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  OUT

Zen Parables

Zen is difficultto describe. It is a

sect

of

Buddhism, but it is less a religion than a form

of Buddhist meditative practice. It has no holy

book, no

ornate

church or temple, no

complicated ritual. Zen monks do

not

preach

sermons

about

right and wrong behavior.

Zen focuses on

the

inner self,

rather

than

on

the

outer self

that

acts in the world. Yet

for eight hundred years, Zen

has strongly

appealed

to

japanese warriors as well as

to

monks, politicians, and artists. Today, it isalso

practiced by people in

the

East and

the

West

from all walks of lifeand different religions

who wish

to

find inner peace, relieve stress,

and focus on essential priorities.

The

Philosophy

of

Zen

  heo bj ec t of Zen is

to

free the mind from

everyday, conventional logic through medita

tion. Followers of Zen believe that meditation

empties

the

mind and suppresses

the

ego.

leading to a clearer understanding of one s

own nature. According

to

one

legend,

Bodhldharma, a famous

Zen

monk, gazed at

a blank wall for nine years before achieving

inner enlightenment.

Monks and

Warriors

Originating in India and spreading to China.

Zen Buddhism was introduced

to

japan in

I 191. Zen monasteries

were soon

founded in

Kamakura and Kyoto. During the Kamakura

period I 185-1333).

the

samurai, feudal

warriors who served

the

aristocracy,

were

attracted

to

Zen because of its discipline and

simplicity. They applied Zen principles to

martial arts such as archery and fencing.

Virtually every aspect of Japanese culture

has been influenced by Zen. Because monks

Japanese painting of a Zen monk.

drank bitter green tea in order

to

stay awake

during meditation.

tea

drinking grew into an

intricate and symbol-laden ritual. The arts also

felt the impact of Zen. as manifested in the

conciseness of haiku poetry see page 448).

Nearly every

ar t

form of classical

japan-

painting, poetry, dance, architecture. drama,

and even

gardening has

been shaped

to

some

degree by Zen. with its emphasis on simplicity,

self-discipline, and meditation. Even the

expressions of everyday Japanese speech

reflect

Zen

values.

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 en arables

Make

the

Connection

Quickwrite

As a class, compile a list of familiar stories

that

teach a

lesson--perhaps the

stories

are

from

the

Bible

or another

religious

text or

they

may be folk tales you have read

or

heard from

members

of your family.What

lessons do

the

stories

teach How

did you

figure ou t the lessons Do any of the

stories

share

th e same message]

Literary

 o us

Parable

 arables are

brief

stories that

teach a

moral,

or

lesson,

about

life.They

are

often

allegorical, having

both

literal and symbolic

levels of meaning.

The most

famous parables

in Western literature

are those

told by

Christ

in

the New Testament

(see page 83) .

Christ presents

moral lessons in short tales

about

everyday events such as a stray

sheep

or

a spendthrift son. Behind

the

simple

story

is a wise lesson

about th e

right way

to

live.

Many

Zen

stories

are

also deceptively simple

tales

that

contain profound truths.

A

parable

is a

short

allegorical story

that teaches

a moral

or

religious

lesson

about

life.

For more on Parables see the Handbook

  Literary

 n

Historical Terms

Background

Zen

parables

were

originally used

to

teach

aspiring monks about Buddhism. The

relationship

between

a

Zen monk

and his

teacher is an extraordinary one. Instead of

imparting knowledge in a clear and logical

way, the

Zen master

at first deliberately

tries to confuse his students, a tactic

that

forces

them

to abandon preconceived ideas.

This technique prepares th e

students

to

understand

the

sometimes paradoxical,

or

contradictory,

nature

of truth.

For example, to unsettle his students, a

master

may assume a fierce expression and

a cold demeanor. He may ask a pupil a ques-

tion and

then interrupt

him halfway through

the

answer. He may

pose what

appears to

be a ridiculous question, such as  What did

your

face look like before you were born?

He may command

students

to perform

seemingly impossible tasks like Pull a bird

out

of

your

sleeve. He may also

answer

a

serious question with an absurd response.

