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Welcome to ZenBuddhism.info! A community contributed site focused on providing an in depth resource on Zen Buddhism.

What is Zen Buddhism?

Buddhism (Baudha-Dhamma/Dharma, 仏法、仏道、仏教, Awakened Way) is the teaching of the Buddha (Awakened One, 仏陀、仏、佛、ホトケ、覚者) for all to become buddha (awakened) by practice of the Awakened Way, living awakening in nirvana (nibbāna, nirvāņa,涅槃). He was born to a royal family Kapilavatthu, and named Gotama Siddhattha (Gau-tama Siddha-artha: Skt., Best-cow Objective-attained). His life time has been transmitted in two traditions, Northern/Mahayana Buddhism (北方・大乗仏教, 643-383 B.C.) and Southern/Theravada Buddhism (南方・長老仏教, a century earlier than the former). He was awakened to the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination (縁起=因縁生起), that is, all phenomena are dependently co-originate on causes and conditions (Twelve-libmed Dependent Co-origination is a comprehensive formula of it attributed to the Seven Buddhas including the Buddha Gotama himself). He foresaw the destruction of the world due to selfish karma, he aspired to save the world from destruction and dedicated his whole life to save it by going beyond karma (in the awakened life in nirvana). After his awakening he said to be Tathāgata (Thus-being, being in Thusness, 如来・如去), when he was called "Hey, Gotama!" He was called and identified in many ways - Bhagavān (Fortunate One, 薄迦梵), Sākiya-muni (Thoughtful One from Sākiya, 釈迦牟尼).

What is Zen?

(Zen (禅, from Chinese 禅：chan from Pali jhāna or Sanskrit dhyāna, meditation, to still karma (action, habit, heredity, 業) is the practice of Buddhism throughout daily and the whole life. Its core practice is sitting still in meditation (Zazen : sitting meditation), stilling karma (new and old; physical, verbal, and mental), because all living beings are karma-heirs, -owners, -machines, and –refuged, as the Buddha revealed and provided this way to be freed from karma (psycho-physical) and freely use it as refuge and restart. The first purpose of sitting is stilling karma to reach nirvana (no wind, of karma:karma-wind: body and mind: conception, emotion, volition, perception from habit and heredity), where one can be freed from sin (separation: selfishness, discrimination, destruction, 罪) and fully function holy (wholly wholesome), harmonious, healthy, and happy. From this vantage point of nirvana and awakening, we can cultivate and verify more awakening (''prajňā'': prognosis), freedom, equality, love, and peace, and live limitless life, light, liberation, likeness, and love, serving and saving all. Through concrete control, cultivation, and conditioning of the body, breathing, and brain-bowels (choshin, chosoku, choshin:調身、調息、調心）anyone can reach bliss and joy (dharma-bliss zen-joy: hoki-zen'etsu:法喜禅悦). The holy scripture informs us: When he did not get any food in his begging bowl, the devil advised to go back to get food, but the Buddha did not follow his advice, saying, "I live on joy." The joy is the utmost bliss (gokuraku: 極楽: sukha-vati: bliss-ful: joy-ful: pleasure-filled, usually translated as Pure Land, Heaven, etc., but the original word means the state of heart-world, existential state, not the physical place, cf. the Four Stages of Zen).

What is Buddhism?

The Buddha was awakened to the Dharma (Norm/form, 法) of all dharmas (forms/phenomena), i.e., Dependent Co-origination (all phenomena interdependently originate on causes and conditions), which is the base of all Buddhist principles and practices like the Triple Learning of sīla, śīla (morality, 戒), ''samādhi'' (concentration, 定), ''prajňā'' (prognosis, 音訳：般若、和訳：恵、慧、知恵、智慧). The most famous ones are the Four Holy Truths (catāri ariya-saccāni, cattari ārya-saccāni, 四聖諦) of suffering (in samsara), origination (of it: craving), cessation (of it: nirvana), and paths (magga, mārga, pațipadā, prațipadā, 道) (Eightfold Holy Path, 八聖道, Sixfold Perfection, of Prognosis, etc.). The Eightfold Holy Path consists of right view, thinking, speech, action, livelihood, striving, mindfulness, concentration, and prognosis (prajňā: insight, wisdom). The Fourfold Effort/Application, 四正勤, is decreasing and stopping bad karma, and increasing and starting good karma. The Fourfold Limitlessness, 四無量, or the Fourfold Pure Life (cattāro Brahma-vihāro, 四梵行・四梵住) consists of friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity, which is concretely realized by the Fourfold Embracing Matters, 四摂法, of giving, loving speech, beneficial action, and sameness (being/doing same).

Buddhists treasure and take refuge in the Triple Treasures (ti-ratana, tri-ratna) or the Triple Refuges (ti-saraņa, tri-saraņa) of Buddha, Dhamma (Dharma), and Sangha. The Buddha was called kamma-vādin(actionist, karma-advocate, lit. ‐talker), kiriyā-vādin (functionist, causalist, advocating causality coming from karma), and viriya-vādin(striving-advocate, cf. samana, şŗamana, strivers who were a new different group of strivers beside and paralleled with the traditional Brahmins, as expressed in a stock phrase of samana-brāhmaņa, 沙門婆羅門), which were inherited by his followers (those who believe in karma and kiriyā were accepted into the Sańgha without probation. They were also characterized as analysts (vivajja-vādin). All Buddhists respect their Triple Treasures/Refuges of Buddha, Dharma, and Sańgha (Community) and practice the Triple Learning with their basic scriptures, of all the Triple Baskets (Ți-Pițaka, Tri-Pițaka, 三蔵) of Sutta, Sūtra (Sermon, lit. Scripture, from suture, thread of aphorisms, 経, 経蔵), Vinaya (Discipline, lit. taming, training, 律, 律蔵), Abhi-Dhamma, Abhi-Dharma (Dharma Concordance, Treatises, lit. upon Dharma, 論, 論蔵). Buddhist Sangha (Sańgha, Community, 僧/僧伽, is composed of laymen, laywomen, male renouncers, and female renouncers. There are present/visible/local Sanghas and the universal/four-directional (worldwide) Sańgha (Catu-Sańgha, cf. 唐招提寺: tō-shōdai-ji: Tang-dynasty Sangha Temple).

