Sit

by Taisen Deshimaru

  When World War II broke out Deshimaru was sent to direct a Japanese-controlled copper mine on the Island of Bangka. The Bangka inhabitants, mostly Chinese, were undergoing methodic torture and mass beheadings at the hands of the invading army, and Deshimaru couldn't stand by and watch. He took up the people's cause and soon found himself undergoing somewhat similar treatment in a Japanese Army prison. Going from prison to prison he ended up in an American prisoner-of-war camp in Singapore.

  When the war was over he remained with Kodo Sawaki, traveling with him to the different regions of Japan. After leaving Eiheiji, Kodo Sawaki never set up his own dojo or temple, but taught in the prisons, at the universities and around the countryside, and so his name, "Homeless Kudo." When Sawaki died in 1965, Deshimaru buried the master's skull outside the Temple of Antaiji, then left for Russia and Europe.

  He arrived in Paris in 1967, unannounced and unexpected. Not having been sent by any organization, religious or otherwise, he could act as he wished. Furthermore, he had no family (he had left them behind in Japan), and no money, and he knew virtually no one. He was just a Zen monk and he was completely free. Making friends with some macrobiotic people, Deshimaru set down his mat and zafu in the basement of the shop. To earn money he gave massages. He also helped in the shop by carrying packages in and out of the basement where he slept. People came to him for massages, and some stayed to sit. Soon a dojo arose, first in Paris, then in the French provinces and in other countries. In 1979 he established himself and his disciples at the Gendronniere, in the Loire Valley, south of Paris.

  Deshimaru was not part of the Japanese export stream. He was not a Zen missionary sent over by the Soto heirarchy in Japan. This bureaucratic hierarchy sends its monks and its roshis to the West with officialized lineage transmissions (shihos), and with expenses paid. These lineages, which originally flowed from the Buddha-to-the-master-to-the-disciple, now flow for the most part from the Buddha-to-the-father-to-the-son. Indeed, the Buddha's teaching is presently being disseminated in the West through lineages based on birthright.

  Deshimaru had received the essence of the Zen teaching from his master, I shin den shin, but its true he did not have the official Soto shiho, and this meant, among other things, that his teaching wasn't recognized in Japan. Much later, of course, when his mission had grown almost to what it is today, he finally did receive official recognition from the authorities in Japan. The late Reirin Yamada Zenji wrote in his preface to The Voice of the Valley that, "Kodo Sawaki gave Deshimaru the monk ordination, and with it Zen as transmitted from Buddha to Buddha and from patriarch to patriarch. Kodo Sawaki died abruptly however, and as the representative of the Great Master, as well as Chief of Eiheiji, I, Yamada, officially gave Taisen Deshimaru the

  Meanwhile, a sangha grew around the master, and within ten years of his arrival in France the number of people sitting with Deshimaru during the summer retreats numbered around fifteen hundred.

  "I was very impressed by the story of Gensha,"4 said Deshimaru one day while giving a teaching on this Zen master. "While we only know very little of the history of Zen Buddhism, it's remarkable to see that for the most part, Zen masters and patriarchs who have created the history of Zen don't come from ecclesiastic backgrounds, but from backgrounds that were very difficult to disengage themselves from. Either they came from great aristocratic families or princedoms, or from backgrounds of complete poverty. These monks were beckoned by the idea of an authentic vocation. They were just the opposite to the great number who, because of their birthright, found them selves obliged to assure the responsibility of their position as monks-or by those who became monks out of deception or despair or from misanthropy, or simply by those who sought only personal advantages and profit. The latter I can't respect: they are far removed from the pure faith that has lived in sincere men, who have throughout time accomplished virtually impossible masterpieces. Purity, purity of mind, led these great men like Gensha, Dogen or Kodo Sawaki,s men without torment or anxiety, without complications, without prejudice. The cosmic life-force penetrated them unconsciously, naturally, automatically, filling them suddenly with complete determination. It awakened such men to true mind, allowing them to create the greatest masterpieces without the least shadow of a doubt...."

