The first church of Zen
I sometimes consider American Zen centers have been apropos some-more similar to Christian churches. There is a flock, differently called a Sangha as well as a minister, a Zen master wearing his twenty pounds of robes who leads his group in chanting a Heart Sutra as well as you do shikantaza (lit. just sitting). The usually book a Zen master reveres is Dogen Zenjis Shobogenzo (lit. Treasury of a True Dharma Eye). We can consider of it as a New Testament of Zennot Old Testament Zen, a sources for which have been especially Chinese as well as Indian.
The usually eucharist is you do shikantaza; always remembering which use as well as Buddhahood have been one as well as a same thing. Each parishioner is instructed to do shikantaza as mindlessly as they can manage; in alternative words, do not have use of a frontal lobe which, by a way, is an critical partial of a brain noted for such senior manager functions as suppressing unsuitable social behavior, recognizing future consequences, as well as choosing in between rational as well as unwholesome actions, to name just a few.
The some-more a Zen parishioner does shikantaza a some-more Buddha they become. If a person can manage to do shikantaza for usually 10 mins prior to their back gives outthat is 10 mins of Buddhahood! Faith in a efficacy of shikantaza to have us Buddhas just by sitting, I cant stress enough, is as critical to Zen as a Nicene Creed is to Christianity which still serves, to this day, as a measuring rod of orthodox conviction which, incidentally, flattering much rubbed out a visionary side of Christianity.
One of a great Saints of a modern Zen church, Zen master Dainin Katagiri, helps us to see where a brand new Zen church with its New Testament have been heading. Pay careful courtesy to his words, Katagiri seems to be suggesting which a Buddhas difference have been not to be believed utterly lest you tumble in to a trap of mysticism. (Italics have been mine.)
Buddhist conviction includes understanding, use as well! as real ization. It is not a belief; it is not something which seems to be true, referred to by somebody else. Dogen Zenji warns us not to believe Buddhas or a ancestors messages as a law completely. Even a Buddha as well as ancestors can have a mistake. This doesnt mean you should be arrogant as well as emanate Buddhas teaching as you like. We should accept a Buddhas as well as ancestors teachings, but still keep a eyes open. This is really important, since its flattering easy to tumble in to a trap of mysticism; there have been lots of things you cannot know. But if you all accept something you dont know, it becomes transparent for us. This is a practice: conviction is to have a mind transparent as well as pure (Katagiri, Returning to Silence, p. 132).
We cant assistance but note which when Katagiri says, But if you all accept something you dont know, it becomes transparent for us, his difference carillon almost perfectly with a Christian Tertullian who said: It is plausible since it is absurd, true since it is impossible. Besides alternative conspicuous thoughts by Katagiri which conviction is not belief, one cannot assistance but be amazed which conviction alone will have a mucky mind transparent as well as pure; to illustrate you avoid a visionary trap of having to essentially realize pure Mind. We just sit, in alternative words. Faith belief alone shall save thee.
