ZEN MESTEREK ZEN MASTERS
« Zen főoldal
« vissza a Terebess Online nyitólapjára
Zhi Yong
The Department of Religion, Temple University, Philadelphia 19122, PA, USA
浙江大学公共管理学院 School of Public Adminstration, Zhengzhou University, China
Dr. Yong Zhi, a professor of philosophy, has taught variety of humanity courses at universities both in China and the United States. He is also a published poet writing both in English and Chinese. He has recently published his new collection of poetry in Chinese titled The Spirit Beyond the Sky. Dr. Zhi is truly a renaissance person as he holds degrees in science and philosophy, and practices academia as well as spirituality across East and West.
Zen of Poetry, the Poetry of Zen: The Poetic Leap in the Journey of Enlightenment
by Yong Zhi,
Temple University,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2003,
249
pages
This dissertation intends to understand the experience of Zen enlightenment from a perspective of Zen poetics. Enlightenment is understood as an existential leap, which delivers people from the habitually or conventionally established world into new horizons of the mind. This leap is a breakthrough in one's overall consciousness rather than in contemplative thought. Therefore, it The poetic language provides a significant alternative for capturing this leap and revealing the spiritual meaning and the practical wisdom of enlightenment. We characterize this leap as poetic not only because poetry provides a means for the expression, transmission, and realization of the leap, but also because the leap essentially defines poetry, which is not only a practice of writing but also a way of the mind.
PDF: Poetic Leaps in Zen's Journey of Enlightenment
by Zhi, Yong
iUniverse, Bloomington, IN., 2012, 220 pages
Contents
Introduction
The enlightenment may be achieved in silence
but can be transmitted by poetryINTRODUCTION
This book intends to analyze and illustrate the experience of Zen enlightenment from a perspective that is both philosophical and poetic. Enlightenment is understood as an existential breakthrough, which delivers people from the habitually or conventionally established mind set into new horizons of consciousness. This breakthrough takes place in one’s overall consciousness rather than only in cognitive thought. Therefore, it cannot be adequately described on an abstract level with a conceptual paradigm. The poetic language provides a significant alternative for capturing this leap and revealing the spiritual meaning and the practical wisdom of enlightenment. We characterize this existential breakthrough as poetic leap not only because poetry provides a means for the expression, transmission, and realization of such existential leap, but also because the leap essentially defines poetry, which is not only a practice of writing but also a way of the mind.
The poetic perspective in the understanding of Zen provides new aspects of the enlightenment. First, enlightenment is an endless journey of practice, consisting of the action that transcends causality or karma, the determinate pattern of life. Second, enlightenment, as an experiential breakthrough in the practice, renders a poetic mind characterized by ongoing transformations of consciousness. Third, this state of the mind is effectively expressed and transmitted in poetic language. Fourth, the realization of enlightenment gives rise to the eccentric Zen characters who embody extraordinary goodness, reflecting Zen’s searching for the unity of ethics and aesthetics. The discussion is structured according to the ten ox-herding pictures, a classical roadmap of the journey of enlightenment. The succession of these pictures vividly depicts the leaps in the process, with each picture, along with its supplementary poem and commentary, representing one leap or breakthrough. In this process, a subject engages and wrestles with the object through various stages until the distinction between the two is transcended in samadhi, the extraordinary experience attained at the culmination of Zen practice. This experience dramatically purifies and illuminates one’s view of the world and society and enables the enlightened one to mingle with others, both morally and aesthetically.
Chapter 1
THE POETIC PERSPECTIVE1.1 The Statement of the Problem
1.2 The Thesis and Its Ramifications
1.3 An overview
1.4 Methodological Considerations
Chapter 2
ZEN's FOUR MOTTOS AND THE POETIC LANGUAGE2.1 “A Special Transmission Outside the Doctrines”
2.2 “Not to establish language”
2.3 “Direct Point to the Mind”
2.4 “Seeing into one's Nature and Attain the Buddhahood”
Cf.
Zen's Four Mottos and the Poetic Language
Asian Culture and History, Vol. 5, No. 1 , January 2013
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ach/article/view/19562/13722Chapter 3
THE POETIC TRANSMISSION3.1 Heidegger: Poetry Discloses Being
3.2 Daoism: The Poetic Speaking of Dao
3.3 Zen: The Poetry of Enlightenment
Cf.
The Poetic Transmission of Zen Buddhism
Asian Culture and History, Vol. 5, No. 2 , July 1, 2013
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ach/article/viewFile/20491/15799Chapter 4
POETIC ACT: THE LEAPS IN THE RISING OF ACTION4.1 Transcending Causality
4.1.1 A Philosophical Review on Causality of Actions
4.1.2 Zen's Reflection on Causality
4.1.3 The Leap to Actions
4.2 Actions as the events of Enlightenment
4.3 Seeking the Path of Action
4.3.1 Wander in Wilderness: the First Ox-herding Picture
4.3.2 Discover the Path: the Second Ox-herding Picture
4.3.3 Focus on the Object: the Third Ox-herding Picture
4.4 The Stages of Interactions Between Subject and Object
4.4.1 Engage the Object: the Fourth Ox-herding Picture
4.4.2 Control the Object: the Fifth Ox-herding Picture
4.4.3 The Harmonious Interplay Between Subject and Object: the Sixth Ox-herding Picture
Cf.
Human Actions Illustrated in Zen's Ox-Herding Pictures
Humanities 2012, 1 (3), 166-177
http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/1/3/166/htmChapter 5
POETIC MIND: THE LEAPS AS TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE MIND5.1 The Odyssey of the Mind and the Leap of Consciousness: The Seventh Ox-herding Picture
5.1.1 The Travel of the Mind
5.1.2 The Leaps and Levels of Consciousness
5.2 One-mind: Continuing the Seventh Ox-herding Picture
5.2.1 The Analytical Description of Samadhi
5.2.2 Poetic Expression of Samadhi
5.2.3 Toward Deeper Concentration
5.3 Empty-mind: The Eighth Ox-herding Picture
5.3.1 The Existential Meaning of Nothingness: the Logical Expression
5.3.2 Emptiness as Practical Wisdom: Poetic Expressions
5.3.3 Three Modes of Empty-mind
5.3.3.1 Emptiness as Detachment
5.3.3.2 Emptiness as Samadhi
5.3.3.3 Emptiness in Trance
5.4 The Illumination: The Ninth Ox-herding Picture
5.4.1 Estrangement and De-familiarization
5.4.2 The Ordinary Mind and Returning to Nature
5.4.4 The Flowing of the World
Chapter 6
POETICIZE THE GOOD: THE ECCENTRICITY OF ZEN CHARACTERS6.1 The Samadhi with People: The Tenth Ox-herding Picture
6.1.1 Mingle with People
6.1.2 The Eccentric Character
6.1.2.1 The Non-positional Stand
6.1.2.2 The Buddha's laughter
6.1.2.3 The Appearance of Foolishness
6.2 Beyond Good and Evil: the Zen Character Ji-gong
6.2.1 A Salvation Story Featuring Ji-gong
6.2.2 Ji-gong's Goodness and Virtuosity
6.2.3 The Good in the Poetic Leap
6.3 The Conclusion: Poetry Speaks Truth
Cf.
Poeticize the Good—Eccentricity of Enlightened Zen Characters
Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol. 1, No. 4, Nov. 2012, pp. 15-31.
http://www.ajssh.leena-luna.co.jp/AJSSHPDFs/Vol.1%284%29/AJSSH2012%281.4-02%29.pdfAbout the Author
Work Cited
Endnotes
