by Cristina Ceballos
Home >> Zen
Zen is, first of all, the Japanese name of a form of Buddhism, but we don’t usually think of Buddhism when we talk about Zen.
When Zen reached Japan from China, where it was called Chan, it underwent some changes to adapt to Japanese culture. As a result of these changes, Zen became present in many aspects of Japanese social life, almost erasing the boundaries between the religious and the secular.
This integration of Zen into everyday Japanese life produced a rich variety of rituals, art expressions, and ceremonies that still last even today and have caught the attention of western civilizations. Zen expressions include Zen gardens, Zen paintings, Zen calligraphy, and the tea ceremony.
I would like to tell you more about Zen gardens. In Japan they are called KareSanSui, which literally means Dry-Mountain-Water. A better English translation would be Dry- Rock-Garden.
A Zen garden is a giant sandbox that contains mainly sand and rocks. There is a theory that states that the sand symbolizes water and it is indeed raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. The rocks represent islands or mountains and they are arranged in different ways inside the sandbox.
Zen says that truth cannot be learned from others, but must be discovered internally. Zen gardens convey harmony and peace to the onlooker. They are not only beautiful, but are also an instrument for calming the mind. Like calming water, they allow the dirt to settle and the water to clear. I really like that sense of peace of mind they give when you look at them.
I hope to see a lot of them this year in Kyoto, especially Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, perhaps the most famous of all Japanese Zen gardens.
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-02-15 11:00:00 +0100
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I remember reading zen poetry when I was a teenager. I read poets like Basho and Ikkyu. I liked their irreverence and simplicity.
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A Fisherman
Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure.
Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds;
Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night.
__
Someone once said ‘If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.’ Apparently they meant that you can only find your own way to enlightenment, you can’t follow in someone else’s footsteps. If the ‘Way’ has a name, it isn’t the way.
There is a great writer called Anthony De Mello who tries to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern spirituality. I recommend his books.
The 4 Steps to Wisdom
Lucky you, Cristina, going to Japan this year! Would you like to make a ‘side trip’ to Australia?
Thanks for your comments.
Dónal: I have read only one Zen Poems book , it is written by Ko Un .
The name of the book is Ananda: 108 poemas zen and it is published only in Spanish.
Paola: Today my trip to Japan is still an idea which I hope will come true. And yes, it would be nice to see you, you can drop by Kyoto anytime…or we might go down to Australia…who knows?
Regards,
Cristina
I have a lot of curiosity about Zen. Because it’s a word that I’ve been hearing many times, lately. Is it in fashion?
In my opinion, the word Zen and all it’s around it, inspire me peace, tranquillity, calmness….and nowadays, in our way of living, we have so much stress….that Zen could fit well.
I recommend a book: “Zen en el tiro con Arco” by Herriguel Eugen.
I wish I could go to Japan this summer to see the garden Cristina referred to…
Regards,
Begoña.
Hello there Cristina,
When I hear the word “zen” (woops…I’ve just re-read the first line of your article and have seen that it’s with a capital letter!)...I mean “Zen”...I immediately think of Japan…cherry blossom…er…the film Memories of a Geisha...for example.I don’t know much about it all, that’s for sure.
Eastern philsophy does interest me, and with “the east” growing incredibly fast in economic terms, it’s going to be interesting to see how much more eastern ideas & values become part of “the western” way of life.
Best regards,
Jeremy
P.S. I’ve seen a lot of your comments on the website and your English is wonderful. Do you speak any Japanese I wonder?...
Hello Cristina,
Everything related to the Buddhism is magic, the respect to Nature and the search of the interior peace, the harmony in the daily life they do that every day Buddhism have more addicted.
I knew the Center Buddist who exists in Granada in the Alpujarra; next to the Bubion and Capileira. It’s a special place and it’s lost between the mountains, when you come there, they invite you to relax. Too, you can drink tea or you can visit the library and meet some monks who live there. There are many persons pondering for the surroundings.
We whenever we visit Capilaira, we happen one day with them.
I recommend to you an escape of weekend.
A good article, although on Buddhism we can speak a lots.
Bye.
