The Common Themes Of Zen Buddhism - 1429 Words

Zen Buddhism can be fairly confusing to the average person; the teachings and stories may come across as arbitrary or nonsensical. However, do not let that deter you from getting to experience a religion that offers a highly different perspective of the world. The focus will be on analyzing some of the common themes of Zen Buddhism which is comprised in the â€Å"Zen Slogan† (associated with the First Patriarch). The phrase is: â€Å"a special transmission outside of the teachings not established upon words and letters; it directly points to the human mind and seeing one’s Nature one becomes a Buddha.† The goal is to explore the meanings that each of these lines convey, and how they might have been shaped by the previous ideologies of Indian†¦show more content†¦However, that is not the case as we explore the next line of this slogan. These transmissions are â€Å"not established on words and letters†, which further highlights the distinct nature of this process. Going back to the interaction between Bodhidharma and Huiko, â€Å"Finally Huiko bowed and remained standing at his seat.† The master said, â€Å"you have gained by marrow† (Foster and Shoemaker 8). This interaction clearly emphasizes how these teachings are not passed down based on words. One might wonder, what significance does bowing have in response to the master’s question? The answer can be related to the Daoist text, The Daodejing, â€Å"The Way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way† (Theodore, Bloom 79). In this case, â€Å"The Way† means enlightenment, and the solution does not involve words. Indeed, Daoism has made an impression in the Chan teachings; however, there do seem to be exceptions to this transmission style. The sixth Patriarch Huineng composed a verse that conveyed the idea of emptin ess, â€Å"Bodhi originally has no tree. The bright mirror also has no stand. Fundamentally there is not a single thing. Where could dust arise?† (McRae 62). 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