The Training of the Zen Buddhist Monk by Suzuki Daisetz Teitaro

Author:Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro [Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Philosophy, Religion
ISBN: 9781462901456
Goodreads: 17273803
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 1934-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Footnote

1 For another example like this, see my Zen Essays, III, p. 35.

VI. LIFE OF MEDITATION

VI. LIFE OF MEDITATION

1

Now we come to the central facts of the Zendo life, which constitute the characteristic training given to the Zen monk. The term meditation does not quite express the idea prevailing here, and what it really means when it is used in connection with the life of the Zen monk will become intelligible as we go on with its description below. Before going further, let me acquaint you with the construction of the Zendo.

The Meditation Hall (zendo in Japanese and ch'an-t'ang in Chinese), as it is built in Japan, is generally a rectangular building of variable size according to the number of monks to be accommodated. As this number however does not as a rule exceed one hundred, the size of the Zendo is to that extent limited. The one at Engakuji, Kamakura, which was reconstructed after the earthquake of 1923, measures about 36 feet by 65 feet, which can contain fifty or more monks.

It has two entrances. The front one is shown in the Plate 24 and the rear one in the Plate 25. The tablet at the top of the entrance (PI. 24) reads Shō-bō-gen Dō meaning "The Hall of the Eye of the Right Dharma," because the hall is intended for opening the Dharma-eye of the occupants who with it can see into the secrets of life and the world. The square board of wood which the monk is about to strike is used for various purposes: to call the monks to meals, lectures, services, etc., or to tell them that the meditation hour has begun or ended. The characters on the board read:

"Birth and death is a grave event;

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