HOW DO PERSONAL BELIEFS AFFECT ZEN CULTIVATION?
Clearing the mind of all thoughts is an important skills in our school
Question 9
In your book The Complete Book of Zen you mentioned non-Buddhist Zen as one type of Zen cultivation. Since I come from a Christian background I'm particularly interested in this approach.
I understand that Chi Kung is a spiritual, but not a religious practice, and in one of the recent interviews you gave, I heard you talking about Buddhism and Taoism as not being "religions", but "teachings". I take that the same can apply to Zen.
My question is: how do personal beliefs affect one's Zen cultivation?
I'm asking this because there are certain doctrines in Zen Buddhism I don't personally subscribe to (i.e. reincarnation) and I'm wondering how this is going to affect my Zen cultivation. Does it put me in more disadvantageous situation than Zen practitioners who follow their path more "completely", so to speak?
If I may, I would also like to ask what are the most essential Zen aspects of our Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung practice and how to efficiently approach applying some of those elements into one's daily life?
Jacek
Answer
Zen means meditation, not sitting cross-legged with myriad thoughts troubling the mind, but training the mind in various ways for more efficient performance. In some cultures, the mind is called the spirit, the soul or the consciousness.
Training the mind, the spirit, the soul or the consciousness can be practiced in many ways and in various poises. When one is in prayers, deeply involved in one’s work or hobby, or absorbed in a spectacular scene, he is in Zen or meditation. He may be standing, sitting, moving about or lying down.
When a Christian prays to God, reads the Bible or listens to the teaching by a preacher, he is in meditation. His mind is focused on what is being said or done without any disturbances.
The word Zen is sometimes used to mean Zen Buddhism. Even Buddhism is not religious in the way many people, especially in the West, conceptualize the term to be. When a person avoids evil, does good, and cultivates his mind (or spirit, soul or consciousness), he practices Buddhism. It is worthy to note that in the Shaolin Temple, which was a Zen temple, there were Taoist, Christian, Muslim and people of other religions or no religion cultivated for spiritual development.
Zen, like chi kung and kungfu, is spiritual, not religious. By spiritual is meant that its cultivation concerns the spirit. It means, for example, that if a student was depressed or afraid before cultivation, but by cultivating he becomes cheerful and confident. By non-religious is meant that followers of any religion or of no official religion can practice and benefit from it without any adverse effects on his religions belief.
Indeed, Zen cultivation often makes him a better follower of his own chosen religion. This is because Zen cultivation concerns the spirit, which is the crucial feature of all religions. Most followers just read or hear about the spirit, but have no direct experience of it. Zen cultivation brings the spirit to life. Zen practitioners experience their spirit directly by taming, strengthening and nourishing it.
If all other things were equal, personal beliefs, religious or otherwise, affect Zen cultivation, and any other endeavor. If a person does not believe in the spirit, for example, his spiritual cultivation, though possible, will be much compromised. Just as if a person does not believe in chi, or does not believe that kungfu can be used for combat, he will take a longer time to attain similar result of someone who believes.
Zen cultivation is very liberal. Practitioners may choose to cultivate only those aspects they believe are favorable or beneficial to them. Believing in reincarnation is not a required condition for Zen cultivation. In other words, without believing in reincarnation, a person can still trains his mind or spirit. It is unlike relaxation, which is a required condition for Zen cultivation. In other words, if a person is not relaxed, he cannot trains his mind, even when he performs the outward techniques of Zen cultivation, like sitting in a lotus position.
It is interesting to take the analogy further. Although Zen cultivation concerns the spirit, paradoxically a belief in the spirit is not a required condition. In other words, even when a practitioner does not believe that his spirit exists, but by Zen cultivation his spirit will be stronger and more peaceful than before, even when he may continue to deny it. Similarly, a person may not believe in chi or that kungfu can be used in combat, but by practicing genuine chi kung or genuine kungfu, he will be healthier and be able to apply kungfu to defend himself despite his disbelief.
One does not have to believe anything in Zen cultivation. Indeed, it is better than he has an open mind. In Zen terms he comes with an empty cup. He can then assess his cultivation to the best of his experience and understanding.
It may be significant to note that Jesus himself believed in reincarnation. There are many instances in the Bible to verify this statement. For example, Jesus clearly stated that he was Elijah in a previous life.