What is Religion?

Different peoples defined religion differently in different areas and eras, such as opium of people, the holy, way. Etymologically religion is re-union (re-ligare, Latin). With what? With Way (Dao), God (Dei), Truth (Dharma), etc. Looking back human history and looking for the universal system, we may define it as “reunion with the holy (wholesome whole). Religions evolved from limited to limitless in time, space, scope, value, etc. (primitive to advanced, from local to global, from material to spiritual, tribal, world, universal, etc.). Religions developed from the “way of life” in limited sphere to the “way to life” in limitless scope. Religions devoted themselves to holiness (integration) from selfishness (disintegration, sinfulness, sin=separation, cf. asunder, sundry). As religions are human intuitions and institutions, they can fly high and fall low, supra-mundane and mundane, holy and selfish. Even though religious geniuses generated high ideals and actions, mass institutions degenerate them (due to karma influence). As they involve human practices and problems, they may progress as knowledge and behaviors refined, but regress into ancient and instinctive (by karma). Even after advanced sciences and accommodating ethics, many religions remain in ancient levels or instinctive sins. Religions often wield their own selfish interests and wage wars, calling them justice and holy. Religions even engage in extremes of fanaticism and fundamentalism, encouraging tyranny and terrorism. Religions become irreligious and irresponsible. Religions must become holy (wholly: all-inclusive and wholesome). Practitioners must practice holiness in truth and peace. They must wake up from delusion (of selfishness, delusions and desires: called the triple poisons, due to karma) and cultivate responsible and ethical behaviors. They must accept universal truth as revealed by sciences and follow universal ethic (no killing, stealing, lying, etc.). Otherwise they are not truly holy. Religions should not create problems and sufferings, but rather solve them in genuine holy heart and accountable actions. Religions should accept objective observations in rigorous rules (natural sciences) and follow rational rules of common codes (common ethics). Religions should be holy (wholly wholesome). Or else no practice should claim “religion,” (holiness).

What is the Paradigm Shift?

"Paradigm" is the fundamental framework of a system (truth-knowledge, ethic-action, science, society, etc.). Unprecedented "human hegemony" with civilization paradigm has changed the global system and caused the global problematique (intertwined problems) of wars, disasters, pollution (air, water, earth by chemical matters, radiation, , ozone hole, global warming, etc.), mass extinction (the sixth one by humankind, the previous five were nature caused), etc. Civilization (= urbanization, from civitas: city, Latin) started 5 millennia (10 sec. according to the Cosmic Calendar) ago as city states (polis, pura, burg, bourg, etc.) with city walls (cf. citadel) and evolved into nation states, discriminating outsiders (farmers, foreigners, forests, fauna & flora, etc.) with the five calamities of delusion, bondage, discrimination, exploitation, and extermination (colonies, classes with captives as slaves, wars, deforestation, genocides, eco-cides, thus collapse of civilizations, etc.). Civilization system has an artificial unilateral (flow of matter & power) pyramidal structure, which cannot be sustained in terms of resources, pollution, extinction, etc. If we continue this paradigm, we can not continue. Essentially ego delusion is the origin of it, extended into social, and ecological systems. So, broadly we need ego, economic, and ecological shift from ego to eco, sin to holiness, nature (to exploit) to nurture (to enhance) into natural cyclical Indra-net culture with cultivation of life & heart for the fivefold bliss of awakening, freedom, equality, love, and peace following the Spiritual (Religious) Revolution 2.5 millennia (5 sec. according to the Cosmic Calendar) ago against the Civilization Revolution. (Please read an article titled Paradigm Shift (PDF) with diagram.)

Zen Buddhism for the Paradigm Shift of Civilization

Anyone can realize nirvana and awakening, and requested to do so to save the world from destruction, as the Doomsday Clock points only three minutes before it. Now Scientists seem to define our age anthropo-cene dominating and determining the fate of this planet earth into destruction and doom (wars, nukes, terrorism, pollution, global warming, disasters, mega crises, mass extinction, etc.). We must make the paradigm shift (枠組転換) from karma sinfulness to nirvana holiness, only which can make that from unidirectional pyramidal civilization (文明 = urbanization, 都市化, state-ism) of competition for power and matter in suffering to cyclical Indra-net culture (文化, 教養: cultivation 耕作, 修養, 修習, 修行) of cooperation with life and heart in satisfaction, as our global intertwined problems (地球問題群) of population explosion, resource depletion, poverty, starvation, wars, terrorism, global warming, mass extinction, nuclear holocaust, etc. deem to doom. Practice makes perfect everyone’s limitless life good here now and forever for all throughout time and space. Please "come and see" the Awakened Way "good in the beginning, middle, and end" for all!

