The Joy of Life

There are really two Buddhisms. Hinayana (also called “Theravada,” or “Way of the Elders”) is the old Buddhism that strictly follows the pessimistic teaching of Gautama Buddha, and Mahayana, which includes Zen, has a totally different outlook, though still believing in the three truths of Impermanence, Suffering and No-Soul or Permanent Identity. The last of these three explains the meaning of “Void” or “Emptiness,” which plays such a big part in Buddhism; it means “Void of Self (or Independent) Nature,” not lack of anything. The Great Void includes the rivers, mountains, animals, universes, etc. but all these are connected and mutually dependent.

The Buddha and his later disciples characterized this world as a “Forest Fire” and advised to get out of it. On the other hand, the great Zen Master, Yun-men, emphatically stated, “Every Day’s a Good Day.” The latter appeals to me more, I must say. If the reader could spend some time in a small, isolated Indian town he would see much reason for a hopeless outlook.

Seigan, a Japanese Zen Master, as he was dying, wrote, “The Joy of Life! Better than the Zen Doctrine!” AH!