  Be this as it may, the growing number of followers did not change Deshimaru very much, his teaching always remained the same. In the old days, when he taught in a small room off the Avenue du Maine in the 14th arrondissement, when no one even did the ceremony let alone wore black robes, until today at the temple de la Gendronniere, with the dojo full of disciples in black robes, rakusus and kesas, the teaching still remained the same. "To understand oneself," explained the master, "is to understand the universe. The microcosm and the macrocosm are one. Evolution always begins with the individual. If a man takes one step forward, he carries the world consciousness one step forward."

  ZEN TODAY

  Today there exist Rinzai and Soto Zen, and connected to these two main schools are other sub-branches, some whose monks do zazen without the kesa and some without any ceremony at all. Then there are some who think of God during zazen, while others work on their koans. Some schools combine koan practice and shikantaza (literally, "zazen sitting only"), sometimes doing one, sometimes doing the other. Professor H. Finney of the University of Vermont writes about Zen practice in the States: "A final growth strategy employed by some of the Zen centers is syncretism. To make the practice of Zen more familiar and culturally meaningful, some teachers have sought to blend it with aspects of religion or other spiritual practices already familiar to Americans. "6

  The results from such a syncretism had already been witnessed in Nyojo's time during the Sung dynasty. Zen masters in those days began mixing the philosophy and practice in Zen with that of Taoism and Confucianism. Nyojo, who was Dogen's own master, was a strong critic of this blending: and so he taught only shikantaza, only zazen. But it was too late (said Deshimaru). Nyojo was the last of the great Chinese masters; after he died, Soto Zen, which had become so watered down by intellectual discussions and by koan-talk, all but vanished from China. (It's worth noting that Buddhism vanished from the Indian continent in pretty much the same way one thousand years earlier. "Indeed, Buddhism disappeared from India because of inappropriate mixing with Hinduism rather than because of Muslim conquest," writes Sivaraksa, a French Catholic priest in Thailand.')

  Master Deshimaru was completely hostile to this sort of mixing, the sort of amalgamation that had occurred during Nyojo's time, and the sort that was occurring today. In fact, Deshimaru had on occasion drawn the parallel between himself and Nyojo, and between the time of Nyojo and his own time-our time. Like Sekito, Nyojo and Dogen before him, Deshimaru also wished to "discover which teaching was the 'truest' or the 'deepest.' "

  (People tend to think that it's a bad thing to compare. They can mix one teaching with another maybe, but when it comes to saying: "This teaching is better than that one," it's just not done. Particularly in religion. When it comes to religion, we are entreated-to use Christmas Humphreys' words-"to busy ourselves with where we agree, and not with where we differ." Be this as it may, without true criticism, says the master, religion dies. "I must make a profound comparison and not just light criticism," says Deshimaru in this book. "Rinzai Zen is sometimes very accurate. Certain points in the Rinzai Roku impressed me very much. But now I understand that Dogen's Zen is much deeper. So this is why I compare them now.")

  What was most important to Deshimaru wasn't so much this issue of the purity or impurity of the One Teaching, as it was the kesa, the monk's robe you receive during the ordination. "Japanese monks have forgotten the true kesa, " he said in the closing pages of this book. "Today they wear the kesa for ceremony and during funeral services, but in daily life, and during their travels, one does not see many kesas... But now this kesa is spreading in the West. Those [who wear the kesa] are the treasures of this East-West exchange: they are historical treasures. Since two or three thous
and years, right up to today, the transmission of the kesa has continued. All civilizations change, and so too do the religions: they pass on like water in a stream. Like bubbles on water. But zazen and the true kesa have continued until today, from patriarch to patriarch; from China and Japan, and now to Europe. Zazen and the kesa have again become fresh."

