One flower emerges from the depths of forest earth. One flower fully expresses the forest. One flower completes the forest. The Hua Yen Buddhist sages of old would say one flower is the whole forest, contains the whole forest. Further, if the one flower were to disappear the whole forest would disappear. We might say, ecologically, that the wholeness of the forest would disappear. Such is the radical interdependence and interpenetration of all phenomena, universal and particular. This includes you and I. Zen practice opens the way for realizing the fundamental nature of our belonging, and just as a single flower fully expresses its true nature, without reservation, we too find our true nature in participating, whole-heartedly, wisely, compassionately, in this world, as it is.
Bodhisattva Zen
Bodhisattvas were depicted in the earliest Buddhists teachings as "enlightened beings." Sometime around the first century C.E., as Buddhism migrated East, encountering other cultural influences, a radical reimagining of Buddhism took shape: the Mahayana. Enlightenment was not only conceptualized differently, but experienced differently. Buddhist liberation in India promised an escape from the Wheel of Birth and Death--nirvana. But the Mahayana teachings guided aspirants toward experiencing being liberated into the world. A life-affirming, simultaneously this-worldly and cosmic Buddhism emerged, including Bodhisattvas to inspire aspirants to live lives dedicated not to their own liberation but to the liberation of all beings. What is the nature of this universal liberation? It is the same nature as your true nature and mine, but a philosophical understanding won't do. Zen is the practice of actualizing the fundamental fact of our true nature. Wisdom and Compassion embodied in the Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara: they are not merely symbols or archetypes--they are alive in the depths of our being. Let's bring them forth. Much is at stake.
Zen Meditation
Zen literally means meditation. Dhyana from India came to be pronounced as Chan in China and eventually as Zen in Japan. Zen meditation is specifically called zazen, literally sitting meditation. Zazen is not equivalent to much of what is referred to as meditation in contemporary terms. In traditional Zen practice, zazen is taken up in the context of a broader spectrum of practice that includes wisdom teachings and ethical/moral practices. Thus, a three-legged stool of Meditation, Wisdom and Morality or Samadhi, Prajna, and Sila: the Three Trainings of Buddhism. Zazen differs in methodology as well. Folks exploring the Zen path are advised to seek instruction from qualified teachers; ideally, find a Zen center in your local area with a reputable teacher. Books can also serve as instructors. Here are a couple to start with:
Taking the Path of Zen by Robert Aitken;
Zen Mind Beginner's Mind By Shunryu Suzuki
Here's a website with with detailed instruction:
https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/
Charlie Laurel is available by appointment for individual instruction. charlie@charlielaurel.com
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Zen Koans
a brief into by Charlie Laurel, Sensei
Koans are concise nuggets of wisdom, presented as pieces of stories, poems, liturgy, etc. that have a history of evoking deep inquiry and deep insight. A koan does not offer its deepest riches to the analytical, thinking mind. The habits of the intellect tend to hamper what a koan would reveal. It's not that we have to get rid of the thinking mind. Not at all. Koan practice gives us the opportunity to expand our perceptual faculties far beyond our reasoning, to include perspectives offering great freedom, compassion, and ease.
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That being said, koans are often used as jumping off points for discussion in Dharma Talks, and there is value in what some call "koan study." The Soto school of Zen uses koans freely in teaching and discussing the Dharma.
A monk asked Chau Chou, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West?" Chau Chou said, "The oak tree in the garden."
Lovely conversations can issue from that one and the 700 or so other koans. That's koan study.
In Koan practice or, more formally, koan introspection, key aspects of a koan are taken up in meditation and integrated deeply into our consciousness. Insights emerge and we check our understanding (not knowledge) with a qualified teacher. It is not unusual to take years with one or more of the initial "barrier" koans. Further practice unfolds from there.
Koan practice is usually associated with the Rinzai school of Zen, but some Soto teachers are also sanctioned to guide students. The Diamond Sangha comes to us by way of Japanese teachers approved by both Rinzai and Soto schools. And the lineage continues now through three (and counting) further generations of teachers in the Americas, Europe and Australia.
There are other approaches to koan work. The Pacific Zen Institute does group koan work--an innovation that departs from what is usually considered traditional, but also harken's back to the definition of koan as a "public case."
As a Diamond Sangha teacher, I take the more conservative approach. I require that students be well-grounded in their zazen practice, and oriented toward actualizing the fact of one's true nature. A significant commitment. I also want students to be involved in Sangha practice of some kind. The Bodhisattva Way is a communal path--we all wake up together. I'm not leading a Zen Sangha in person at this time, but I sit weekly with an established local Sangha. I am persuaded at this time that, "the time of the lone wolf is over," as a Hopi Elder said. If you are drawn to koan practice, and you are within practical proximity to a Sangha with a qualified teacher who works with koans and feels right to you, I suggest going there rather than zooming with me.
Koan practice is not for everyone. Many people are not drawn to it. Many plumb the depths of practice in their zazen, in shikantaza (just sitting), and from there bring themselves fully and compassionately into the world, a world realized as not other than ourselves. The koan path is not superior or inferior. And it is okay to move from one track to another, "walking straight up the mountain path with 99 curves," as an old koan goes.
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