Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Buddhist
The Zen Koan of the Buddha’s Teaching and Bodhidharma’s Intention

The Zen Koan of the Buddha’s Teaching and Bodhidharma’s Intention

Last updated on: August 30, 2017 at 1:45 pm by James Ford

The Zen Koan of the Buddha’s Teaching and Bodhidharma’s Intention 2017-08-30T13:45:53-07:00 James Ford

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Case

An ancient worthy said, “Buddha’s teaching is expressed through reason; Bodhidharma’s intention is expressed through devices.

Entangling Vines, Part Two, Case 170

For many of us who practice in the Soto Zen reformed koan tradition usually called the Harada Yasutani school, it was such a treat when the traditional Japanese Rinzai text the Shumon Kattoshu, rendered as Entangling Vines, became available in an English version.

The American born Rinzai priest Thomas Yuho Kirchner gives us the English text of the 272 cases in the collection, along with some enormously helpful annotations. It is a rich, rich volume. Of course it contains many of the same cases we encounter in the earlier Chinese texts the Gateless Gate, the Blue Cliff Record, and the Book of Serenity. But it is further enriched with both additional material from Chinese sources, and a raft of material that comes out of Japan’s long and deep encounter with the tradition.

The approach of the volume is different than we’re used to in the Chinese texts. Gone are the extensive commentaries and pointers that layer the older anthologies. Instead we’re simply given the bare case. And with that fewer distractions. On my first read it reminded me of how in the Christian tradition the four canonical Gospels that attempt to capture the teachings of that ancient enigmatic rabbi who has captured the world’s dream time, blend in the collected sayings, collected miracle stories, together with a narrative. But, that other powerful document, The Gospel of Thomas, non-canonical but very early, at one time thought to be the long sought source document of the sayings part of those early accounts of Jesus’ ministry, but now believed to be at the very least contemporaneous with the Gospel of John, if not earlier – is also simply an unadorned collection of the master’s teachings.

That bare approach can be startling. Both Thomas, the Entangling Vines. And, returning to the collection of koans, it can leave the student out to sea, with no compass, no star to guide, not even a paddle.

As koans are meant to work.

Among these cases, one of my favorites is in the second part of the book, case 170. It’s a straight forward pointing with two parts.

I’ll give you a free bit. You are the ancient venerable. Act like it.

The Venerable Kirchner, who in addition to being a Rinzai priest is a researcher at the International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism at Hanazona University, offers us something. If not a compass, at least a pointer. A little bit of explanation of the words he has rendered into English. The character he translates as “reason” he explains means a “clear, logical explanation.” And “devices” is that old term that dates to the Lotus Sutra, skillful means.

Historically we can see there really is a divide between the Buddhisms of India and China. In India the nikayas and agamas, those texts we receive in Pali and Sanskrit, attempt with varying degree of success to give us the direct teachings of Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha of history. While Zen, which is one device after another, manifests as a cosmic play seemingly reminiscent of Lucy with her football, with you and me forever Charlie Brown, invited to go for the kick that always evades. Seemingly. Only seemingly.

Personally I find it important to be able to maneuver through both paths. Straight forward words can be enormously helpful. We humans are meant to think and ponder. And that way has opened more than one heart.

However. But. And. And, pushing and prodding us until we stand in the place for ourselves, see for ourselves, know for ourselves, well, what a gift is that? It has worked for so many. And it is the nub of the Zen way as a unique gift to the world’s spiritual traditions.

So, two assertions. Two invitations.

First.

Buddha’s teaching is expressed through reason.

How do you understand that? What is your best presentation? Not someone else’s. Only the presentation that you and old Gautama Siddhartha himself share. Can you bring it forth?

And, second.

Bodhidharma’s intention is expressed through devices.

How do you understand that? What is your best presentation? Not someone else’s. Only the presentation that you share with the seven Buddhas, the many ancestors, and your own teachers. Can you bring it forth?

And, of course, there’s a third.

Are these two? Or, are they one?

Don’t forget. You’re the ancient venerable. Act like it.