  VAL D'ISERE:

  The dojo and the kusens

  During these five weeks in Val d'Isere we sat in rows, one behind the other, four and five deep. Beyond the large French windows above the heads of those in zazen, some snow-capped mountains could be seen, and the river d'Isere could be heard rushing beneath the dojo. According to the custom, the master was seated to the right of the entrance, and to the left sat the four kyosakumen. Directly to the right of the master sat the simultaneous translator. Next in line sat the secretary, and then the transcribers. There were two transcribers, one of them writing the teaching down in French, the other (myself, an American) in the original English. These kusens (oral teachings) were given by the master in broken English, and written down by the editor of this book and adapted by him into current English.

  A) ALTAR

  B) DRUM

  C) BELL

  D) MOKUGYO

  E) TATAMI

  F) MASTER

  G) SECRETARY

  H) PILLAR

  1) KYOSAKU MEN

  I) 5HU55O

  K) ZAFUS

  L) GAITAN

  Master Deshimaru, in quoting from the Rinzai Roku and other texts written originally in Japanese or Chinese (as he does throughout this sesshin), often spontaneously adapted the translations to suit the needs of his listeners in the present situation. At other times he translated directly from these original texts, also rendering spontaneously. In this edition, every attempt has been made to verify sources, but this was not always possible. The editing process was somewhat handicapped in not having access to all the texts that the master used. Unless otherwise stated, therefore, the reader is advised to consider the translations of the texts mentioned in the master's teaching to be his own adaptations, not the verbatim versions of translators.

  This book is not the work of a Zen writer nor of a Buddhist scholar, but rather that of a disciple: an ordained monk, who sat regularly with the master from 1972 until his death on April 30, 1982.

  Philippe Coupey Paris 19/9/95

  Dogen Kigen (1200-1253)

  Koun Ejo (1198-1280)

  Tettsu Gikai (1219-1309)

  Keizan Jokin (1268-1325)

  Meiho Sotetsu (1277-1350)

  Shugan Dochin ( -1387)

  Tessan Shikaku (- 1376)

  Kegan Eisho ( -1412)

  Chuzan Ryoun ( - 1432)

  Gizan Tonin ( - 1462)

  Shogaku Kenryu ( - 1485)

  Kinen Horyu ( - 1506)

  Teishitsu Chisen ( - 1536)

  Kokei Shojun ( - 1555)

  Sekiso Juho (- 1574)

  Kaiten Genju (- 1632)

  Shuzan Shunsho ( -1647)

  Chozan Giketsu (1581-1672)

  Fukushu Kochi ( -1664)

  Myodo Yuton ( -1668)

  Hakuho Genteki (1594-1670)

  Gesshu Soko (1618-1696)

  Tokuho Ryoko (1648-1709)

  Mokushi Soen (1673-1746)

  Gankyoku Gankei (1683-1767)

  Kokoku Soryu

  Rosetsu Ryuko

  Ungai Kyozan

  Shoryu Koho

  Shokoku Zenko

  Somon Kodo Sawaki (1880-1965)

  Mokudo Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982)

  NO STEPS TO CLIMB

  Don't move!

  Not to move; this is the most important principle in zazen.

  Stretch the backbone. Don't drop the thumbs. During zazen to concentrate means to concentrate on your posture.

  Only shikantaza. Do not disturb others, do not become aggressive. It is not good and it is not profitable to try to distinguish oneself. Mushotoku: no object.

  This is very important. Just shikantaza. Follow the cosmic order. Not for one's own ego, not for individual ego. But to become close-to touch-true mind.

  This is the meaning of sesshin.

  In daily life, we are always following egoistic mind. In sesshin, we must abandon egoistic mind and follow the cosmic order. We must become the mountain, we must follow the sound of the valley. It is a fine sound, the river d'Isere flowing below the dojo window.

  When we do zazen alone, it is not the same as when we do it with others. To do it alone the result is not so deep. And to continue doing it alone is difficult. But to do zazen with many others is the same as many logs burning.

