Nyogen Senzaki

Like D. T. Suzuki, Nyogen Senzaki came to America at the instigation of Soyen Shaku. He stayed because he believed the American psyche was suited to Zen; he considered it more inclined to practical activity than to philosophical speculation.

“Because Buddhism is not a revealed religion,” he wrote, “its wisdom is not derived from any Supreme Being, nor from any agents of His. The Buddhist believes that we must attain wisdom through our own striving, just as we obtain scientific and philosophical knowledge only by independent effort. To attain prajna [wisdom], we strive in meditation and avoid conceptual speculation.”

He felt that the American mind, “with its scientific cast,” was naturally drawn to Zen. “The alert adaptability of the American mind finds in Zen a quite congenial form of spiritual practice.” 

[Nyogen Senzaki portrait by Molly Macnaughton]

The Third Step: 41-56; 9, 59, 61, 67, 69, 102, 111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 122, 127, 138, 148, 149, 150-52, 156, 161, 163, 168, 172

The Story of Zen: 5-6, 229-43, 266, 269, 280-82, 305, 320

D. T. Suzuki

 Through his books and popular lectures, D. T. Suzuki – a student of Soyen Shaku – was largely responsible for introducing Zen to the west.

Alan Watts told of an incident at one of Suzuki’s presentations when “—a member of the audience asked him, ‘Dr. Suzuki, when you use the word “reality,” are you referring to the relative reality of the physical world, or to the absolute reality of the transcendental world?’ He closed his eyes and went into that characteristic attitude which some of his students call ‘doing a Suzuki,’ for no one could tell whether he was in deep meditation or fast asleep. After a minutes’ silence, though it seemed longer, he opened his eyes and said, ‘Yes.’”

[D T Suzuki portrait by Molly Macnaughton]

The Third Step East: 23-39; 9, 10, 21-22, 43, 56, 59, 66, 68, 78, 79-80, 82, 88, 95, 97,98, 101, 102, 103, 112, 113, 121, 127, 135, 147, 148, 158, 168, 172, 203, 204, 237-38

The Story of Zen: 5-6, 13-14, 160, 216-25, 231, 233, 234, 237, 244-47, 249-50, 252, 255, 265, 270, 280-81, 296, 302, 320, 337, 345, 370, 399, 424

Soyen Shaku

 

After completing his formal Zen training in Japan, Soyen Shaku spent three years in Ceylon studying Theravada Buddhism. When it was time to return home, his journey included going from Singapore to Thailand on a steamship. He had almost no money and could only afford to travel as a deck passenger. He still wasn’t used to the tropical heat and the glare of the sun on the open deck of the ship was a misery. There was little water, and he had no food. To make his situation even worse, the ship had to anchor on the coast at the mouth of a river in order to wait for the turn of the tide. The deck passengers were immediately attacked by hordes of mosquitoes. As evening approached, dark clouds appeared in the distance which only made the humidity more oppressive, and he could get no rest because of the heat and the voracious pests. Finally, he found a small area on the deck which provided a little privacy. There he removed most of his clothing and formed it into a cushion. Sitting on it, he entered into meditation allowing the mosquitoes to feed as much as they liked on his bare skin.  For a while the drone of the feeding insects prevented him from achieving samadhi, but eventually he succeeded and his mind became fully concentrated. He was no longer aware of the mosquitoes, the heat, or his thirst. When a rainstorm roused him from his meditation, he heard in the distance a temple bell ringing, and he smiled in contentment. Looking about he saw that a number of bright red wild berries of some kind had fallen about him. Examining them more closely, he discovered they were not berries at all, but mosquitoes so engorged with his blood that they were unable to fly.

[Soyen Shaku portrait by Molly Macnaughton] 

Zen Masters of Japan: 295-99

The Story of Zen: 213-23, 229-34, 337

Imakita Kosen

Imakita Kosen described his experience of awakening this way: “One night during zazen practice the boundary between before and after suddenly disappeared. I entered into the blessed realm of the totally wondrous. It was as if I had arrived at the ground of the Great Death with no memory of the existence of anything, not even myself. All I remember is an energy in my body that spread out over ten times ten-thousand worlds and a light that radiated endlessly. At one point, as I took a breath, seeing and hearing, speaking and moving suddenly became different from what they had normally been. As I sought for the highest principle and the wondrous meaning of the universe, my own self became clear and all things appeared bright. In this abundance of delight, I forgot that my hands were moving in the air and my feet were dancing.”

Zen Masters of Japan: 294-95]

The Story of Zen: 213-17

Ogino Dokuon

 A Zen student called upon Ogino Dokuon. Desiring to show the master his level of  attainment, he said: “The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received.”

Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Then, suddenly, he hit the student with his bamboo pipe, making the young man jump to his feet in anger.

“If nothing exists,” inquired Dokuon, “where did this anger come from?”

Zen Masters of Japan: 293-94