Zen spirit

Judging from the connotation, structure and core of Zen ideology, the tone of Zen is based on the theory of mind and nature, and it is a cultural ideal to get rid of troubles and pursue life consciousness and spiritual realm through the practice of mind and nature. The essence of Zen's theory of mind and culture is: nature-immanence-transcendence.

Zen absorbed the concept of "nature" of Taoism in China to interpret the natural state of life and human self-nature. Taoism defines nature as the essence and nature of all things, not artificial, natural, so real. "Monks are natural, and so are all beings." Zen believes that "sex" is the nature of all beings, that is, Buddha nature. This is to define Buddha nature as a self-sufficient, pure and simple life. Since human nature is natural, that is, internal, it is an essential existence embodied in the human body, which is neither given by external gods, nor obtained beyond experience and contrary to human nature, nor can it be eliminated by various external factors. Man's inner self is the subject of life and the foundation of becoming a Buddha. Man's realistic perceptual life is the external function and embodiment of self-nature, and man's becoming a Buddha is the discovery of self-nature and the manifestation of spiritual realm born from it. Man's self-nature is intrinsic and transcendent, because the intrinsic nature is pure, complete, simple and enlightened, which is different from man's external performance. How to achieve transcendence? Zen believes that practicing Zen to become a Buddha is to realize one's own nature, one's own nature, one's own nature, one's own way to become a Buddha and achieve transcendence. Zen emphasizes that Buddha is in the heart, nirvana is in the process of life, and ideal is in real life. In this way, Zen shifted the other side of the world to the real world and turned the pursuit of future life into an inner reversal. Therefore, Zen opposes abandoning the realistic perceptual life and distorting the self to seek transcendence, but emphasizes that "Buddha's nature is in the world and never leaves the world" (altar sutra), demanding to seek transcendence in daily life and realize the ideal spiritual realm. In the case-solving of Zen Buddhism, "Buddha's flowers and leaves make a good laugh" (Quotations of Fa Hui, Volume II) advocates spiritual communication and demands understanding. Zen requires us to understand Zen from "Hungry means eating, sleepy means sleeping, cold means fire, and hot means enjoying the cool" (Mian's quotations), and to discover Zen from "Green bamboo, gloomy yellow flowers" (Zutang Collection, Volume III). Zen requires observing the taste of Zen from the green mountains and green waters, experiencing Zen from people's own daily life, and realizing the realm of Zen in an impermanent life, so as to realize the transcendence of life and spiritual freedom.

Zen advocates inner transcendence. What is the specific connotation of this transcendental consciousness? We think it includes transcending objects, transcending methods and transcending results. Here, we focus on transcending the object and the result.

In order to pursue liberation and achieve Buddhism and Taoism, Zen has designed a set of plans to dispel the tension, contradictions and obstacles in people's hearts and transcend binary opposition. Man is a part of nature and an independent entity separated from nature. The yearning for the same with nature is eternal and infinite, and the yearning for the same with nature is the deepest, most fundamental and strongest desire of human heart. The reality of life is not consistent with good wishes. A series of contradictions faced by human beings, such as short life and eternity of time, individual life and space as a whole, subject life and cosmic objects, are the transcendental objects and goals of Zen.

The contradiction between the shortness of life and the eternity of the universe can best stimulate people's inner anxiety and pain. Getting rid of life and death is the most basic purpose of Buddhism and Zen. Zen destroyed the definition of life and death with the thought of "no life" and transcended the time limit of life and death. "A few times, a few times died, life and death are endless. Since I realized that there is no life, I am worried about honor and disgrace. " "No life" means that everything is immaterial and empty, so there is no life, death and change. This is to change the concept and see the essence of no life and no death from the phenomenon of birth, aging, illness and death. Life and death are short, life and death are eternal. To realize that there is no life from a long life and death is to realize eternity in a short time and eliminate the gap between brevity and eternity.

The contradiction between the finiteness of individual life cognition and practice and the infinity of space is also a puzzling and eternal topic. Zen Buddhism gets rid of the limitation of individual life by infinitely expanding the role of individual mind, and then eliminates the contradiction between finite and infinite. "The mood is clear, the mirror is clear, and the silhouette is clear. In the shadow of Vientiane Rosen, a round of light is not inside and outside. " This means that as long as a person's state of mind is clear and thorough, he can bypass everything in the universe, so as to achieve transcendence inside and outside in his heart and make the finite and infinite blend in the individual mind.