  As of today, there are more than two hundred people practicing zazen here in this dojo. They come from all over Europe, from America, from Japan, and from all over the world. This is completely an international sesshin. Those who practice here today will become eternal spiritual friends. One's family is only a family and lasts one lifetime; but you who are here practicing together, you are creating links through eternity.

  What is satori? Satori means zazen. Zazen itself is satori. Satori means to return to the normal condition of mind and of body. In modern civilization most people are in an abnormal condition in both mind and body.

  Zazen is the best method for returning to the normal condition, quickly. There are no steps to climb.

  9 P.M.

  TWO BRAINS:

  The great crisis

  Now, how do we think during zazen?

  Some meditations teach us not to think. Other meditations, such as the Christian one, teach us to imagine God or Christ and to communicate with him. This is a form of thinking. Both methods are bad.

  How do we think during zazen? Think about non-thinking. Don't think about thinking.

  How do we think about non-thinking? How do we think about thinking? Hishiryo.

  Hishiryo is the secret of zazen. It is the secret method of Zen. Hi means absolute, it means beyond. Shiryo means thinking. So we must be beyond thinking.

  Here and now, concentrate.

  This is the meaning of sesshin.

  How do we think from the bottom of thinking? How do we not-think from the bottom, from the state, of non-thinking? Hishiryo-tei. (Tei means bottom or state.)

  How do we solve the contradictions existing between the frontal brain-the intelligence which is always counting profit and the central brain, the thalamus?

  It is more difficult for human beings to function through the thalamus than for animals. The intellectual prefers to use his frontal brain, his mental abilities, than to use his instinctive brain, which is based on practice.

  A great imbalance has arisen between these two brains, and this imbalance is the cause of the most dangerous crisis existing in the history of modern civilization. Modern psychology has confirmed this. All religions, all moral doctrines, must in the end deal with this problem.

  Our system of education is based on developing the frontal brain and filling it up like an encyclopedia.

  Still, we have the impulse to follow the original instincts and desires of mankind: to act, to eat, to make love; to go to the Santa Lucia (the local bar) and to move about and to dance; to love and to feel passion. This is instinct coming from the central brain. These are actions arising from the thalamus.

  How do we solve this contradiction, this dualism? How do we solve the problem existing between the material and the spiritual? Between natural medicine and chemical pharmaceutical medicine? Between the real and the ideal? Between the evolutionist and the traditionalist? Between the artificial and the natural? Between the negative and the affirmative? Between the individual and the community? Between the civilized and the wild? Between the philosophic and the methodologic? Between movement and non-movement? Between the objective and the subjective?

  How do we solve these dualistic contradictions of the human condition? This is the problem of mankind; almost all people answer them on one side or on the other. But this is not possible, and so we have the great crisis of modern c
ivilization.

  In modern times many "isms" have arisen. And so we have created the comparative. Yet there is only one summit to the mountain.

  Chukai!

  U LY 22 / 7.30 A.M.

  SOFT EDUCATION OR HARD?

  (The master arrives right after the beginning of zazen. A nun, ringing a small bell, walks in front of him. The master does gassho and takes his seat. After about forty minutes of silence, the master addresses the assembly:)

  Zazen is the best posture of the human being. Zazen is satori; it is God; it is Buddha.

  When I enter the dojo at the beginning of zazen, I dogassho not only for the posture of the Buddha, but for your posture as well. For your living Buddha posture. For what you are now.

  Scientific education, university and school education-these are mostly intellectual methods developed in Europe during the Renaissance. This education is based primarily on the accumulation of knowledge. And it develops only the frontal brain of man.

  In modern times education is too soft. You here all receive soft educations. You have all received educations which make your minds become like encyclopedias.

  Which is better, soft education or hard? Is the Spartan education correct? (In the past in England and still today at Gordonstoun school' they educate very strongly, like the army.) Is this the correct way?

  Which is better, the Zen developed in China, or the Buddhism of India?... Indian Buddhism, like modern Hindu meditation, has become imaginative-they both think with the brain.