the  authoritarian stuff but they do it in a  

very strange way there was a zen master who on a  Saturday morning when he should have been woken  

up uh at 8:00 uh no he should have been woken up  at 8 on Saturdays and 7 on weekdays so this was a  

Saturday and his uh attendant Mount came and woke  him up at 8 he was immediately looked at the clock  

and was absolutely Furious that he'd been woken  up an hour late because he didn't know it was  

Saturday so he struck out at this monk in a rage  and the monk said Master but it's Saturday he said

oh anger disappeared absolutely Serene no

apologies so you see the nature  of this game is the Zen game

and I seem to have given away the show to you told  you all the inside mechanics of it but you would  

discover that if you tangle with a zen master  and you think you know from what I told you what  

are the mechanics of it and you stuck your neck  out to put yourself in the position of being an  

Inquirer everything I told you would be useless he  would out with you completely that's what consists  

in being a master he's not doing it because he  wants to be superior and to put down other human  

beings is doing it out of great compassion  because he feels he knows something which

uh if you could find out you would uh just be so  happy and would want to give it to everybody else  

but you can't give it away because everybody's  got it what you got to make them do is to see  

that they have it and that you don't give  it to them and that's the most difficult

task e