Ifa pupil asks,

 What

is

the

nature

of

the

Buddha his

master

might reply, Pass me

that

fan

or

 Pork dumpling

Zen

masters behave in

these

ways in

part

to make

students

wary of language and con-

ventional ways of thinking.

Words

according

to

Zen

philosophy, can be dangerous, for

they prevent

people from experiencing

the

world directly as it actually is.

  a Literature of India, China.

and

Japan

8/9/2019 Zen Parables

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tr nsl ted y

 aul eps

Carved

st tue

of a Luohan.Yuan dynasty

(c. 1271-1368).

Victoria

 

Albert Museum. London  A.29 193 I).

Z

P R LES

Muddy Road

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together

down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still

falling.

Coming

  round

a bend, they met a lovely girl

in a silk kimono/ and sash, unable to cross the

intersection.

1.

Tanzan (tan'zari')

  nd

Ekido (e-ke'do).

2. kimono n  wide-sleeved robe, fastened with a sash;

part ofthe traditional costume for men and women

in Japan.

 Come on, girl, said Tanzan at once. Lifting

her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did

no t

speak again until that night

when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no

longer could restrain himself.  We monks don t

go near females,  he told Tanzan, especially

no t

young   ndlovely ones.   is dangerous. Why did

you do that? 

I left the girl there, said Tanzan. Are you

still carrying her?

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 arables

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 ragon  n iger by Chao Kyoshi. Detail of a multi-panel

screen

. Edo

period

(19th century).

A Parable

Buddha told a parable in a sutra'

Aman traveling across a field encountered a

tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a

precipice, he caught hold

of

the root

of

a wild

vine

and

swung himselfdown over the edge. The

tiger sniffed at

him

from above. Trembling, the

man looked down to where, far below, another

tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine

sustained him.

Two mice, one white and one black, little

by little started to gnaw away the vine. The

man

saw a luscious strawberry near him.

Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the

strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted

3.

sutra

(soo'tr;) )

 

one

of

a collection

of

stories that describe the teachings of the

Buddha .

The Thief

Who

Became a Disciple

One evening as Shichiri Kojun   was reciting

sutras a thiefwith a sharp sword entered,

demanding either his money or his life.

Shichiri told him:  Do not disturb me. You

can find the money in that drawer.

Then

he

resumed his recitation.

A little while afterwards he stopped and

called:  Don't take it all. I need some to pay

taxes with tomorrow.

The intruder gathered up

most

of the money

and started to leave.  Thank a person when you

receive a gift, Shichiri added. The man thanked

him

and made off.

A few days afterwards the fellow was caught

and confessed, among others, the offense against

Shichiri.

When Shichiri was called as a witness

he said:  This

man

is no thief, at least as far as I

am concerned. I gave him the

money

and he

thanked me for it.

After he

had

finished his prison term, the

man went to Shichiri and became his disciple.

The Taste of Banzo's Sword

Matajuro Yagyu'' was the son

of

a famous

swordsman. His father, believing

that

his son's

workwas too mediocre to anticipate mastership,

disowned him.

So Matajuro went to Mount Futara? and

there found the famous swordsman Banzo.?

But Banza confirmed the father's judgment.

 You wish to learn swordsmanship under my

guidance? asked Banzo.  You

cannot

fulfill

the requirements.

But if work hard, how many years will it

take me to become a master? persisted the youth.

 The rest ofyour life, replied Banza.

 I cannot wait that long, explained Mata

jura. I am willing to pass through any hardship

if onlyyou will teach me. If I become

your

devoted servant, how long might it be?

4. Shichiri Kojun (she-die' re ko'jan).

5. Matajuro Yagyu (ma-ta-jon' ro yag'oo).

6.

Mount

Futara (foo·ta'ra).

7. Banzo (ban'zo).

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 ombat

of amurai

Warriors by Utagawa Hiroshige. Edo period (19th century).

Musee des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet , Paris.

  Oh, maybe ten years, Banzo relented.