Previous Post

August 26, 2017

The Buddha Takes His Seat: A Brief Reflection on a Zen Koan

Next Post

August 28, 2017 The Great Way is Not Difficult: Zen's Koans & the Way of the Broken Heart

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Christmas Carol Abolitionist African-American Ahmadiyya Alan Watts Aldous Huxley Allen Ginsberg Amedkar Jayanti American politics American Zen Anaheim Zen Sangha Anglican Annie Besant April Fool Armageddon Art and Religion artificial intellegence Atheist Awakening B R Ambedkar Barlaam & Josaphat Beatnik Between Bhagavad Gita Bible biography birthday bodhisattva Bodhisattva Precepts Book burning Book of Common Prayer Book of Mormon Brahmo Samaj Buddha Buddhism Buddhist Buddhist Lord's Prayer Butterflies Calendars cartoons cat ChatGPT Chicken Tortilla Soup choices Christian atheism Christian mysticism Christian origins Christian Science Christian Zen Christianity Christianity and Buddhism christmas Christmas Truce Christopher Isherwood Church of Later Day Saints Cinco de Mayo circus covenant critical thinking culture D. T. Suzuki Dalit Buddhism Daniel Defoe Desert Fathers and Mothers dharma talk Dogen Donald Trump Dongshan's Five Ranks Dorothy Day dream Duty Easter ecology Edwin Arnold emptiness Empty Moon Zen Network Episcopal Church Eternal Now Ethics evolution existentialism Faith fantasy Fathers Day film film review fire Five Ranks Folk music food Form and emptiness Four Seals Francis of Assisi Francis Xavier Free thinker friendship George MacDonald Gerald Heard Glenn Taylor Webb God Good Friday Gospel of Gospel of Mark Gospel of Thomas grace Graduate Theological Unioin Graduate Theological Union Guanyin H R Blyth Hakuin Ekaku Hanamatsuri Hanukkah Harada Yasutani Zen Heart Sutra Henry David Thoreau Hermann Hesse Hinduism History and Religion history of religion Holy Spirit home Hospitality Icon Ides of March Isaac Newton Islam Islamic mysticism Jack Kerouac James Luther Adams Jiddu Krishnamurti Joan of Arc Johannes Gutenberg John Donne joke Judaism justice karma kensho King James Bible koan Koun Yamada Kyoto School Lewis Carrol Liberal Christianity Liberal Religion Life Plan Community Liminal literature Literature and Religion Liturgy Lord's Prayer Love Mahatma Gandhi Mahayana Martin Luther King Jr Mary Baker Eddy Mary Magdelene Mary Oliver Mayflower Compact Meditation memories memory metaphor money money and religioin Mormons Mother's Day movie review mysticism mythic Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church New Thought Nichiren Buddhism Nonduality not knowing Omar Khayyam Pacific School of Religion pagan Palm Sunday Passover peace Pentecost perennialism Phantastes Philip Kapleau philosophy Pilgrimage poetry Poetry and Religion politics Prayer Precepts Printing Press prophecy prophetic spirituality psychology Pure Land Queer religion queering religion Quietism Ram Mohan Roy rebirth recipe Relationships and religion religion religion and history Religious syncretism Resistance Retirement Retreat review Rissho Kosei Kai Ritual Robert Aitken Roshi Robert Ingersoll Rohatsu Romani religion Rosie the Riveter saints samadhi SanboZen Sangha Satyagraha science science and reigion science and religion science fiction seminary sermon Sesshin Sex and Religion Shinran Sikh Sikh tradition silence Social Justice Socially Engaged Buddhism Society and religion Soto Zen soul spiritual community spiritual practice Spirituality Sufism Suicide superstition Taoism Television Teresa of Avila Thanksgiving theological schools Theosophy Thomas Merton Time Transcendentalism Transcendentalist Trinitarian Trinity Uncategorized unitarian Unitarian Christianity Unitarian Universalist Universalism Vajrayana Vedanta Walking war Willa Cather William Ellery Channing wisdom women and religion women in religion World Teacher Writing zazen Zen Zen Center Zen inspired retriement zen meditation Zen Precepts Zen women

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In what city was Paul shipwrecked?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Crete Rhodes Malta Cyprus