What is Zen?
Introduction
I have practiced Zen for 35 years, sitting meditation with some of the finest teachers in the United States. Several of them asked me to enter the path of teaching. I always refused, choosing instead the path of service while becoming certified as a zen chaplain.
However, my current teacher, Janet Jiryu Abels, has asked me to assume the role of a practice leader at our local zen center, Plum Blossom Zendo. You might want to check out www.plumblossomzendo.org to learn more about Sensei Janet and our zen community. It is in this role that I hope to share my knowledge and insights gained through many years of practice and my work with a truly accomplished teacher.
So What is Zen?
Toward the end of his life, the historical Buddha, Gautama, sat quietly before a multitude assembled to hear his teaching. For a long time he said nothing, holding a flower in his hand. The crowd grew restless. Only one disciple, Kashyapa, suddenly understood the essence of the Buddha’s teachings in that very moment and smiled. Perhaps he even laughed. Buddha presented him with the flower. The Buddha spoke to the crowd, “All that can be given in words I have given to you; but with this flower, I give Kashyapa the key to all of the teachings.” This is the origin of Zen: a wordless transmission of mind to mind.
This story is most significant. Buddha was the source and Kashyapa was the first master. The essence of Zen was continued in this same way throughout the centuries up to the present day. The nature of Reality can never be captured in words; indeed, whenever we attempt to describe it, we fail. A “rose” is a name for a particular flower, but it is not the flower itself. However, Reality can be experienced through the senses. At its heart, Zen is a sensate practice.