 My father isgetting old, and soon I must take

care

of

him, continued Matajuro.  IfI work far

more intensively, how long would it take me?

Oh, maybe thirty years, said Banzo,

 Whyis that?  asked Matajuro. First you say

ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any

hardship to master this art in the shortest time

Well, said Banzo,  in that case you will have

to remain with me for seventy years. A man in

such a

hurry

as you are to get results seldom

learns quickly.

Very well, declared the youth, understand

ing at last that he was being rebuked for

impatience, I agree. 

Matajuro was told never to speak

of

fencing

and never to touch a sword. He cooked for his

master, washed the dishes, made his bed,

cleaned the yard, cared for the garden, all

without a word

of

swordsmanship.

Three years passed. Still Matajuro labored on.

Thinking

of

his future, he was sad. He had not

even begun to learn the art to which he had

devoted his life.

But one day Banzo crept up behind him and

gavehim a terrific blow with a wooden sword.

The following day, when Matajuro was

cooking rice, Banzo again sprang upon him

unexpectedly.

After that, day

and

night, Matajuro had to

defend himself from unexpected thrusts.  ota

moment passed in any day that he did not have

to think

of

the taste

of

Banzo's sword.

He learned so rapidly he brought smiles to

the face

of

his master. Matajuro became the

greatest swordsman in the land.

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CONNECTION to ZEN P R BLES

Zen Garden s Calming Effect

Due to

Subliminal Image?

Hillary Mayell

National eographic News September 25, 2002

[

INFORM TION L T XT

 

t s the kind of thing you simply have to

experience for yourself. Otherwise, the Zen

rock garden of the Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto,

Japan, a United Nations World Heritage site,

simply defies the imagination.

The garden, after all, has no

plants no

flowers, no trees, not even any weeds.

It s a 30- by 10-meter (roughly 98- by

32-foot) rectangle surrounded by earthen

walls on three sides

and

a wooden veranda

1

on the fourth. Inside the rectangle is a vista

of white pebbles

and

15rocks. And it isworld

famous for the peace and serenity anyone and

everyone who visits it feels.

Visual-imaging scientists in Japan say

they ve figured

ou t

what it is about the garden

that

engenders/ this serenity. The secret: The

more than 500-year-old garden is harboring a

subliminal. message in the form of a tree.

Zen Meditation

and

Rock Gardens

The Ryoanji Temple (Temple of the Peaceful

Dragon) is a Zen place of worship and medita

tion first built sometime during the 1450s.It

burned when most of Kyoto was leveled by fire

during the   ninWars,

and

was rebuilt in 1486.

The rock garden, which fronts the abbot s?

1. veranda

(vo-ran da)

  .:

porch with a roof.

2.

engenders

(en-jeri darz) v causes.

3. subliminal (sub -lim a-nol)   dj meant to affect

one s subconscious.

4.

abbot

(ab ot)

n head of a monastery.

quarters, was laid out around this time as a

place for the monks to meditate.

Thought by many to be the quintessences of

Zen art , the garden is in the dry landscape style

called Karesansui ( withered landscape ).

The garden s 15 rocks are

of

various sizes,

placed in fiveseparate groupings. The white

gravel that surrounds them is raked every day;

perfect circles around the rocks, perfectly

straight lines in the rest of the space. The rocks

are arranged so that no matter where a visitor

stands, only 14 can be seen. It is said that only

when you attain spiritual enlightenment asa

result of Zen meditation will you see the 15th

stone.

Over the centuries, various explanations for

the garden s layout have been given: That the

white gravel represents the ocean and the rocks

the islands of Japan;

that

they represent a

mother

tiger and

her

cubs, swimming in the

river of the white sand toward a fearful

dragon; or that the rocks represent the Chinese

symbol for heart or   mind.

Unconscious

Eye

However, it s the empty space created by the

placement of the rocks and the void created by

the white gravel that has long intrigued visitors.

Now the mystery may have been resolved.

Gert van Tonder, a postdoctoral fellowof the

Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science

5. quintessence (kwin-tes ans) n perfect example

of

a thing.

