The Compass of Zen
Encyclopedia
The Compass of Zen is a book of teachings by the late Seung Sahn
Soen Sa Nim, a compilation of talks given by him since 1977 that were then edited by his student Hyon Gak (Paul Muenzen). Designed to offer readers an introduction to the teachings of the Mahayana
, Hinayana
and Zen
traditions, an earlier—and more crude—version of the current text had first been drafted by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim in the early 1970s. Until it was first published by Shambhala Publications
in 1997, much of the material was already being used in the Kwan Um School of Zen
curriculum. Rather than pretending to be a work of academia
, The Compass of Zen was presented in everyday language for its readership. In addition to coverage of the aforementioned topics, the book also contains Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim's "The Ten Gates", a glossary of terms, and his lineage chart. "The Ten Gates" is his own kong-an curriculum for students in his Kwan Um lineage, each one being followed by commentary by him in the text. Today there are Twelve Gates.
Most people think of Zen as being simple, direct, and unattached. Although Zen teachings can be easily forgotton and overlooked, the people who study them turn into people who possess a fundamental insight into life, and are not fooled by appearances or ideas. The fact is that almost everything about Zen's presentation, practice, and rituals is aimed at producing people who give up their good sense with the promise of a greater gain in the future. The practice gives people something to look forward to and something to aim for. As some can find life to be meaningless with no direction, Zen followers see the light in all situations. Zen teachings do not provide answers to life, and most people get that extremely confused. It simply gives people an insight to looking at things in a new way.
You can mainly see differences of the priests of Taoism and Zen: Zen monks shave their head, are vegetarian, avoid wine and intoxication, value the Heart Sutra, and practice celibacy; Taoist priests generally have a full head of hair, drink wine, value the Dao De Jing, and are permitted to have wives.
You can also look at their meditation techiniques. In Zen, practitioners keep their mind on the void. In Taoism, visualization is used extensively in meditation. From a Zen perspective, these visualizations are considered a “deviation” because they cause thoughts to arise, which conflict sharply with Zen teachings (but not with Taoist teachings).
First is the Hinayana or Theravada. Hinayana literally translates to the "lesser Vehicle". The teachings on the Four Noble Truths and meditation form the basis of this practice. The Hinayana vehicle represents the class of practitioners who seek enlightenment for themselves. All traditions accept the Hinayana teachings as being authentic (and they are generally considered to be the earliest).
Next is the Mahayana, or "greater Vehicle". It emphasizes universal compassion and the selfless ideal.
Finally, there is the Vajrayana. This literally translates to "Diamond Vehicle". This vehicle is very much like Mahayana, however instead of taking an emotional approach, it takes a spiritual approach. It harnesses psycho-physical energy as a means of developing profoundly powerful states of concentration and awareness.
Seung Sahn
Seung Sahn Haeng Won Dae Soen-sa , born Dok-In Lee, was a Korean Jogye Seon master and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen—the largest Zen institution present in the Western world. He was the seventy-eighth teacher in his lineage...
Soen Sa Nim, a compilation of talks given by him since 1977 that were then edited by his student Hyon Gak (Paul Muenzen). Designed to offer readers an introduction to the teachings of the Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
, Hinayana
Hinayana
Hīnayāna is a Sanskrit and Pāli term literally meaning: the "Inferior Vehicle", "Deficient Vehicle", the "Abandoned Vehicle", or the "Defective Vehicle". The term appeared around the 1st or 2nd century....
and Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
traditions, an earlier—and more crude—version of the current text had first been drafted by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim in the early 1970s. Until it was first published by Shambhala Publications
Shambhala Publications
Shambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Many of its books deal with Buddhism or related topics...
in 1997, much of the material was already being used in the Kwan Um School of Zen
Kwan Um School of Zen
The Kwan Um School of Zen is an international school of Zen centers and groups, founded in 1983 by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Island, which was founded in 1972 shortly after Seung Sahn first came to...
curriculum. Rather than pretending to be a work of academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, The Compass of Zen was presented in everyday language for its readership. In addition to coverage of the aforementioned topics, the book also contains Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim's "The Ten Gates", a glossary of terms, and his lineage chart. "The Ten Gates" is his own kong-an curriculum for students in his Kwan Um lineage, each one being followed by commentary by him in the text. Today there are Twelve Gates.
Most people think of Zen as being simple, direct, and unattached. Although Zen teachings can be easily forgotton and overlooked, the people who study them turn into people who possess a fundamental insight into life, and are not fooled by appearances or ideas. The fact is that almost everything about Zen's presentation, practice, and rituals is aimed at producing people who give up their good sense with the promise of a greater gain in the future. The practice gives people something to look forward to and something to aim for. As some can find life to be meaningless with no direction, Zen followers see the light in all situations. Zen teachings do not provide answers to life, and most people get that extremely confused. It simply gives people an insight to looking at things in a new way.
Zen Following Other Religions
The idea that Taoism and Chan (Zen) were cross-fertilized is a typical modern misunderstanding, and one that is usually perpetuated by scholars (and usually Western ones) — not Chan masters. Taoism and Chan have separate histories. In the development of Chan in China, none of the six patriarchs had any influence from Taoism. Bodhidharma (Da Mo), Hui Ke, and Seng Can all taught at Shaolin. Dao Xing, Hong Ren, and Hui Neng taught at only the Buddhist temples called Baolin and Dongshan.You can mainly see differences of the priests of Taoism and Zen: Zen monks shave their head, are vegetarian, avoid wine and intoxication, value the Heart Sutra, and practice celibacy; Taoist priests generally have a full head of hair, drink wine, value the Dao De Jing, and are permitted to have wives.
You can also look at their meditation techiniques. In Zen, practitioners keep their mind on the void. In Taoism, visualization is used extensively in meditation. From a Zen perspective, these visualizations are considered a “deviation” because they cause thoughts to arise, which conflict sharply with Zen teachings (but not with Taoist teachings).
The most important thing is to find out
what is the most important thing.
-Shunryu Suzuki
The Three Vehicles of Zen and Buddhism
In order to clarify the variations between the many different traditions/schools of Zen Buddhism, the schools are often divided into the three "Yanas", meaning 'Vehicles' or 'Paths'. These three are; the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.First is the Hinayana or Theravada. Hinayana literally translates to the "lesser Vehicle". The teachings on the Four Noble Truths and meditation form the basis of this practice. The Hinayana vehicle represents the class of practitioners who seek enlightenment for themselves. All traditions accept the Hinayana teachings as being authentic (and they are generally considered to be the earliest).
Next is the Mahayana, or "greater Vehicle". It emphasizes universal compassion and the selfless ideal.
Finally, there is the Vajrayana. This literally translates to "Diamond Vehicle". This vehicle is very much like Mahayana, however instead of taking an emotional approach, it takes a spiritual approach. It harnesses psycho-physical energy as a means of developing profoundly powerful states of concentration and awareness.
Hell is not punishment, it's training.
-Shunryu Suzuki
See also
- TaoismTaoismTaoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
- Origins of the Tao
- Buddhism in the United StatesBuddhism in the United StatesBuddhism is one of the largest religions in the United States behind Christianity, Judaism and Nonreligious, and approximate with Islam and Hinduism. American Buddhists include many Asian Americans, as well as a large number of converts of other ethnicities, and now their children and even...
- Kwan Um School of ZenKwan Um School of ZenThe Kwan Um School of Zen is an international school of Zen centers and groups, founded in 1983 by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Island, which was founded in 1972 shortly after Seung Sahn first came to...
- Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesTimeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesBelow is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.-Early history:* 1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago...