Zen … and the art of …

“just sitting”

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is

around to hear it, does it make a sound?

When you get to the top of the mountain,

keep climbing.

Not thinking of good, not thinking of evil…Tell me… what was your original face

before your mother and father were born?

The quieter you become the more

you can hear.

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DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHAN/ZEN TRADITION

• Degeneration of dharma justifies rejection of devotion and scriptures in favor of meditation as sole or primary method of attaining enlightenment

• Reality must be seen as it is (nondualistic, spontaneous, “empty”)

• Two major sects:1. Chinese Linji, Japanese Rinzai 臨

濟 – uses riddles (Chinese gong’an, Japanese koan 公案 ), verbal abuse and meditation

2. Chinese Caotong, Japanese Soto 曹狪 -- uses meditation only

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LEGACIES OF THE CHAN/ZEN TRADITION

• Cements syncretism of indigenous and imported elements (Buddhism/Daoism, Buddhism/Shintô) in East Asian Buddhism

• Hugely influential on East Asian cultures:

1. Calligraphy2. Cuisine (e.g., tea)3. Drama (especially in Japan)4. Martial arts (e.g., fencing)5. Painting 6. Philosophy7. Poetry8. Ritual (e.g., tea ceremony)

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