Zen & the Lapwing

Greetings world. A good friend of mine who lives far away has been kind enough to visit my blog and ask me two questions. Before I respond I'd like whoever's reading to know that while I'm writing this I'm thoroughly exhausted (physically & intellectually). About two hours ago I completed my second-to-last exam of my first year of law school. It was three hours long and tremendously draining. I'm responding to my friend now because my neurons seem to have short circuited and I still haven't been able to motivate myself to study for the very last final exam this Thursday. Right after posting this, however, I'll have to hit the books. Can't believe I'll be done with first year in 48 hours.

Question #1: The name of my favorite bird i.e. Vanellus Melanocephalus, in English, is the Spot-Breasted Lapwing.

Question #2: "What do you mean that zen gives insight 'in more than an intellectual
sense'? Does this mean that you have to be spiritually involved and
become a monk? and does it mean that Zen Buddhism accepts the existence of
a supreme spiritual being"

Answer:
- There is no God in Buddhism. There are no spirits. There are no deities. There are no ghosts. There are no supernatural forces. There is only nature.

What I meant by the statement Zen gives insight "in more than an intellectual sense" I was referring to the fundamentally anti-intellectual nature of Zen. The Zen masters teach that wisdom is not, ultimately, to be found in books or in wise people such as Zen masters. One cannot become enlightened until one comes to the realization that the path to enlightenment is one you must discover for yourself and that you cannot reach it through scholarly study or by admiring & imitating this or that person. In the end, the Zen masters teach us, one must leave behind all books and all teachers. Books and teachers might be helpful at first but if we depend on them, if we cling to them, they become obstacles. Lin Chi, a famous Chinese Zen master, once said: "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." What did he mean by this? He meant, in the end, learning about the Buddha or reading about the Buddha or studying Buddhism is an obstacle. In the end you must free yourself of all this. I know this is hard to understand. That's because ultimately, Zen resists intellectual explanations. It tells us simply: when you walk, walk; when you eat, eat; when you sleep, sleep; when you work, work. There's more to it than that but the key message I'm trying to get across is that the intellect can become an obstacle to enlightenment.

Becoming "spiritually involved" according to Zen means strivint to lieave each moment fully conscious of what is happening inside of you and in your surroundings, being fully aware of the 4 noble truths and traveling the 8-fold path. No more. No less.

And, finally, no it is not necessary or even advisable to become a monk. Monks are no closer to enlightment just because they are monks. It is important in the Zen tradition, however, to learn from masters. Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen school said the following:

"All know the Way, but few actually walk it. If you don't find a teacher soon, you'll live this life in vain. It's true, you have the buddha-nature. But without the help of a teacher you'll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher's help. If, though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn't need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you're so blessed, study hard, and by means of instruction you'll understand."

Until next time, may you all go in peace.
Sincerely,
Augustus Blossom
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