Reyes :))
My dear Cristina,
I have to recognize that all these Eastern issues make me feel curious. Since I don’t know anything about Zen except what I have read in your article, I hope you teach me some more things about it tomorrow while we have a coffee. Or a tea, which sounds more Zen alike.
JC
Hello Cris.
I know, that you are waiting peacefully a lot of comments about your article. I never read nothing about Zen. I only know that it is a Japanese word.
I am agree with all the people who say that nowadays everybody is stressed. In my case I am living in a big city in wich we spend a lof of time on transport, when we arrive at home after 10 hours out, (at the office), in some opportunities we can relax listen music or keep the Zen garden (not in my case). But in other opportunites we need to go to carry to the market, we need to cook, we need to fix some problems, we need to study with our children, etc..
I would like to have enough time to relax me one hour everyday, but some days I didn’t have enough time to do all the things. This is the principal reason for not to read Zen books. Perhaps I need a Zen course who explain me the method for discover my internal peace.
Best regards.
Hello !!
Begoña: I will try to read the book you recomend, it sounds interesting. Actually, “Tiro con Arco” was one of the arts that imperial scholars had to master in ancient China, as it is told in “The Four Books” by Confucius.
Jeremy: Thanks for the comment. Regarding my English I have to admit that Gina, in the shadow, has helped me finding the right words for the article.
Reyes: I am not very much into Buddishm, yet, but it will sure be nice to visit Capilaira, I’ll put it in the to-do list, thank you!
Juan Carlos: Empty your mind and be water my friend, with a cup of coffe or tea , I can Zen you up, no problem, whatever that means!
Juanjo: I appreciate your comment, and I completely agree with you. In a day we have at least 9-10 hours of activity in which we don’t have any time at all to sit back relax and to calm our minds. Then at home we also have a tide schedule…it is all our choice.
Regards,
Cristina
Hi everybody!
I think the Japanese culture is less known in Spain than Spanish culture in Japan, Why? I don’t know but it’s really, Japanesse like dance flamenco a lot and for us the culture of Japan don’t attract.
I hope in the future we will have more interest in other cultures.
Hello. I’m late because I’ve been sick. Or ill. I can never empty my mind. My mind is as cluttered as my agenda, my desk, and my house. I think I’ve been a disappointment to some western Buddhists, etc. I’ve met who thought that they would be able to discuss and “do” eastern philosophy with me because I am Asian. As my friends know, I am “eastern,” “oriental,” but as western as can be. The philosophers I like to read and make my bible are western. Outside Asian Civilization classes back in my Manila schools, perhaps the one true contact I’ve had with Buddhism is a beautiful book titled The Teaching of Buddha that I “acquired” in April 1977…when I learned the truth at 17, as the song goes. I wrote this in it: “Stolen from Room 1032, Tokyo Hilton.” Not a very Buddhist thing to do, I know. And I am in a way attached to this book. It has come with me wherever I have chosen to live. Such attachment is un-Buddhist too, I know. But I do look at it every now and then. That is, I look at the lines I underlined at 17. Sorry for this delirium. I am still feverish. Bye.
Hello,
Thanks for the comments Mª Angeles and Gina.
Mª Angeles, regarding our interest in Japan, I don’t know the stats, but it does interest some of us. I think the language (written) is a barrier, but also the distance and our different cultures
Gina, do you mean that in Japanese hotels they have “The Teaching of Buddha” whereas in Spain they have a “Bible”?
Bye,
Cristina
Asian philosophy. Zen. Quite frankly, I think one of the only good things that religion has given us is aesthetics, be it a stained-glass window, a Zen garden or a Shinto temple.
I imagine that the teachings of Buddha no longer occupy the drawers of Japanese hotel room bedside tables but I think it was truly a fabulous steal; bilingual books always appeal to me, as do chances to steal from greedy businesses (ask about my bar glass accumulation).
Gina also mentions her habit of underlining passages in books. This is a VERY good idea. Books contribute to our personal philosophies and at different times in our lives teach us different things or inspire us in different ways. It’s nice to go back and find those philosophies or those revelations. An underlined book is like a stack of love letters; it takes us back to what we were and allows us to reflect on who we have become.