Hi Shoren, I so appreciate your wonderful Spark Zen and these "Zen in Ten" are a great. That said, what you've got here - in part - aren't so much essential facts as what people say nowadays, especially some Soto folks since the Meiji reformation (what I call the Post Meiji Soto Orthodoxy, aka, PMSO). #4 particularly is not a fact. There were some Caodong teachers who seemed to have taught Silent Illumination as a method for a short time in the 1100's, but it didn't last. In fact, Chan abbots from the various lineages often succeeded each other in the state monasteries. Qingliao in the continuing Caodong/Soto lineage was succeeded at Jinshan by Dahui in the Linji line and so on. There may have been subtle differences in lineage tones, but they all largely embraced the same precepts and practices - so not different schools at all. Dogen's master Rujing didn't even share what lineage he was in until near his death (and also taught the mu koan). There is no mention of silent illumination in his record. Dogen also does not mention silent illumination once in Shogogenzo or Eiheikoroku but mentions koan thousands of times. Dogen, in all voluminous writing, hardly uses the phrase shikantaza (not at all in his various zazen instruction texts). It seems that Caodong teachers in the Song taught koan in very much the same way as Linji affiliated teachers. It seems that such lineage differentiation only happened recently in Japan. Even in Hakuin's time (18th century), there was a lot of movement between lineages and Hakuin himself did ango at Soto monasteries and had many Soto priests that were his students. Through most of Japanese history, the temple-system affiliation was more important than whether a teacher was Soto or Rinzai. Our lineage papers say that Soto and Rinzai are one school and the cut-paper shared in transmission usually included koans important for that lineage. As far as I know, nothing is said about silent illumination in any cut-paper. Also, from what I've studied, the Guiyang, Fayan, and Yunmen lineages simply died out, not that they were absorbed by Linji. The Fayan and Yunmen lines were descended from Shitou, after all, like the Caodong. I've gone on a bit here but it's something I've researched some during these last twenty years or so. I think it is important to know where we've come from and to dispel sectarian myths.
Hi there, thank you for reading, commenting and suggesting. I'll be sure to send a Zen in Ten with information about these two traditions. I appreciate your expanding my horizons. Thank you for your teachings!
Hi Shoren, I so appreciate your wonderful Spark Zen and these "Zen in Ten" are a great. That said, what you've got here - in part - aren't so much essential facts as what people say nowadays, especially some Soto folks since the Meiji reformation (what I call the Post Meiji Soto Orthodoxy, aka, PMSO). #4 particularly is not a fact. There were some Caodong teachers who seemed to have taught Silent Illumination as a method for a short time in the 1100's, but it didn't last. In fact, Chan abbots from the various lineages often succeeded each other in the state monasteries. Qingliao in the continuing Caodong/Soto lineage was succeeded at Jinshan by Dahui in the Linji line and so on. There may have been subtle differences in lineage tones, but they all largely embraced the same precepts and practices - so not different schools at all. Dogen's master Rujing didn't even share what lineage he was in until near his death (and also taught the mu koan). There is no mention of silent illumination in his record. Dogen also does not mention silent illumination once in Shogogenzo or Eiheikoroku but mentions koan thousands of times. Dogen, in all voluminous writing, hardly uses the phrase shikantaza (not at all in his various zazen instruction texts). It seems that Caodong teachers in the Song taught koan in very much the same way as Linji affiliated teachers. It seems that such lineage differentiation only happened recently in Japan. Even in Hakuin's time (18th century), there was a lot of movement between lineages and Hakuin himself did ango at Soto monasteries and had many Soto priests that were his students. Through most of Japanese history, the temple-system affiliation was more important than whether a teacher was Soto or Rinzai. Our lineage papers say that Soto and Rinzai are one school and the cut-paper shared in transmission usually included koans important for that lineage. As far as I know, nothing is said about silent illumination in any cut-paper. Also, from what I've studied, the Guiyang, Fayan, and Yunmen lineages simply died out, not that they were absorbed by Linji. The Fayan and Yunmen lines were descended from Shitou, after all, like the Caodong. I've gone on a bit here but it's something I've researched some during these last twenty years or so. I think it is important to know where we've come from and to dispel sectarian myths.
Nice summary of the history and schools of Zen. Would be great if Korean Seon were included and named as such, as well as Vietnamese Thien.
Hi there, thank you for reading, commenting and suggesting. I'll be sure to send a Zen in Ten with information about these two traditions. I appreciate your expanding my horizons. Thank you for your teachings!