A series of differences and oppositions caused by the contradictions between life and everything, subject and object, thing and me, existence, right and wrong, good and evil, true and false, bitterness and joy are another source of trouble and pain. This is also a big problem that Zen masters are trying to solve. They inherit the Taoist thought and seek the way to solve the problem with intuitive universe ontology (Tao and nothingness). They preach that there is nothing (altar sutra) and that there is nothing to resolve contradictions, saying that "all dharma bodies are like dreams, there is nothing, and the mind is quiet and not empty." ..... Since there is nothing to do, it is reasonable to lose yourself and forget your feelings. If you forget your feelings, you will have to endure all the hardships. "(Zen Master Biography) means that one realizes that everything is like a dream and everything is empty. If he forgets his passion and transcends himself, life and everything, subject and object, there will be no opposition. To this end, they particularly emphasized the importance of "no thoughts". "Mindfulness" refers to delusion, which requires people not to be confused by delusion entangled in various differences. What's more, during the 250 years from Dharma to Huineng, the Zen style advocated by this clan is unique, and the quotations of the ancestors are often quoted, suggesting that the whole Buddhism has not fallen into sectarian opposition, which can be called the founding period of Zen. From Nanyue, Qingyuan to the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, during which 250 years, Nanzong Zen stood out. Ideologically, he abandoned the language of kudzu vine and established the spirit of "that is, the heart is the Buddha" and "the normal heart is the Tao"; In real life, establish Buddhist temple laws and regulations centered on monk's hall; In the spread and performance of Zen Buddhism, we should attract literati with flexible and vivid methods, and carry forward the clan style with the opportunity of drinking sticks and punching. Over time, it gradually became a separation of five families. This period can be called the developed period of Zen. In 320 years of Song Dynasty, Lin Ji rose again from Huanglong and Yang Qi, becoming the "five schools and seven schools" of Zen in China. Among them, Huanglong School was later spread to Japan from Rongxi. Since the meeting of Yang Qi, there have been five higher ancestors, namely Fayan, Yi Wu Keqin and Da Hui Zong, which have become the mainstream of Zen. Also, the great wisdom of Cao Dongzong system and Linjizong system both advocate meditation and Zen. The integration of the three religions in this period led to the tendency of the integration of the three religions, the integration of teaching and Zen, and the purity of Zen. This sect gradually lost its independent character, which is the period of Zen persistence. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, 450 years was the decline period of Zen Buddhism. During this period, although a generation of masters such as Hai Yun Yin Jian, Song Wanxing Xiu, Chu Zu, and Wu Zhun Normal School rose one after another, as far as the general trend is concerned, it is a foregone conclusion that Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism should be separated.

Xu Yun (1839 ~ 1958) was the first Zen master in modern times. During120th birthday, he made unremitting efforts to spread Buddhism, extensively repair dense forests, vigorously revitalize Zen Buddhism and maintain the dharma vein since the sixth ancestor. Handed down from generation to generation are Xu Yun's Collection of Monks' Dharma and Xu Yun's Seven Monks' Records of Zen. Most importantly, the difference between this Sect and other sects is that they don't attach importance to classics. Even quoting classics is a temporary convenience. The most important thing is to rely on the Buddha's heart, not to write words, not to teach others, in order to' point directly at people's hearts and see nature become Buddha'. However, in the case of not involving thinking and calculation, plus the work of learning and modifying certificates, in order to clearly understand the initial intention, clear rules have been created. Zunsu and the public regularly lie down and meditate under certain rules and regulations; Zunsu opened the opportunity for the public to see that the ancestors of the Buddha tore them apart. Reading the Bible is not an important task, but it is still the core of all classics: Lengga, Vimalakīrti, King Kong Prajna and shurangama mantra. In ancient times, there were also quotations, which became important reference materials for later Zen practitioners to learn Zen Buddhism.

The language of "appearing as Buddha" is similar to Zongmen's "seeing nature" and "seeing nature as Buddha". We still have to break the chaos before we can prove the truth and save lives. It is heresy and magic talk to say that three puzzles [1] have been completely eliminated in this world, and two dead [2] have died forever and lived in silence. (Reply to Guangxi Jushi I)

[1] Three puzzles: the confusion of seeing sex, the confusion of dust and sand, and the confusion of ignorance.

[2] Two deaths: short life and death, changeable life and death.

Excerpted from Master Yin Guang's Buddhist Practice and Separation Law.