Zen Buddhism for the Paradigm Shift of Culture

As cultivation of earth can contribute to the crop, cultivation of personality can contribute to culture. As the Buddha and Buddhists have been striving in cultivation (bhāvana, cf. Fourfold Efforts), Zen is the cultivation of karma (sitting, stilling karma, settling in nirvana, striving in all activities from nirvana for serving and saving all). As the concrete practice of Buddhism (Awakened Way:仏道：覚道) is the Holy Path, Zen is the Path or Way (magga, mārga, pațipadā, prațipadā, do: 道) of caring conducts ("dignified deportment is itself Buddha Dharma, Awakened Forms, in raising a hand and taking a step, eating, cooking, clothing, washing, cleaning, sweeping, etc.), making daily actions as art, and creating culture (tea way, flower way, cooking way, calligraphy way, painting way, garden way, poem way, art way, etc.). Buddhists were persecuted by (Warrior) Emperors in China, Zen Buddhists started to cultivate land, produce food, plant trees, consumed, and cared lands, forests, etc. ecologically sustainably, and subsisting succeeding generations like Ameri-Indians' Cultures. Cultivation and culture are nurturing and enhancing persons, plants, and the planet with all beings intertwined, interdependent, and integrating like the Indra-net, whose crystal balls on all its knots reflect each other limitlessly, making the wholly wholesome way world, where there is no center (hegemon), but all are centerless centers.

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of The Buddha

BIRTH

About 25 centuries ago in the Himalayan foothills in southern Nepal the Awakened One was born to the royal family of King Suddhodāna (Pure-meal) and queen Māyā (Magical-power), the latter dying through childbirth. His personal name was Siddhattha (Attained-objective) and family name Gotama (Best-cow)[. He was predicted to become a universal king or a great religious leader.

YOUTH

He lived comfortably with fame and fortune, but was deeply concerned about life and death, losing his arrogance of youth, health, and life. He felt compassion for worms being cut by the farmer’s spades and insects being picked up by birds’ beaks. He thus found himself getting into deep meditation already in his childhood.

RENUNCIATION

Even after marriage and having his son Rāhula, and even with the opposition of his family, Siddhattha could not stop renouncing his secular life to solve the problem of life and death. At twenty-nine he left his home and lived as a religious striver and truth seeker. The king Bimbisāra of Magadha, a neighboring country of Kosala to which his kingdom was subject, offered him military power and financial support. He rejected the power of “punishing rods and swords,” and chose truth and goodness.

STRIVING He visited Ālara Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta and soon mastered their state of meditation stages. Finding these practices not yielding peace, wisdom, and complete awakening, he left those teachers and applied himself to hard practices of breath control, fasting, sometimes reducing meals to one rice grain a day, and so forth at Uruvela. Finding mortification to the point of extreme exhaustion not conducive to peace and awakening, he chose a middle way between penance and pleasure. Thanks to a village girl Sujāta’s milk porridge, he summoned up his last power to enter into profound meditation under the assatha tree, later named the Bodhi (Awakening) tree.

AWAKENING

After striving in this purifying path and conquering karmas of self delusion and selfish desires in peaceful profound meditation, he was awakened in the Dharma of all dharmas, Norm of all forms, that is, Dependent Co-origination on causes and conditions. In the illumination just before dawn he attained awakening (bodhi) and unconditioned peace (nibbāna, windlessness, of karma). He enjoyed this complete calm, clear, and free state, becoming truth and peace like a tree for many weeks. He was reluctant to go into the world to share it, seeing the people deeply sunk under the layer of karma (the Triple Poisons: delusion, divisiveness, desire) and the state too difficult to realize the Dharma. However, he was moved by the universal truth (contributed to by the Brahma’s beseeching) to share it for fear of the destruction of the world and with aspiration for the salvation of it.

TURNING THE DHAMMA-WHEEL

He chose his previous co-practitioners in the Deer Park as the first candidates for understanding and attainment, as his previous teachers had already passed away. Succeeding in making them realize the Dharma and inviting Yasa and his friends (4 and then 50) as his followers there, he went back to Uruvela and converted three Kassapa brothers, Uruvela Kassapa, Nadī Kassapa, and Gayā Kassapa, and their 1,000 (500, 300, and 200 respectively) followers. At Mt. Gayasīsa, Elephant-head, he delivered a sermon to these new converts, former fire ritualists, that the world is on fire, our senses are on fire. He further went to Rājagaha, the capital of Magadha, and converted king Bimbisāra, Sāriputta, Mahā Moggallāna, and some 250 followers headed by them who were once the followers of Sañjaya, a famous skeptic who later became distinguished among disciples but passed away before the Buddha.

Years after awakening he returned to his native town, Kapilavatthu, and converted his son Rāhula, his half-brother Nanda, his cousin Ānanda who later became his constant attendant, Upāli, Aniruddha, and others. He went to Sāvatthi, the capital of Kosala, and converted King Pasenadi and many others. He visited these two capital cities often.

LAST JOURNEY

For forty-five years after his awakening, he was always together with all beings at the lowest level, an itinerant striver with only three pieces of cloth and one begging bowl, traveling in peace, truth, and joy, even when he did not get food in his bowl. At the age of eighty, he went on his last journey to Kusināra. While he was passing the season at Beluvagāmaka, Bamboo Village, he became seriously sick, and to the request of Ānanda for a last sermon, he replied that he told everything, nothing to hide like a teacher’s grip and no intention of ruling the group.

“I am decaying, adding my age, passing the journey of my life. I grew old to the age of eighty. Like an old cart moving with difficulty with the help of leather straps, my cart is supported by straps. When, however, the one who has striven stays in concentration with no characteristics, extinguishing every perception and attached to no characteristics, his body is healthy. Therefore, in this world, make yourself an island to resort to and take refuge in yourself and not in others. Make dhamma an island to resort to and take refuge in dhamma and not in others.”

