A Common Problem

Zen books are popular reading, and bookstores are full of new ones constantly coming out. These are usually written by scholars, psychologists, etc., who have not practised or have not realized anything. They take standard works of Zen, such as the “Mumonkan” or “Hekiganyoku,” that have well-known “cases”–dialogues or commentaries on historical incidents–and rewrite them or state them and then give commentaries. Sometimes the writers are merely translators, without the Buddhist knowledge or experience to know what the words mean, and words change meaning according to context. For instance, how can you define the word “spring” without knowing the context in which it is used?

Readers of these books, nibbling the delicious candy, fail to realize that the “cases” being cited, and the talks being quoted, were all formed for the benefit of monks–renounciates who are devoting their entire lives to Zen practice. Then the readers, who may be professional men and women with children and loving spouses, try to apply the lessons to themselves. Are they supposed to strip their lives of love and joy to fulfill an ideal stated in a book for monks? It would be impossible and not at all advisable.