V
　　 In the final section of his paper on "The philosophy of Zen," Suzuki defends the Zen man against the charge of "standing aloof from society and from being useful to the community where he belongs." He notes that Zen first developed in agricultural China where "it was natural for the Zen masters to refer constantly to farming and things connected with farming." Here Suzuki does not disapprove utilitarian work or its implements, among which there must be buckets. He drops the attempt he made earlier in the paper to purify Zen of pragmatism when he said: "Whereas pragmatism appeals to the practical usefulness of truth, that it the purposefulness of our action, Zen emphasizes the purposelessness of work or being detached from teleological consciousness." [54] At the close of the paper he seems pleased to say: "Zen literature abounds with such phrases as 'in the market plan,' 'in the middle of the crossroads,' meaning busily engaged in all kinds of work.... The monastery is not meant just to be a hiding place from the worries of the world; on the contrary, it is a training station where a man equips himself... to do all that can possibly be done for his community. All Buddhists talk about 'helping all people to cross the stream of birth and death.'" He even says: "The only thing that makes Buddhists look rather idle or backward in so-called 'social service' work is the fact that Eastern people, among whom Buddhism flourishes, are not very good at organization; they are just as charitably disposed n any religious people and ready

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52. Ibid., p. 12.

53. Ibid., p. 13.

54. Ibid., p. 7.

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to put their teachings into practice.... When we read the history of Buddhism...we notice how Buddhists labored for the welfare and edification of the masses." [55]

　　 What more could a pragmatist want in the way of "the practical usefulness of truth," except more scientific method and mote chance for all people to try it out? Though Suzuki has identified Zen with "a purposeless life," [56] it would seem to have the same purpose as pragmatism: that of working for human welfare. We may agree with him when he says: "The saddest thing is that most of us are ignorant, benighted, and utterly egocentric in spite of all the churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other institutions of education secular and spiritual." But, while this is the saddest thing, it comes close to what in desperate circumstances may be "the best," namely, insensibility. Realizing, as one would expect a compassionate Buddhist to realize, that a man suffers from the suffering about him and from his helplessness to relieve it, Suzuki exclaims: "The only remedy one can have, if it is granted, is the gospel of insensibility!" His anguished conclusion is that this is not inhuman if things are as bad a they seem and out of our control. He suggests that they may, after all, be our fault, and that God himself may see no recourse but that of "effacing man from the earth." If that is what God is obliged to do, Suzuki asks whether Zen can offer "a philosophy to cope with the situation" [57]

　　 This question has painful condor. Here is no certainty of having a final answer or guarantee, any more then in pragmatism. Like pragmatism, Zen calls for distrust of authority on principle, along with willingness to heed any hints that tradition can offer. The two philosophies are also alike in skepticism of abstract reason. But Zen approaches the discredited psychology which would separate intellect from other faculties and find a deeper wisdom in a supposedly irrational intuition, whereas pragmatism recognizes that behavior can be intelligent in an empirical way of noticing and comparing notes and making use of highly hypothetical structures, while relying also on observation and the test of sense experience. Perhaps Zen can do the same, but it has been presented by Suzuki as doing without science's combination of empirical investigation and rational procedure.

VI
　　 The engaging thing about Zen to a Westerner is its promise of a path that may be found and followed by the individual, apart from or in addition

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55. Ibid., pp. 14-15.

56. Ibid., pp. 7.

57. Ibid., pp. 15.

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to the vast enterprise of science, which no individual can master or take over alone: a path out of the worries of his little limited self. The Zen path seems accessible and available to the ordinary person if he can make an extraordinary effort. It short-cuts the complexities of science while being naturalistic, it is sober and practical while poetic and exciting, it is even mystical without being spooky. The Zen road without much reading appeals to one swamped with reading. Yet, its texts have charm. They can be read for inspiration though rejected as substitutes for the quest that each man must undertake for himself. Suzuki is revered as an authority on the doctrine of no authority; he interprets books which say to live without books. He confronts the modern world, coming to meet the West with Eastern wisdom, helping the scions of science, in the ancient way of personal word and presence, to see oneness and wonder.