Then he continued, “My age has ripened. Only a little is left of my life, I shall leave you. I have resorted to myself. O mendicants, stay in striving, mindfulness, and faithfulness to the precepts, concentrated with thoughtfulness, and protect your own mind. The one who strives for this dhamma and vinaya (dicipline) will attain termination of sufferings, discarding the mutation of this life.”

He, however, could survive that rainy season. One fine summer day he took rest in the shadow of a tree after alms rounds, and he expressed his heart: “Pleasing is Vesali! Pleasing was the old Udena tree! Pleasing was the old Gotamaka tree! Pleasing was...” and he uttered, “Beautiful is the world and sweet is life!”

On leaving Vesali he turned around “like an elephant” to see Vesali, and said to Ānanda, “Ānanda, this will be the last view of Vesali for me. Come, Ānanda, let us go to Banda Village.” And with a few people he proceeded to Pava Village, where he was served mushrooms by a smith, Chunda, and became ill, and with this illness he further proceeded to Kusināra.

MAHĀ-PARINIBBĀNA

Arriving at the bank of Hiraññavatī he said,

“Come, Ānanda, spread my bed between the Sāla trees for me. Ānanda, I am tired. I want to take a rest.” Thereupon he laid himself on his right side, putting one foot on the other, keeping his mind right. To the weeping Ānanda in back of him, he said, “Stop, Ānanda. Do not grieve. Do not mourn. Haven’t I told you that we must depart from the beloved, the liked, and be separated from and become different from them. There is no reason to desire non-destruction of the born, existing, composed, and destroying. You have long served me, Ānanda, The Improving One, with compassionate, helpful, comfortable, pure, and immeasurable actions of your body, speech, and mind.”

A religious wanderer, Subhadda, approached Ānanda for permission to ask a question to the Buddha about the real religious teacher, referring to famous leaders of the time, but he was refused by Ānanda thrice, for fear of disturbing the Buddha. The Buddha, however, called him in and said, “Subhadda, I renounced my home for the good (kusala) at twenty-nine years of age. Subhadda, I spent some fifty years since my renunciation. I have walked just in the realm of right way (naya) and truth (dhamma). There is no other ‘striver in the path’ than this.” Subhadda became the last disciple in his lifetime.

Upon hearing the news of his last moment, disciples gathered around him. He turned to them and said, “If there are any questions about dhamma, saṅgha, or practice, ask them now.”

No one asked.

He repeated and said, “You may not ask out of respect. This is not good! Ask as a friend asks another friend.

Ānanda said, “No one seems to have any questions.”

“Now, mendicants, I say, all things in the world are impermanent. Strive without indolence. These are my last words.” The Buddha breathed his last in the depth of night. He betook himself to Mahāparinibbāna, Great Complete Peace.

ブッダの生涯

誕生

　約二十五世紀前ネパール南部のヒマラヤの麓にスッドダーナ王（浄飯王：ジョウボンノウ）とマーヤー王女の王侯家族に生まれたが、後者は産褥で亡くなられた。彼の個人名はシッダールタ（目的達成）であり、家族名はゴータマ（最上牛）でした。彼は普遍的王となるか宗教的指導者になると予言されました。

青年時代

　彼は名誉と富裕で安楽に暮らしたが、青年、健康、生命に対する奢りを失い生死について深い関心を抱きました。彼は農夫の鋤で切られる虫や鳥の嘴についばまれる昆虫にも同情を感じました。彼はこうして幼少時に既に深い瞑想に入る自分を感じていました。

放棄

　結婚して自分の息子ラーフラを得たにも拘わらず、また家族の反対にも拘わらずシッダールタは生死の問題を解く為に世俗の生活を放棄するのを止めることは出来ませんでした。二十九歳の時彼は家を去り、宗教的努力者・真理追及者として生きることにしました。彼の国が属しているコーサラ国の隣のマガダ国のビンビサーラ王は彼に軍事力と財政的支援を申し出ましたが、彼は「刑罰の鞭と剣」の権力を拒否して、真理と善を選びました。

努力

　彼はアーララ・カーラーマとウッダカ・ラーマプッタを訪ね、彼らの瞑想位を達成しました。しかしそれらは平和、智慧、完全覚醒をもたらさないとして、彼は彼等の下を去り、ウルベーラで呼吸統御、時には一日一粒に食を減らす断食などの厳しい行に専念しました。極端な疲弊に達する苦行は平和と覚醒に資することはないと判り、彼は苦行と快楽の中道を選びました。村娘スジャータの乳粥のお陰で、アサッタ樹の下で自分の最後の力を回復して深い瞑想に入りましたが、この樹は後に悟りの樹（菩提樹：覚醒樹）と名付けられました。

覚醒

　浄化の道の中で、そして平和な深甚な瞑想の中で我の妄想と我利の欲望を征服して彼は諸法の法、一切形態（現象）の規則（法則）である縁起（因縁生起の略）、即ち因縁（原因・条件）による共‐生起の法に覚醒しました。夜明けに向かう光の中で彼は悟り（菩提）と無為の平安（涅槃：無風：止業風）を成就しました。ブッダは何週間もの間樹（treeとtrueは同語根：dhṝ、「永続する」という意味）のように真理と平和になるこの完全な平静、明澄、自由の境地を楽しみました。ブッダは、人々は深く業（貪瞋痴：欲望・差別・無智）に沈没しておりその状況でこれを達成するのは無理であると観じてそれを共有するために世間に出る気持ちになれませんでした。しかしながらブッダは（梵天の勧請：勧めと頼みによるとされる）普遍真理に動かさえて、世界の破滅を恐れそれから救済するという誓願により、その境地を人々と共有することにしました。

