Translator's Preface : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. iii TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE THIS little work is a collection of some of the lectures delivered by the Right Reverend Soyen Shaku., Lord Abbot of Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji, Kamakura, Japan, during his sojourn in this country, 1905-1906. He came here early...
The Story Of Deer Park : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 182 THE STORY OF DEER PARK 1 BRAHMADATTA, king of Brnas, one day went out hunting in the forest, where he saw two groups of deer, each of which consisted of five hundred individuals and was escorted by a leader. One of them wore a coat decorated...
Buddhist Faith : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 62 BUDDHIST FAITH. BUDDHISM is so deep and comprehensive--and, we might say, even unfathomable--that scholars are sometimes at a loss how and where to begin its measurement. In some respects it appears to be a chaotic mass of superstitions, while...
Immortality : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 53 IMMORTALITY 1 ONE of the many questions which I am very often requested to answer from the Buddhist point of view concerns the immortality of the soul. Thinking that this will also interest you, I wish to present my view on the question here. It...
Reply To A Christian Critic : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 121 REPLY TO A CHRISTIAN CRITIC (LETTER WRITTEN IN 1896 TO DR. JOHN H. BARROWS.) 1 DEAR SIR: Friends in America have sent me a number of the "Chicago Tribune", dated Monday, January 13, 1896, which contains the report of your second Haskell lecture...
Buddhism And Oriental Culture : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 170 BUDDHISM AND ORIENTAL CULTURE 1 ONE of the features peculiar to Buddhism and which appeals most powerfully to Oriental imagination is that man's life is not limited to this existence only, that if he thinks, feels, and acts truthfully, nobly...
The God Conception Of Buddhism : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 22 p. 23 THE TEACHINGS OF SOYEN SHAKU p. 24 p. 25 THE GOD-CONCEPTION OF BUDDHISM 1 AMONG the many critical opinions which are passed upon Buddhism by Christian or Western scholars, there are two which stand out most conspicuously and most...
Buddhist View Of War : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 193 BUDDHIST VIEW OF WAR 1 "THIS triple world 2 is my own possession. All the things therein are my own children. Sentient or non-sentient, animate or inanimate, organic or inorganic, the ten thousand things in this world are no more th...
The Phenomenal And The Supraphenomenal : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 111 THE PHENOMENAL AND THE SUPRAPHENOMENAL 1 Anic vata sankhra, Uppdavaya dhammino; Uppajjitv nirujjanti; Tesam vpasamo sukho 2 BEFORE entering upon an exposition of this stanza which I have selected for the subject of this morning's discourse, I...
Practice Of Dhyana : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 146 PRACTICE OF DHYANA THREE things are usually considered necessary for the realization of the Buddhist life: 1. "la" (moral precepts), 2, "Dhyna" (contemplation), 3, "Praj" (wisdom); and these are coperative and mutually related. To be a good...
Buddhist Ethics : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 69 BUDDHIST ETHICS PAI LU-TIEN, a famous Chinese poet, author, and statesman who lived in the thirteenth century of the Christian era, once went to see an eminent Buddhist monk whose saintly life was known far and near, and asked him if he would...
The Middle Way : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 90 THE MIDDLE WAY HUNG JEN, the fifth patriarch of the Dhyna sect in China, who died in 675 A.D., had many disciples. One day he made an announcement to them, saying that whoever was capable of giving a satisfactory proof of his thorough...
Ignorance And Enlightenment : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 126 IGNORANCE AND ENLIGHTENMENT. THE fundamental idea of Buddhism is "to disperse the clouds of ignorance in order to make the moon of enlightenment shine out in her glory." By ignorance Buddhism understands the assertion of self-will, which is...
The Sutra Of Forty Two Chapters : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 3 THE SUTRA OF FORTY-TWO CHAPTERS 1 HAVING attained Buddhahood, the World-honored One thought thus: "To be free from the passions and to be calm, this is the most excellent Way." p. 4 He was absorbed in Great Meditation, 1 subdued all evil ones...
The Wheel Of The Good Law : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 101 THE WHEEL OF THE GOOD LAW BUDDHISM is a religion which originated in India some five hundred years before the Christian Era. Its founder was Siddhartha Gautama, of royal lineage, who, becoming dissatisfied with the life he was born to enjoy...
At The Battle Of Nan Shan Hill : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 198 AT THE BATTLE OF NAN-SHAN HILL 1 ALL that I can say is, "It beggars description!" Verily, it is the acme of brutality and recklessness conceived in this world of individualization ("nmarpa"). Even the fight between the Asura and Sakrendr...
Spiritual Enlightenment : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 132 SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT THERE are many characteristic points of divergence between religion and philosophy, though they have so much in common that some scholars, broadly speaking, take religion for practical philosophy and philosophy...
Untitled : * This is a book of essays by a Zen Buddhist Abbot who visited the United States in 1905-6, translated by another figure who was instrumental in introducing Buddhism to the West, Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. Originally titled Sermons of a Buddhist Abbot, it has been reprinted in numerous editions...
The Story Of The Gem Hunting : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 186 THE STORY OF THE GEM-HUNTING 1 IN ancient times there was a king who had among his valuable possessions a precious stone which he most highly prized. An attendant of his one day dropped it accidentally in a very deep lake which was in his palace...
An Address Delivered At A Service Held : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 204 AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT A SERVICE HELD IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED IN THE RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR (AT THE GOLDEN GATE HALL, NOVEMBER, 1905.) I AM requested here to-night to speak concerning our brethren who fell in the greatest and most sanguinary war...
Title Page : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], SERMONS OF A BUDDHIST ABBOT [ZEN FOR AMERICANS] Addresses On Religious Subjects BY THE RT. REV. SOYEN SHAKU, Lord Abbot Of Engaku-ji And Kencho-ji, Kamakura, Japan, Including The Sutra Of Forty-two Chapters; TRANSLATED FROM THE JAPANESE BY DAISETZ...
Kwannon Bosatz : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 160 KWANNON BOSATZ THE topic of my discourse to-day is Kwannon Bosatz, or Goddess of Mercy as she is commonly known. I am not going, let it be remarked at the beginning, to make any historical investigation of this deity, or Bodhisattva according...
Assertions And Denials : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 37 ASSERTIONS AND DENIALS THERE are two avenues leading to the realization of the Buddhist life; one may be called positive and the other negative. They are complementary and mutually supporting. They are like the two sides of a shield, the two wings...
The Sacrifice For A Stanza : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 189 THE SACRIFICE FOR A STANZA 1 IN one of his many previous births on this earth, Buddha appeared as a son of a Hindu prince. Desirous to gain spiritual insight into the ultimate reason of existence, he retired to the solitude and quietness...
What Is Buddhism : * Zen for Americans, by Soyen Shaku, [1906], p. 79 WHAT IS BUDDHISM? 1 IT seems to be very appropriate and even necessary at the outset to draw a well-defined line of demarcation between what is understood as Hinayna Buddhism and what is known as Mahyna Buddhism. Most people imagine that there is...