In summary, Buddhism and particularly Mahaayaana Buddhism, based on the idea of anaatman or `suunyaata, developed itself freely and richly according to the spiritual climate of the time and place into which it was introduced. Thus, throughout its long history in India, China, and Japan, Buddhism produced many divergent forms which are radically different from the original form of Buddhism preached by `Saakyamuni. Nevertheless, they were not driven out from the Buddhist world, but became spiritual fountainheads from which new spirits of Buddhism emanated. In this connection it may be interesting to note that one Buddhist scholar regards the history of Buddhism as a history of heresy, meaning by this that Buddhism has developed itself by means of heresy and by constantly

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embracing various heresies.[8]

　　 In the West, where Mahaayaana Buddhism is relatively unknown, people are apt to judge the whole of Buddhism by taking the 'original' form of Buddhism preached by `Saakyamuni as their standard. Such a static view fails to appreciate the dynamic development of Buddhism. The diversity and profundity of the history of Buddhism, especially of Mahaayaana, is no less rich than the whole history of Western philosophy or religion. It is a development coming out of the inexhaustible spring of anaatman or `suunyataa. Yet, this 'history of heresy' in Buddhism has evolved without serious bloody inquisitions or religious wars. In this respect it was the practice of kyoosoo-hanjaku, backed up by the idea of anaatman or `suunyataa, that made the decisive difference.

IV. KYOO AND ZEN
Now, to return to the distinction between Kyoo and Zen, all forms of Buddhism, according to Zen, are based upon the 'teaching' delivered by `Saakyamuni, i.e., the teaching spoken and written as suutras. Generally, the Buddhist suutras were believed to be the records of `Saakyamuni's sermons and were considered the source and norm of Buddhism.[9] Nowadays, however, as a result of historical and text-critical studies of the scriptures, it is known that the so-called suutras do not necessarily record the ipsissima verba of `Saakyamuni; but many of them, particularly the Mahaayaana suutras, were composed much later than `Saakyamuni. Until this became known, however, the suutras were generally regarded by Buddhists as the ultimate foundation and authority of Buddhism. Thus, according to the traditional Buddhist view, the final norm of truth was contained in the suutras; that which had no basis in the suutras could not be called Buddhist truth.

　　 Each Buddhist school has its own particular suutra (or suutras) as the ultimate authority for its teaching. For example, the Hua-yen School has the Avata^msaka Suutra, the T'ien-t'ai and the Nichiren Schools, the Saddharma-pu.n.dariika Suutra; and the Pure Land School, the 'three Pure Land Suutras' (i.e., the larger and smaller Sukhaavatii-vyuuha and the Amitaayur-dhyaana Suutras).

　　 To prove that they are Buddhist and that their teaching is true, the various schools have recourse to their authoritative scriptures. Zen, however, has no such authoritative scripture upon which it is based. This does not mean that it arbitrarily ignores scriptures, but rather that it dares to

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be independent of scripture. In other words, Zen seeks to return to the source of the suutras -- that is, to that which is 'prior to' the suutras. 'Prior to the suutras' here does not mean prior in a temporal or historical sense. It rather means the spiritual source which is 'prior to' what is expressed in the suutras. This source is the Self-Awakening of `Saakyamuni which, in Zen, is often expressed by the term 'Mind'. Being independent of the suutras or scriptures, Zen tries to transmit this Self-Awakening from person to person and from generation to generation. This is the meaning of the first two phrases of the basic expressions of Zen which I mentioned previously. That is: "not relying on words or letters", and "the independent transmission outside the teaching of the scriptures".

　　 When Zen was founded with this realization as its background, it distinguished itself from all other forms of Buddhism based on suutras, calling them 'Kyoo' or 'Buddhism standing within Kyoo'. Accordingly, from the Zen point of view, the whole of Buddhism was divided into two groups, that is Kyoo and Zen, or 'Buddhism within the teaching' and 'Buddhism outside the teaching'. Strictly speaking, Zen did not divide Buddhism into two groups, but by criticizing and standing somewhat outside of all the hitherto existing forms of Buddhism, Zen opened up a new religious foundation within Buddhism which had been obscured by the dogmatism and philosophical speculations rampant in Buddhism until that time.

　　 Hence Zen is "an independent transmission outside the teaching or scripture". Therefore 'outside the teaching' does not mean outside Buddhism; rather, it means the source of that which is 'within the teaching'. In other words, considered from the point of view of suutras, Zen is 'outside the teaching'; however, looked at from the religious realization expressed in the suutras, Zen is even more 'within' than what is ordinarily called Buddhism. From the Zen point of view, what is usually thought to be 'inside the teaching' is, in fact, 'outside'. Zen makes its main concern a direct entering into the Mind.