法輪の転回

　ブッダは以前の両師が既に亡くなっていたので、鹿の園で以前一緒に修行した者達を理解し成就する最初の候補者として選びました。そこで彼らに法を理解させ、更にヤサと彼の友達（四人とその後五十人）を弟子として得ることに成功してウルヴェーラに戻りカッサパ三兄弟、即ちウルヴェーラ・カッサパ、ナディー・カッサパ、ガヤー・カッサパとその弟子達（それぞれ五百人、三百人、二百人の）千人を改宗させました。ブッダはガヤシーサ（象頭(ぞうず)）山(せん)で、以前は火の祭事者達であったこれらの新改宗者に「世界は燃える、我々の眼が燃える、耳が燃える、鼻が燃える云々」との説法をしました。ブッダは更にマガダの首都ラージャガハ（王舎(おうしゃ)城(じょう)）に行きビンビサーラ王、そして、有名な懐疑論者のサンジャヤの弟子であったサーリプッタ（舎利弗：しゃりほつ）とマハー・モッガラーナ（大目犍連：だいもっけんれん）と彼等の率いる約二百五十人の弟子達を改宗させました。これら二人は後に弟子たちの中でも傑出した者となりましたが、ブッダより前に亡くなりました。

　ブッダは悟りの後数年して故郷の町カピラヴァット（カピラ城）に帰り、息子のラーフラ、半（分血を分けた）兄弟ナンダ、後に常時の侍者となる従弟のアーナンダ（阿難：あなん）、ウパーリ、アニルッダ、その他の者を（仏道に）加入させました。彼はコーサラ国の首都サーヴァッティに行きパセーナディ王他多くの者達を（教団に）加入させました。彼はこれら二つの街をしばしば訪れました。

最後の旅

　悟りの後四十五年間三枚の布と一個の鉢（三衣一鉢：さんねいっぱつ）のみで、鉢に食を得ない時でさえ、平安、真理、喜逸の中に旅する修行者として、最低レベルに自らを置いて、一切衆生と共でありました。八十歳の時ブッダはクシナーラに向けて最後の旅に発ちました。ベールヴァガーマカ（竹林精舎：ちくりんしょうじゃ）で過ごしている時に重篤な病に陥った時、アーナンダが最後の説法をしてくれと頼んだ所、ブッダは、自分は全てを語り「師の握り拳」（秘密：秘伝）のように隠すものは何も無く、集団を支配する積りは無いと返答しました。

　「私は齢を重ねて人生の旅を過ごして壊れつつある。年老いて八十歳になった。革紐の助けを借りてやっと動く古い荷車のようだ。しかし、努力して無相の三昧に停まり一切の感受を捨て、如何なる相にも執着しないでいる者には身体は健全である。それ故、この世に於いて、自らを依るべき洲（す：しま）とし、自らを避難所として他者に依らないように。法を依るべき洲とし、法に避難所を得て他に依らないようにしなさい。」と言い、

そしてこう続けました、

　「私の齢も熟した。私の命も残り少ない。お前達を残して逝くのだ。私は自分に頼って来た。修行者達よ、修行を続けなさい。心して教えに忠実に従い、一心に思慮深く、自らの心を守りなさい。法と律に精進する者はこの生存の移ろいを捨て、苦の滅盡を達成するであろう。」

　ブッダは、しかしながら、この雨季を生き延びることが出来ました。ある晴れた夏の日、托鉢を終えて一樹の陰に休みました。そして心のうちを吐露しました、

　「ヴェーサーリは楽しいなあ！ウデーナの老樹は楽しかったなあ！ゴータマかの老樹は楽しかったなあ！」

そして口をついて出た言葉は、

「この世は美しい！命は甘美だ！」

　ブッダはヴェーサーリを後にするにあたって。「象のように」身体を向けなおしてヴェーサーリを見納めてアーナンダに言われた、

　「アーナンダよ、これが私にとってはヴェーサーリの最後の眺めとなるだろう。さあ、アーナンダ、バンダ村に行こう。」　

　そして少人数の者でパーヴァ村に行き、ブッダはそこで鍛冶屋のチュンダのきのこの供養を受けて、病を得られたが、さらにクシナーラへと歩みを進められました。

偉大なる完全な安らぎ

　ヒラニャヴァティーの岸に達してブッダは言われました、

　「さあ、アーナンダ、サーラ樹の間に私の床を敷いておくれ。私は疲れた。一休みしたい。」

　そこでブッダはは右脇を下にして、足をもう一方の足に重ねて、横たわり、正念を保たれました。ブッダの後ろですすり泣くアーナンダに言われました、

　「アーナンダよ、止めなさい。悲しむでない。嘆くでない。私達は愛する者、好ましく思う者を後にしなければならず、別かれなければならず、幽冥境を異にしなければならないと、言って来たではないか。生まれ、在り、形成され、滅する者を、不滅であってほしいと思っても、それは道理にかなわない。アーナンダよ,お前は長い間私に仕えてくれた。成長たゆみないお前は、思いやりあり、助けになり、安楽で、清らかな、測り知れない身口意の行いで。」

　遊行修行者であるスバッダが、真の修行者とはどんな人かと、当時の有名な指導者達の名をあげて、仏陀に尋ねたいと、アーナンダに許可を求めましたが、仏陀の様態に障ることを恐れて、彼は三度ともその願いを断りました。仏陀は、しかし、彼を呼び寄せて、言いました、