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Rock garden at Ryoanji Temple Kyoto

at Kyoto University,

and

Michael

 

Ly

on

s, a

seni

or

scientist at ATR Media

Information

Labs

in Kyoto, applied a shape-analysis technique

that can reveal hidden

structural

features to the

garden s empty space.

Earli er studies of how

humans

and other

primates process visual images suggest

that

we

have an

uncon

scious sensitivity to the medial

axis of sha pes,said van Tonder.

  Imagine starting two fires in a field of

dry

grass: he said .

 Where

the fires meet at

point

s

equidist

an t betw

een

the

two starting locations,

is the medi al axis.

His analysis indicates

th

at

the

same uncon

scious sensitivity is able to d iscern the image

of

a trunk

and bran

ches of a

tr

ee

within

the Zen

garden s pattern of rocks

and

ston es. Viewed

from th e veranda, the image is apparent to the

subconscious bu t is invisible to th e eye.

The author

s

conclude

in a

report

published

in the September 26 issue of the journal   ture

that the unconscious perception of this pattern

is

the

source of

the

gard en s calming effect.

If

the

rocks were to be rearranged , the invis-

ible tree structure is lost , they say.

Van Tonder believes the garden s designer

intended

to create

the sublimin

al feature

demonstrating an understanding of the

physics

of

the human eye

and

subconscious

hundred

s

of

years ago .

n

According

to the

article, what might be the

U   secret behind the calming effect of the

Zen garden at Ryoanji Temple? How does the

writer

of this article use details

to

help you

unde rstand

the

layout of

the

Zen garden?

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Response and nalysis

•

 NT RN T

Projects

and

Activities

Keyword

LE5

WL

iterary

 kills

Analyze

parables.

  riting kills

Write a parable.

 istening

 nd

 pe king

 kills

Act

out

a

parable.

Reading Check

I.

  ho

are

Tanzan and

Ekido

For what

does Ekido criticize Tanzan in Muddy

Road ?

2. Name all the dangers that

the

man in A

Parable faces.

3. In The Thief

  ho

Became a Disciple,

what does Shichiritestify in court?

4. In The Taste of Banzo s Sword, why

does Matajuro become sad working with

the master

Banzo

Thinking

Critically

5. In Muddy Road, what does Tanzan

mean when he asks Ekido ifhe isstill

carrying

the

girl

6. In A Parable, what might the precipice,

the tigers , and the mice

symbolize or

stand for?

  hat

is

the

significance of the

man eating

the

strawberry?

  hat

lesson

about lifedo you think this parable

teaches?

7. Why do you think

the

thief becomes the

disciple of Shichiri Kojun?  hatvalues

does this parable teach?

8. Describe Banzo s unconventional teach-

ingmethods.

  ha t

do you think he is

teaching Matajuro about the ar t of

swordsmanship?

Extending

and Evaluating

9. Are any

ofthe

lessons inthese Zen

parables similar

to

lessons instories that

you know? Review

the

list you made for

your Quickwrite response.

WRITING

Writing

a

Parable

ManyZen parables contain a

paradox or

apparent contradiction

that

is actually

true

.

Think

about

how a seeming contradiction

can ultimately prove true. Then, write a

brief parable of

your

own about one of

the

following paradoxical situations:

• a competition that iswon through losing

• a person who becomes rich bygiving

something away

• an enemy

who

becomes a friend when he

or she is trusted

• a difficult task

that

becomes easy once a

person stops trying so hard

• a scary situation that changes when a

person stops feeling fear

LIST NING AND SP KING

Acting

Out

a Parable

Pair off with

another

student, and adapt

one

of

the

Zen parables you  ve just read

to

a

modern setting and situation without losing

its moral. For instance, you could adapt The

Taste of Banzo s Sword by making Banzo

a basketball coach

who

teaches his students

by throwing balls at

them

when they least

expect it. Then, with

your

partner, create a

script for your dramatization, and act ou t

your parable for

the

class.

 7

Literature of India. China. and Japan