Nevertheless, to say that belief is not a required condition in Zen cultivation does not mean that it does not affect progress. If a Zen cultivator does not believe his mind exists, for example, it will take him a longer time to attain a similar result than another cultivator who does, if all other things were equal.
But other things are not equal. If this person who believes he has only his body, which includes his brain, but has no mind, learns chi kung or kungfu in our school, his attainment in Zen, that is mind training, will be better than others who believe they have a mind and attend Zen retreats.
The reason is straight-forward, though it may not be obvious. Zen cultivation, or mind training, is an integral part of our chi kung and kungfu, but may not be in many Zen retreats today. In the retreats, practitioners study Zen instead of practice it. When they sit cross-legged to meditate, myriad thoughts trouble their mind. When they close their mouth and do not speak for days, they lock up their spirit.
Your not subscribing to some doctrines in Zen Buddhism will put you in a disadvantageous situation in cultivation of Zen Buddhism than Zen Buddhist practitioners who follow their path completely. But we in Shaolin Wahnam practice Zen, and not Zen Buddhism. The Intensive Zen Course in Hawaii is on Zen, and not on Zen Buddhism.
Zen and Zen Buddhism are quite different. Zen is a training of mind. Zen Buddhism is a school of Buddhism that uses the training of mind as the main method of cultivation. The course in Hawaii is on Zen, and not on Zen Buddhism.
If you do not subscribe to some doctrines in Zen Buddhism, it may put you in a disadvantageous situation in the Zen Buddhism cultivation, but not in Zen cultivation.
If you, for example, do not believe that the phenomenal world is a function of thought, which is a basic doctrine in Zen Buddhism, if all other things were equal, you would be in a disadvantageous situation in the cultivation of non-thought, which is crucial in Zen Buddhism.
But even if you do not believe that the phenomenal world is a function of thought, you may not be in a disadvantageous situation in Zen cultivation even in the cultivation of non-thought, which is also crucial in Zen cultivation.
Why is a disbelief that the phenomenal world is a function of thought disadvantageous in Zen Buddhism cultivation and not in Zen cultivation even when the cultivation involves attaining non-thought? This is because this doctrine is important in Zen Buddhism, but not important in Zen. The primary aim of Zen Buddhism is to transcend the phenomenal world to attain Cosmic Reality. The primary aim of Zen is to train the mind for peak performance in the phenomenal world.
The method is the same, i.e. to attain non-thought. But the aim is different. In Zen Buddhism it is to go beyond the phenomenal to attain the transcendental. In Zen it is to attain peak performance in the phenomenal world. When a Zen Buddhist attains non-thought, the phenomenal world dissolves and he attains Enlightenment. When a Zen practitioner attains non-thought, his mind is pristine clear so that he can perform his best in the phenomenal world.
The most essential Zen aspects of our Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung practice, i.e. the most important aspects of mind training in our chi kung, is to clear our mind of all thoughts and to focus our mind on one thought. In Zen terms, they are attaining non-thought and attaining a one-pointed mind.
Without clearing our mind of all thoughts, we cannot generate an energy flow, which is the essence of chi kung. Without focusing our mind on one thought, we cannot accomplish many of our chi kung skills, like focusing on our dan tian, massaging internal organs, developing internal force and enjoying a cosmic shower.
When we have these skills, we just apply them into our daily life, although the techniques involved may be different. Only those who lack these skills will ask how to do so, i.e. the techniques involved, but still will be unable to do so even when an academic answer is given.
For example, if you have the money to buy a bicycle, you can also use the money to enjoy a dinner in a fancy restaurant or go for a short holiday, though the procedures involved may be different. Even if someone explains how to enjoy a dinner in a fancy restaurant or go for a short holiday, if you lack the money you still cannot do so.
Skills are general in nature, and therefore can be applied to different situations. When you have the skill of non-thought to generate an energy flow, you can also apply the same skill to generate a feeling of love for your wife and parents, or to eat ice-cream without irrelevant thoughts bothering you. When you have the skill of a one-pointed mind to focus on your dan tian, you can also apply the same skill to focus on playing tennis or on planning a marketing project. These skills, undoubtedly, enrich our daily life.
Having a Zen mind is an excellent skills in solving problems
The above is reproduced from the thread Zen Intensive in Hawaii Q&A in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum
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