--- In [email protected], Neutral Milk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Zen, when approached superficially, can be very seductive to the
> anti-intellectual crowd. "Abandon words, abandon thinking", that must
> sound like heavenly music to thick-headed people. And Zen appears to
> be the most fierce advocate of the anti-intellectual attitude. No
> wonder so many bozos litter Zen meditation halls.
>
> Ah, but how deceptive that lure is. In truth, all the accomplished Zen
> masters throughout history have been intellectuals par excellence.
> Even Hui Neng, the allegedly 'illiterate' Sixth Patriarch, was an
> awesome intellectual, whose mental and intellectual prowess was beyond
> most mortals.
>
> It would be absolutely impossible to make any meaningful progress in
> Zen practice without engaging and exercising one's intellect to the
> fullest capacity.
Well, there are indeed a lot of - ergh lets say "less intellectually"
people - that have made considerable progress (if one may say so) in
zen training. I even heard about "dull" people (excuse me) that have
experienced enlightment. So intellectual capability is by no means
absolutely necessary to get into a meaningfull zen training.
- But no question about it: A certain degree of intellect is necessary
to lead such large Zen communities as they have existed in for example
old China or old Japan, where sometimes thousands of practitioners
gathered. In our times we could also say: a certain level of know how,
how to >>manage<< a large community is absolutely necessary.
Naturally people with "proper insight" AND these management
capabilities were choosen to lead a zen monastary as a zen master. But
- there were also others, others that have "understood" the way and
were living a somewhat quiter life, i.e. a life that has been not
recorded by historical chronists.
A word to Hui-neng: We literally do not know much about him. Most of
that what is known about him seems to be more legend than anything
else. Even the existence of Hui-neng could not be prooved as some
scholars write (see: Yampolsky, Philip B.: "The platform sutra of the
sixth patriarch" This work is trying to trace the evolving of that
sutra and the accompanying legends).
But I agree to you, if you are saying that some are too easily putting
down any intellectual discussion by simply saying: "Abandon words,
abandon thinking".
To sum it up: Intellectual thinking may help in zen training, but it
is by no means absolutely necessary.
Mike
Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi
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