　「スバッダよ、私は二十九歳の時善（kusala、原意：草刈り上手）を求めて家を出た。家を出てから五十余年過ごした。私はただ正道（naya）と法(dharma)の領域を歩いて来た。これ以外に「道に努める者」はいない。」

　それでスバッダはブッダ生前の最後の弟子となりました。

　ブッダの危篤の報を聞いて、弟子達が周りに集まって来たので、ブッダは彼等に向かっては言われました、

　「法とサンガ（僧集団）について質問があれば今しなさい。」

　誰も質問しなかったので、繰り返し言われました、

　「お前達は敬意を表して尋ねないのかもしれないが、それは良くない。友達が友達に尋ねるようにたずねなさい。」

　アーナンダは言いました、

　「誰も質問がないようです。」

　「それでは、修行者達よ、私は言っておく、世の中の一切は無常である。気を許さず、しっかり精進しなさい。これが私の最後の言葉だ。」

　夜の深みの中に仏陀は最後の息を引き取られた。彼は偉大なる完全な安らぎ（大般涅槃：Mahāparinibbāṇa）に入られた。

ーーーーー

Why Buddhism Now？

1. Why Buddhism Now?

Now not only humankind, but all living beings are at a critical situation at the brink of the end of the world, with the Doomsday Clock only 100 seconds before midnight (end of the world), advanced 100 seconds by Trump becoming president. Right now Trump, Putin, or others could decide to launch nuclear weapons, which could result in nuclear war, nuclear winter, and the end of the world.

Even though the global life system is approaching the end of the world with nukes, wars, climate change, mass extinction of species, etc., a majority of people do not notice, much less tackle such crises, as they continue to take care of their daily matters. It is because all prioritize self-centeredness, self-preservation, and self-interest due to their karma (action, habit, heredity), preoccupied with the self, now, and profit.

However, if the world ends, everything including the self, now, and money are lost. Everyone must make tackling and solving this problem the most urgent and important priority in order to avoid the destruction of the world. To shift ego view, ego interest, small view, and small action to public view, public interest, great view, and great action, we must stop our delusion, desire, and divisiveness (the Triple Poisons), which prevent us from doing so, and shift to wisdom, hope, and peace.

The Buddha awakened to the realization that all living beings are karma born, karma heirs, karma owners, karma machines, and karma refuged, and he was able to stop his karma by sitting in Zazen. That is nirvana (no-wind, of karma) and witnessing there is awakening (awakening is to see beyond karma or the triple poisons to recognize no self, no attachment, and no enemy, just like awakening from a nightmare to recognize that it is only a dream). There, it becomes clear that all phenomena are related and relative in Interdependent Co-origination.

Nirvana/awakening is attainable by anyone by stilling karma (still sitting is the most direct way to still the triple karma of body, mouth, and mind, which stills the past karma of heredity: body/mind with the triple poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion). Its continuous practice expands and deepens equanimity, peace, wisdom, and prognosis (paññā/prajňā, hannya, prognosis). That makes the living and lives of awakened ones, and its ripple effects increase within awakened ones and their world.

Note: Please read the Paradigm Shift explaining how to solve the global problematique:

  https://heiwasekai.wordpress.com/?s=%E6%9E%A0%E7%B5%84%E8%BB%A2%E6%8F%9B

1. 今何故仏教か？

今人類のみならず生類は世界終末時計がトランプの大統領就任によって1分真夜中（終末）に向かって進められ世界終末まで100秒しかない危機的状況にあります。たった今トランプ、或いはプーチンや他の者は核のボタンを押すことを一人で決定して決行できますが、それは核戦争・核の冬・世界の終わりかも知れません。 この地球生命系は核・戦争・気候変動・種の大量絶滅など世界終末に向かいつつありますが大多数の人々は毎日の生活の為にその危機に気付き取り組む余裕がありません。それは何故かといえば皆が業（行為・習慣・遺伝）によって自己中心・自己保存・自己利益を優先して自己・当面・利益の問題が先行するからです。 しかし、世界終末が来れば自己も今も金も何もかも消滅しますから、世界終末を避けることが最緊急・最重要の問題で、誰でもが取り組み解決することが最優先すべきことです。我見・我利・小見・小行を公見・公利・大見・大行に変えるには、そう出来ない業による無知・欲望・敵対（三毒）を止めて知恵・希望・平和に変えなければなりません。 ブッダは全生物は業相続者・業保持者・業機械・業依拠者であると悟り、業を止める事を坐禅によって達成しました。それが涅槃（無風：業風の無）でありそこで実証されるのが悟り（覚醒：悪夢から覚めれば夢と判り、業：三毒から覚めれば無我・無執・無敵と判る）です。そこで一切相依相対の因縁生起（縁起）が明らかになるのです。 涅槃・覚醒は誰にも出来る止業（身口意：心の三業を止めると過去業・宿業の遺伝的な身心状態：貪瞋痴三毒も静まる最も単刀直入な方法が坐禅）によって得られ、その継続実践は平安・平和・知恵・洞察を拡大深化させます。それは覚者の生活・生涯となり波及効果は覚者達を増やし覚者達の世界（涅槃・覚醒）の世界を生みます。

註「枠組転換」に地球問題群解決の方法を述べましたので下記をご覧下さい： https://heiwasekai.wordpress.com/?s=%E6%9E%A0%E7%B5%84%E8%BB%A2%E6%8F%9B

2. What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is the teaching of the Buddha and of becoming Buddha. The original word for Buddhism is Baudha-dharma. Dharma means Norm (from Darma) and form (from harm). Buddha (Awakened One) is one awakened to the Law of Interdependent Co-origination, called the “Dharma of all dharmas (Norm/Law of all forms/phenomena).” Anyone can be awakened by the Awakened Way (an awakened one’s truth and practice).

