Pure Land and Zen

• where did Zen and Pure Land Buddhism develop

  in China and Japan
• how and when did Buddhism arrive in China


  via the Silk Route (ancient trade route) in 1st century
• what were the 2 main belief systems that already existed in China

  Confucianism and Taoism as well as Chinese folk traditions such as belief in many Gods and spirits of the living and dead
• explain the key principles of Confucianism


  - Confucius (500BCE) was a Chinese philosopher

  - the focus is on social etiquette and relationships, respect, honour, family and social harmony

  - harmony in society comes from each person accepting their place in society and fulfilling their role

  - you should accept your superiority/inferiority in various relationships, e.g. father and son, ruler and subject, husband and wife, and be obedient and have respect for worthy people

  - rulers should be fair and care for all the people

  - ceremony and ritual is important

  - comparable to virtue theory as virtues are constant and must be cultivated and practised
• explain the key principles of Taoism


  - Lao Tzu = founder, developed in 5th/6th century BCE

  - Tao = the way, eternal truth and underlying unity of all things which can be found in nature and quiet contemplation

  - we need to tune into tao and live in accordance with it; we must practice it and make time for stillness and not being busy

  - promotes natural and spontaneous behaviour rather than following rules and regulations

  - we should lead a peaceful and harmonious life, water is seen as a role model and similar to the Tao

  - holistic, considers all aspects of life to be interconnected
• what is Yin and Yang


  - both Confucianism and Taoism adhere to a sense of harmony which is represented in this philosophy

  - Yin is for darkness, passivity and femininity, and yang is for light, activity and masculinity

  - these need to be balanced to keep harmony and can be applies to all areas of life
• how was Buddhism responded to in China


  - Buddhism seen as morbid with its focus on suffering

  - foreign ideas were seen as inferior

  - shaving your head as a monastic was seen as disrespectful to your ancestors as you're mutilating your body

  - interdependent Sangha completely new and strange idea

  - celibacy went against family values

  - didn't contribute to society, selfish

  - however, similarities between the Dharma and the Tao helped Buddhism flourish as well as rituals and meditative techniques

  - Buddhism adapted Chinese culture into the religion and came up with new schools and scriptures were translated
• how was Buddhism received in Japan


  - reached Japan in 500 AD

  - sent from Korea as part of an alliance treaty

  - Buddhism was well-received by ruling classes, and Prince Shotoku built monasteries, temples and encouraged Buddhism as the state religion

  - Buddhism flourished alongside the indigenous religion of Shinto
• explain Shinto


  - 'way of the spirits'; related to the natural forces and argues spirits are present in aspects of nature

  - no founder, scriptures or rules and emphasises the importance of rituals

  - deities of Shinto called Kami, which have an influence on daily life, meaning prayers are offered to them

  - key affirmations: tradition and the family (key to preservation), love of nature, physical cleanliness and matsuri (worship to Kami and dead ancestors)
• what is the history and origins of Zen/Chan


  - Zen is a mixture of Indian philosophy along with principles of Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese culture

  - origins traced back to the Flower Sermon of the Buddha in which he said no words but held up a lotus flower and only one person understood; story represents essence of Zen, which is the mind to mind, intuitive transmission of truth from master to pupil

  - in 5th century, Boddhidharma started line of Chinese Chan masters; he was very focused on inner emptiness and mind only and revived the Shoaling martial arts traditions. there are many stories about him, for example that he cut his eyelids off so he could meditate for longer, which show the extreme discipline of Zen
• what are the key features of Zen Buddhism


  - 'meditation school', an eccentric and extreme side of Buddhism

  - aim to be reflective and mindful in all actions; every action should be done in meditation (a heightened state of awareness) with total focus on the moment, so you become at one with what you're doing (interconnectedness)

  - should empty the mind and get to the point where you have no habitual thoughts

  - places emphasis on doing menial tasks

  - we have to get beyond conventional and intellectual thinking as the nature of reality is beyond language and can only be intuitively grasped; 'a direct transmission of awakened consciousness outside of tradition and scripture'. simple, ineffable direct encounter with reality

  - Zen practice should start with intellectual side of Buddhism (e.g. scripture) but then it's abandoned in order to gain direct experience
• what is the master pupil relationship like in Zen


  - Zen master is called the Roshi

  - master-pupil relationship is key in Zen

  - master will help the pupil become aware of their intuition and inner Buddha nature through mind to mind transmission (verbal conversations)

  - master will have regular meetings with the pupil

  - master cannot bring about Satori but can help guide the pupil beyond conventional thinking
• compare Rinzai and Zen Buddhism


  - both practice Zazen and study koans

  - both spend most of their time in meditation

  - however they have different emphasis' (Rinzai focuses on koans and mondos, and Soto focuses on Zazen) and use koans in different ways. rinzai mediate facing one another whereas soto meditate facing a wall
• what is Rinzai


  - the Violent Way, established in 12th century by a monk called Eisai

  - focuses on a number of practices to bring about intuitive flashes of Satori by shock and surprise, as well as shocking the mind out of conventional thinking

  - focuses on the martial arts and the use of Riddle Koans and Mondos

  - observes ceremonial rules and defence of the state; it was originally favoured by the educated warrior and ruling classes of Japan; Zen monks used to train warriors (Samurai)
• what is a koan


  - can be wisdom based but are also abstract riddles

  - given to the pupil by the master in an attempt to get beyond conventional thinking

