SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

xivSōtō ZenZen Buddhism is a religion in which man can realize theTruth through just-sitting meditation [in Japanese this is calledshikan taza or zazen]. The Truth means the direct experience ofoneness with the Eternal. * We may also call it Buddha Nature.Zen Buddhism is the religion in which Buddha Nature is realizedthrough practicing meditation and applying the meditationto all aspects of our daily life: training. The author of this bookis a follower of Zen Buddhism in general and a follower of S‡t‡Zen in particular. S‡t‡ Zen is one of the five meditation schoolsof Buddhism in China. It combines practice and understanding,stress being placed upon thorough practice. Thorough practicemeans practice in which man never neglects the details of dailylife but leads the fullest existence without the slightest trace ofdeception. S‡t‡ Zen in Japan shows a considerable developmentover the S‡t‡ Zen in China. If one believes that man isalready enlightened from birth, one must regard our daily activitiesas post-enlightenment exercises. In Japanese this is termedhonsh‡my‡sh‰, or Òoriginal enlightenment and marveloustraining.Ó These exercises are, moreover, acts of gratitude toShakyamuni Buddha. In Japanese this is called gy‡jih‡-on, orÒthe expression of our gratitude through religious training.Ó* The Buddha referred to the Buddha Nature as the ÒUnborn, Undying,Unchanging, UncreatedÓ in the Udana Scripture; Keizan calls ItÒthe Lord of the House.Ó The original translation of S‡t‡ Zen refers to Itas Òtrue human nature.Ó Sometimes it is referred to as Òthe Absolute.Ó