The simplest form of the Law of Interdependent Co-origination that “all phenomena are interdependently co-originated on (direct) cause and (indirect) conditions” is “when this is, that is,” the causal relation. The most famous expression of the concept is the Twelvefold Interdependent Co-origination. Called “the wheel of becoming/living,” it clarifies the causality of life and suffering. It is considered to be the teaching of all seven past Buddhas, the core of their awakening. It is the core of the Awakened “Dharma” for learning awakening.

Suffering in life, its origination, its cessation, and the path for cessation, are called the Four Holy Truths (Ariya-saccāni/Ārya-satyāni, ariya/ārya = holy: Greek hagia: wholly wholesome, satya: reality <sat: being/the real). The origination (cause) of suffering is identified with desire (taṅhā/tṛṣṇā: lit. thirst) with the condition of nescience (Pali/Sanskrit: a-vijjā/a-vidyā: Latin: a-video/videre: no witness/wisdom of no independent, eternal “self” substance) and divisiveness (between self and other, hatred) (Triple Poisons). These are beginningless (unrecognizable beginning: 4 billion years’ karma storage) self-consciousness, self-preservation instinct, and discrimination.

The Triple Poisons and selfish karma create problems and destroy community. Seeing directly the rise and fall of states and foreseeing the end of the world, the Buddha dedicated his whole life to preventing it for the sake of awakening, liberation, equality, and peace in the related, relative, selfless, interdependently originated world (the meaning of the Brahma’s beseeching him to go out into the world). The Buddha, who attained nirvana (no wind, of karma) and awakening there through zazen, sitting zen = meditation, shared the universal truth that stilling bodily, verbal, and mental karma by zazen can still stored karma (throughout billions of years of evolution).

3. 生存とは何か？

人間の生存状態を表したのが「生存の輪」（生成の輪、流転の輪廻）で「十二支縁起」（十二の部分からなる因縁生起）の図です。普通は、古代には口承伝説しか方法がなかったので十二部分を一列に唱える形で伝えられたものが原意を忘れ仏教に改宗者の多いヒンズー教の輪廻説に誤解されて、現在もそれが一般に流布しています：

A. １）　　 無明（無知）---------因-----過去世

２） 行　（宿業）-----|

                            ↓             

３） 識　（意識）-----|

４） 名色（心身）　　　|

５） 六入（六官）　　　|----果-----現在世

６） 触　（接触）　　　| ||

７） 受　（感受）　　　| 因 　 ８） 渇愛（欲望）　　　|

９） 取　（執着）　　　|

１０） 有　（存在）-----|

                           　↓

１１） 生　（誕生）-----------果-----未来世

１２） 老死（老死）------|

これは1・2を過去世とし3～10を現在世、11・12を未来世とした「三世両重（過去から現在への因果と現在から未来への因果の二つ重なった三世代にわたる）説」といわれ、3からは母胎内の発生成長や誕生後の執着・生存と解釈され胎生学的解釈をするものです。

しかし、初期仏教の経典である三蔵（説法：経蔵・戒律：律蔵・理論：論蔵の三部類の経典群）を精査すると、この前に十支縁起（釈迦仏までの過去七仏が悟ったとされる同一説で1・2には遡らないと十二との論争があったことが判るが、ブッダは業を重視し業により輪廻があり、渇愛と無明も苦の二根源と言われてもいるので２と１が加えられたのでしょう）があります。さらには意識がどのように発生するかを説く識縁起（この六感官・六対境・六意識の三事和合によって意識が発生する縁起を「和合縁起（paṭicca-sam-uppāda）」―原子経典パーリ語のサンスクリット語はpraṭītya-sam-utpādaで六感覚器官と対境が接触して六意識が同時発生する (感覚器官・感覚対象・感覚/知覚/識の同時発生は「三事和合」と言われ葦束が相互に依りあって立つことに喩えられ、どれ一つ欠けても成り立たないので「対向して立ち上がる」の術語が作られたのです)―と言い、後の十支および十二支縁起の語源となりました―他の原因-結果関係は「nidāna：関係）と言いますが、核心部の名前が全体に付けられたのです。）8以降の渇愛（から苦）・執着（から存在：生成）の縁起も屡独立して説かれています。

以上のことから、仏の目覚めは識縁起（意識の発生）が中心としてあり、それが拡大組織された渇愛縁起（渇愛－苦と執着－生存の発生）があり、更に無明縁起（涅槃証悟の無による業生存の発生）を加えて生存の全体像を示し（教え・学びに提供し）たものです。その構造を判りやすく図で示すと次のようになります：

                        名称形態（六感覚対象）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　|ー接触

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　六感覚器官 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　↓