  - examples are drawn from the awakening of past practitioners and often seem to be illogical, but are expressions of awakening

  - the student is supposed to meditate upon the koan and present an answer; the master will decide if it's acceptable. the aim is to represent Buddhist qualities and be intuitive

  - supposed to frustrate the pupil

  e.g. what is the sound of one hand clapping?
• what are mondos


  quick fire questions from master to pupil to encourage intuitive thinking, e.g. what is the one sword
• what is Soto


  - the Calm Way, developed by Monk Dogen in the 13th century as he didn't like the Rinzai practices

  - emphasizes the practice of meditation and simplicity to calm the mind

  - focuses on Zazen (sitting IN meditation) as being of extreme importance and a gradual understanding of the truth

  - Zazen is practiced facing a blank wall, encourages being at one with the moment; practioner doesn't meditate on anything but is just 'in' meditation

  - Zazen takes you back to original mind, before it was filled with false conventions and views
• what is satori in Zen


  - Nirvana (although is not exactly the same)

  - Zen Buddhists believe a person can have flashes of Satori when they are totally at one with what they're doing

  - this can be gained through activity or meditation, when there is no aim or goal and you have no thoughts

  - e.g. raking Zen garden, martial arts, tea ceremony, archery, art (Zen circle represents empty mind)
• what are the origins of Pure Land Buddhism


  - origins in Buddha, who told a story to his friend Ananda about a monk called Dharmakaya

  - Dharmakaya vowed in the presence of a past Buddha that if he attained enlightenment, he would created a paradise out of compassion for all suffering beings

  - upon enlightenment, Dharmakaya became 'Amida Buddha', the celestial Buddha of infinite light and wisdom, and he created heaven-like places called Pure Lands and Happy Lands

  - this story is found in the Sukhavati Sutras
• what is Pure Land Buddhism


  - Buddhism for the lazy/busy

  - extreme form of Bakti (loving devotion to saviour beings) in Buddhism

  - based on the total focus of Amida Buddha who is one of the 5 celestial Buddhas

  - if you chant the name of Amida Buddha with total concentration and faith, you will be reborn into the Pure Land, a place where there is no distractions and ideal conditions for attaining enlightenment
• what are some scriptures in Pure Land


  Infinite Life Sutra, Contemplation Sutra and Amitabha Sutra (Shukvatis)
• who were the founders of Pure Land in China


  - founder is said to be Hui Yuan, who had a vision of Amida Buddha and claimed that to recite his name was an unfailing path to enlightenment (if you focus on something positive, you'll become something positive)

  - Tan Lu'an in 4th century started Pure Land as an official sect

  - both of these founders emphasised that meditating and chanting the name of Amida will help a person gain salvation in a happy land
• what are the Pure Land practices in China


  - the beliefs of Pure Land developed into the view that praying for rebirth in the Pure Land is the only suitable way to salvation as the holy path was too difficult

  - includes practices such as: chanting Amida's name, reciting Sutras, meditating on the Pure Lands, offering worship to statues of Amida and singing praises to Amida

  - Nembutsu = concentration on Buddha and his virtues and recitation of his name

  - there was still emphasis on the moral life however
• who developed Pure Land in Japan


  - Honen Shonen; he felt that Buddhism was in a state of decline and that it was too hard and difficult to attain enlightenment even with knowledge of the Dharma

  - all faith and focus should be bestowed on Amida Buddha, as studying scripture is too difficult; a simpler route through devotion was more apt for a modern society

  - he was disrobed and exiled from the capital city and set up the first independent Pure Land school in Japan

  - the majority of his followers remained celibate and still led the monastic and simple life; Honen also accepted other devotions and practices

  - refuge should be taken in Amida Buddha
• how did Shinran further develop Pure Land in Japan


  - set up his own Pure Land sect

  - was also exiled after desires for marriage

  - believed mankind was too sinful to help themselves and that we're not capable of the virtuous life; it just leads to self importance

  - a person should lead a normal life; family is important and people should not be celibate as this doesn't help recognise the Dharma

  - total devotion to Amida is all you need as Amida saves even the lowest of sinners and people cannot be saved through their own efforts, we have to rely on another being

  - this falls in line with Chinese and Japanese culture and away from traditional Buddhist ideas like renounciation, making it more radical
• what is the appeal of Pure Land


  - simple

  - appeals to the masses

  - takes practical approach

  - not focused on scripture, so accessible (can be practised in home)

  - has a figure of focus and mythology

  - Pure Land has 'Abbotts', like vicars
• how should Pure Land be understood


  - all about skill in means (upaya)

  - Amida has no real presence and the Pure Lands do not exist

  - Amida has positive qualities and so provides a good focus for meditation as positive focus = positive mind. Chanting Amida Buddha's name is a way of calling out ones own Buddha nature

  - Pure Lands are metaphorical representations of the enlightened mind and higher states of consciousness

  - these focuses help to recognise the emptiness, interconnectedness and inner Buddha nature in all things

  - however of course, many people do take it literally and expect to be reborn into the Pure Lands, and be saved by a supernatural being
• what is the main difference between Zen and Pure Land


  Tikiri = path to enlightenment with help of others (Pure Land)

  Jiriki = self effort towards enlightenment (Zen)
• how far do either reflect traditional Buddhism


  - Zen; most reflective, however quite extreme which the Buddha rejected after experiencing it

  - however both are polars