by Morley Evans
SHAOLIN
少林
少林
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| Zen |
JAPANESE ZEN was popular with the Samurai class. It traces its lineage directly from India through Bodhidharma to China and the Shaolin Temple. Zen has two main schools, Rinzai and Soto. Zen is one of the many schools of Buddhism.
A lifetime ago, I lived in a Soto Temple in Kyoto. Our day started at 5:00 AM. We practised Za-zen five hours-a-day during the regular schedule and fifteen hours-a-day during the monthly sesshin. I did one sesshin. It lasted for three days. No talking was allowed during sesshin.
Antaiji had only one rule. The schedule had to be strictly observed. No other rules were needed.
Zen practice is very hard. Samurai adopted the Zen practice.
When I left Antaiji, the monks told me I would not be able to practice Za-zen on my own. I promised not to evangelize or try to start my own school. I kept my promise.
"If you manage to force yourself to do Za-zen, you will develop an unwholesome discipline," they said.
They were right. I tried. After 71 years, I can still say that my experience at Antaiji was the single most valuable thing I ever did. I would not have survived what happened to me after I left Antaiji had I never gone there.
I lived at the first Antaiji. It was founded by Sawaki. Antaiji was in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. When I was there, Kyoto had already grown around the Temple and the huge agricultural property and woods that surrounded it. No doubt, after Uchiyama died (the abbot when I was there), the Soto sect finally sold the property to land developers for a bundle. They had waited for decades.
Antaiji built a new Temple in the mountains on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Hyogo Prefecture. This is the new Antaji. The abbot today is Muho. This Zen priest is German! Only serious Zen practitioners need to apply. Zen practice is not easy.
Muho talks about sitting (Za-zen) and pain. Soto Zen is about sitting quietly and doing nothing. That's it. There is nothing else. It is not about thinking. It is not about not thinking. It is about sitting quietly and doing nothing.
Uchiyama-Roshi, who was not well when I was there, told us that "being tough" will not help you to do Za-zen. Uchiyama often did extra Za-zen for hours in the Zen-do with Omura-san who was eighty years old. They weren't tough like all the young monks and visitors. Something else supported them when strength was absent.
Why do Za-zen? Za-zen is not about "self-improvement". Za-zen has no purpose. Za-zen is completely worthless.
Sit quietly and do nothing. That's your job. Just do it.
November schedule.
Antaiji is unique in Japan. There are no other Zen Temples like it. Sawaki said Zen monks are afraid of Za-zen. You won't find Buddhism in the big Temples, he said. Yet Za-zen is Buddhism. It is the essence of Buddhism.
Uchiyama told us that Japan is called a Buddhist country as the United States is called a Christian country. Despite this, few modern Japanese know anything about Buddhism and few modern Americans know anything about Christianity. Uchiyama had studied Christianity at University and had a Masters degree in philosophy.
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| Antaiji |
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| Mu (nothing) |
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| Soto monk with begging bowl. |
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| Antaiji in winter |
Arthur Braverman was a friend at Antaiji. He stayed in Japan and married a Japanese girl. Arthur translates Buddhist documents from Japanese to English. The Bravermans live in California today. This is one of Arthur's essays.
https://buddhismnow.com/2011/10/18/final-lesson-by-arthur-braverman/
The link below will take you to some lovely pictures of Antaiji.
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