Let me conclude this paper by mentioning one more story. Nan-chuan, a Chinese Zen master (748-834) was once asked by Pai-chang (720-814),

　

　

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one of his fellow monks, if there was a truth that the sages of old had not preached to men. "There is", said Nan-chuan. "What is this truth?", asked Pai-chang. "It is not mind", answered Nan-chuan, "It is not Buddha; it is not a thing." To this, Pai-chang replied: "If so, you have already talked about it." "I cannot do any better", was Nan-chuan's answer. "What would you say?" "I am not a great enlightened one. So how do I know what either talking or non-talking is?" answered Pai-chang. "I don't understand", said Nan-chuan. "Alas", said Pai-chang, "I have already said too much for you."

　　 In this paper, in distinguishing Zen from other forms of Buddhism, I am afraid I too have said too much. But no matter how many words I use, when we talk about Zen, we can never reach it. On the contrary, the more I try to explain Zen, the more I seem to go astray. Since Zen does not rely on words, I ought to be silent. Yet, even if I remained silent, I would be severly beaten by Teh-shan, another Zen master of T'ang China (782-865) who said: "Though you can speak, thirty blows! Though you can't speak, thirty blows!" This is to say, mere speechlessness is an empty or dead silence. Zen, however, finds itself in league neither with speech nor with silence, neither with affirmation nor negation. We can reach Zen only by transcending speech and silence, affirmation and negation. But what is beyond speech and silence, beyond affirmation and negation? That is the question.

Nara University of Education,
Nara, Japan

 

NOTES
* This is a revised and enlarged version of a paper originally published, with limited circulation, in Japan Studies No. 11 in 1968. The author is grateful to Japan Studies for permission to republish it. He is also thankful for the invaluable suggestions of Dr. Winston Davis in the earlier stages of the manuscript and of Father John Brinkman and Mr. Robert Grous in its final stage.

1.　　 There is considerable disagreement about the chronology of the Buddha's life among scholars: Thomas, 563-483 B.C.: Filliozat, 559-478 B.C. (Inde Classique, nos. 375, 376; pp. 2178, 2209); Nakamura, 463-383 B.C. (Maurya OOchoo no nendai ni tsuite -- On the Age of the Maurya Dynasty -- Toohoogaku, vol. 10, p. 1, f.).

　

　

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2.　　 Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Vol. II., The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1957, pp. 97-98.

3.　　 Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Vol. I., 1951, pp. 132-33.

4.　　 Samyutta Nikaaya, Vol. 12, Taisho, Vol. II., p. 84 b.

5.　　 Mahaaparinibbaana Suttanta. See The Teachings of The Compassionate Buddha, edited by E. A. Burtt, A Mentor Religious Classic, The New American Library, 1955, p. 49.

6.　　 Edward Conze, Buddhism: Its Essence and Development, Harper Torchbooks, p. 89ff.

7.　　 Ibid., p. 119.

8.　　 Bunyuu Masutani: Bukkyo gairon (An Introduction to Buddhism), Chikuma shobo, Tokyo, 1965, p. 162ff.

9-10.　　 Portions of the discussion from pp. 244-246 are taken from Shin'ichi Hisamatsu's article, "Zen: Its Meaning for Modem Civilization", Eastern Buddhist, New Series, Vol. I., No. 1, especially from p. 23-29.

11.　　 D. T. Suzuki, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, Rider and Company, London, 1948, pp. 75-76.

12.　　 Soren Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments, translated by David F. Swenson, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1936, p. 54.

13.　　 Ibid., p. 57.

14.　　 D. T. Suzuki and others, Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1960, p. 35.