The Three Pillars of Zen
by Roshi Philip Kapleau
Anchor, $14.95
Reviewed by Derek Ayre
Not long after World War II, Western and Eastern thinking began to integrate and the value of Zen practise began to be realised not just for its spiritual merits, but also in the way it provided both psychological and physical health.
However, Zen practise is certainly not for everyone as its rewards come about through strict discipline. And not only that, Zen rewards are almost impossible to define with words, especially via the Internet, due to the absence of the physical presence of a Zen teacher. Zen communicates through experiential practices. However, one such person who has done an excellent job of communicating Zen through the written word is the late Roshi Philip Kapleau.
In his excellent book The Three Pillars of Zen (which is indispensable for someone starting out in Zen), Kapleau explains the value of zazen (Zen meditation) over other forms of meditation thus...
"[In zazen]the mind is freed from bondage to all thought forms, visions, objects and imaginings and brought to a state of absolute emptiness, from which alone it may one day perceive its own true nature, or the nature of the universe." He goes on to say... "zazen is like a silent missile to penetrate the barriers of the five senses and the discursive intellect".
Penetrate the barriers of the five senses and discursive intellect? Is this something that is wanted or is it even wise to pursue?
In a word, 'yes, it is both wanted and wise', but for some people the activity of penetrating barriers of the intellect may prove to be worrying, or even fearsome. Would a person end up stupid and 'senseless' by attempting to control mind and thoughts in such a way?
No, this is not something that will happen. The aim of Zen practice is to transcend the intellectual mind and achieve a higher state of awareness, that is a different type of intelligence; an intelligence beyond mere knowledge. It is more about the development of wisdom and to transcend the intellect, is nothing to do with destroying the intellect.
In fact the first realisation of 'knowing nothing' is extremely liberating. And as for the mind being numbed and unable to function in the common everyday world is the furthest thing from the truth. In fact because of the practice of zazen, focus will improve and the ability to carry out intellectual tasks is greatly enhance. In fact, there are books written with titles such as Zen and the Art of Flower Arranging and Zen Archery written by Zen practitioners who are experts in their craft.
Is Zen a religion?
If the awareness of life is considered to be a religion, then yes, Zen is a religion but not in the conventional sense. Zen is a 'way' that can be applied to any religion - not just Zen Buddhism, but Zen Catholicism, Zen Judaism, to name just a few.
The Three Pillars of Zen…
The Three Pillars of Zen opens with a Foreword by Huston Smith (an American professor of philosophy) explaining how Zen came with Bodhidharma from India to China then some 600 years later, into Japan and from there all over the world.
From 1953 to 1965 Philip Kapleau underwent rigorous Zen
training under three Japanese Zen masters before being ordained in 1965 and
given permission to teach Zen. In fact, he was the first Westerner allowed to
observe dokusan in Japan, (dokusan is the private interviews between a Zen teacher and student). Kapleau
then returned to America and founded the Rochester Zen Center, New York in 1966. Sadly on May 6th
2004, Roshi Philip Kapleau died but even now, his spirit lives on in his work
and teachings.
In The Three Pillars of Zen, Kapleau explains not only the aim of Zen practice (which is ultimately enlightenment), but also the value of daily zazen. Furthermore, what is not generally discussed in meditation practice, the Roshi outlines the difficulties that a practitioner is likely to face in zazen along with practical solutions and lots and lots of inspiring words of encouragement.
Being almost 400 pages long and split into 3 parts, The Three Pillars of Zen is a mine of information. Kapleau provides quotes from Zen Masters throughout history and from interactions and lectures he has given modern day westerners. The Three Pillars of Zen is both interesting to read from cover to cover. Also value can be gained from reading single chapters or paragraphs now and then for inspiration, and in a true Zen fashion, the book can be opened and read at random.
Part one: This deals with teaching and Practice with precautions and advice about practising zazen, what to do when resistances and difficulties arise, the five varieties of Zen, three aims of zazen, parables, aspirations, private encounters between the Masters and westerners, letters from disciples and more.
Part two: Kapleau deals with enlightenment (the main aim of Zen) and gives anecdotes of the experiences of enlightenment from both Japanese and Westerners and what drove them to Zen in the first place. The westerners range from successful businessmen who became disillusioned with their role in life to people who had suffered profound loss that caused them to deeply question the meaning of their existence. And then there were those, who seemed to have been born with a profound burning question of what existence is all about that was beyond explanation.
Part three: The supplements. Here are talks from the ancient Masters on living a Zen-like life. A chapter on what is known as The Ten Oxherding Pictures with commentaries that outline the journey from the start of Zen practice to the final enlightenment process. And then there are useful illustrations about sitting postures for zazen from the lotus posture (crossed legged) to using a stool and/or chair for those who can't manage crossed-legged postures. There are also questions and answers about difficulties that have arisen from other meditators.
The Three Pillars of Zen is an invaluable reference book that Zen practitioners refer to again and again. If you only ever buy one book on Zen, get this one.
Derek Ayre, has run and managed Ayre Hypnotherapy in Cardiff , UK, since 1976. Derek’s use of hypnotherapy is Zen based utilising Zen practise and encouraging the use of meditation that produces a trance-like state very similar to self-hypnosis. Derek is a registered member of the National Council of Psychotherapists (UK) and the National Council of Hypnotherapists (UK)
Website: http://ayrehypnotherapy.com
Blog: http://piecesofzen.blogspot.com