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　意　識

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　↓

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　感　受

　　　　　　　　欲望　　→　 行　為 　→　　苦

　　　　　　　　無知　　→　 執　着

                           ↓

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　生　成

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　||

　　　　　　　　　　　　　生－老・死

図の中央の行為は行 (saṅkhāra/saṁskāraは注釈で新旧三業とある通り過去・現在の身口意の三業)で十支縁起の動力因として加えられたものです。つまり生存・生成を動かす根本的な力として何故生存・生活・一生があるかを業によって回る輪（輪廻）として表したものです。したがって業が上部の六感覚器官（眼耳鼻舌身意）と六感覚対象（色声香味触覚法）との接触によって同時に六意識（眼識・声識・香識・味識・触識・意識）の発生することから感情の発生を、中央部は欲望による行為から苦の発生（三道と呼ばれる三道程）と、下部の無知（涅槃・無我の体験が無く本能的に身体に執着－原語upādāna：appropriateは燃料の意味で、火が燃料を取り込むと火になり燃えるように、身体という燃料を取り込み自分の－所有物propertyとして「自己」同一化すること)による生成（生活・人生・一生）の発生を生み出しているのです。無知は欲望と共に「二根源」と言われるが十支縁起に行と共に後に加えられたもので、輪全体を動かす更に深い根源を示しています。生成 (bhava: becoming:成る)は常に「成り、変転する」こと：自分になり、自分のものになり、空腹になり、怒り、生れ、老い、死になり、対象物については対象物・世界になり、古くなり、無くなる等に変転することです（この刻々の変転が「輪廻」と呼ばれ、原語saṁ-sāraは「全—サラサラ流れる」の意味で、ヒンドゥー教の「死後に何かに生まれ変わるとは違います）。

仏は「一切生物は業生誕者・業相続者・業所有者・業機械・業依処者（業に依拠する者）である」と言ったが、生物は業により生まれ（遺伝子によって）先祖行為の伝来・新化の業を受け継ぎ、身心として保持・機能し、善悪業に拠って善悪業の果報を受けながら生きてゆくことを意味しています。仏は生物固有の我意識・我保存欲・我中心の悪業による世界の破滅を予見して業の超越の道を覚醒・確証・証悟して覚道を実践・共有し・公布された。それが覚道の中核実践である禅定・涅槃・覚醒・智慧である。

4. What is nirvana?

Nirvana and awakening (bodhi) are two sides of one objective and the core of Buddhism (Awakened Way). Human beings and living beings have accumulated karma as potential, called stored-karma and instinct. It can become the ability of “sweeping in the sky” and “swimming in the ocean,” and the fate of “summer bugs plunging into fire or burnt by their own karmas” (fools are burnt by their karma fire or hunt for misfortunes). It is the human task to become freed from stored karma and to blossom with accumulated abilities.

It was the Buddha, Awakened One, who solved that problem and realized that possibility for the first time in history. He knew that karma is the root dynamism of life, proved and shared it stilled and shifted, and devoted his life to the peace and prosperity of all human beings and living beings. Stilling karma is nirvana, and shifting it is awakening. The original word for nirvana is nib-bāna (Pali noun form, Sanskrit: nir-vāṇa, past paticiple form: ni-vāta / nir-vāta, Pali / Sanskrit: no-wind), the wind being karma-wind (業風).

The stock phrase used in the scriptures, “nivāte padīpa” (lamp-fire in no wind), illustrates the state of nirvana well. Though lamp-fire flickers or become extinguished by wind, making the room unclear or dark (untenable of the popular interpretation of nirvana as no fire), with no wind it burns bright and illuminates the room, clear and cool, making people clear and calm. This is nirvana and awakening. The popular prevalent interpretation of nirvana as “extinguishing fire” brings darkness and doubts (about the world).

The Buddha relied on Za-zen, sitting meditation, his awakening, (pari-)nirvana (parinibbāna: lit. complete nibbana), periods of extended retreat, and daily rest. He is often represented by his sitting meditation posture, because Zazen is the very core principle and practice of stilling karma. Stilling and stability of the three present karmas (physical, verbal, and mental) have the functions and fruitfulness of stilling and stabilizing past habits and heredities (body-heart-mind functions). Zen (stilling karma, still contemplation) is possible for anyone, anywhere, any time, thus there is the possibility of nirvana and awakening for all always.

４．涅槃とは何か

涅槃と悟りは表裏一体の仏道の目的であり核心です。業所有者・業機械である人類・生類は宿業・本能といわれる蓄積した業を能力として持っています。これは「空を翔け」て「海に潜る」能力としても「飛んで火に入る夏の虫」や「業火に焼かれる」宿命ともなります。宿業から自由になり本能を開花させるにはどうしたら良いかが自由・成果を望む人間の課題です。

歴史上初めてその問題性と可能性を解決・実現したのがブッダでした。彼は生存の根本動因が業であることを知り、それを静止・転換できることを証明し推奨して一切人類・生類の平和・繁栄の為に人生を捧げました。業の静止が涅槃であり、その転換が悟りです。涅槃の語源はnib-bāna/nir-vāna:ni-vāta/nir-vāta (no-wind: 無風)ですがその風とは業風のことです。

経典に現れる慣用句「無風での灯火」(nivāte padīpa)は涅槃の状態を良く表しています。風があれば灯火は揺れ動きあるいは吹き消されて影は動揺し部屋は暗闇となるが、無風であれば煌々と燃えて部屋を明瞭・静謐にしてその場にいる者を平静・平安にします。それが涅槃であり悟りです。涅槃を「火を吹き消した状態」とする一般の解釈は暗闇・不安を齎し悟りにはなりません。

ブッダの悟りも（大搬）涅槃も、そして毎日の或いは長期の退避・安息も坐禅により、彼の姿は坐禅で代表されますが、坐禅こそ業を静止する核心方法・実践だからです。現在の身口意（心）の三業の静止・安定は過去の習慣・遺伝（身心機能）も静止・制止する機能・効用をもっているのです。禅（止業・静慮）は誰にも何処でも何時でもでき涅槃・悟りも可能です。