Expert: Joe McSorley - 3/4/2004

Question
If Zen Buddhism has no ceremony, dogma or ritual, then how is it practiced?  What does it have in common with other schools of Buddhism?  Finally, are there ANY sort of Zen temples/churches/gathering places for Zen practitioners to meet in order to help one another in their quest for Enlightenment?


-thanks!  

Answer
Zen is different from the other forms of Buddhism precisely because there is no dogma, creed, ritual or worship.  Other forms of Buddhism are something you practice; they are a ‘thing' called Buddhism that people follow.  It's the difference between being a Christian (following the teachings of the Christ) and knowing what Christ knew.  The Buddha did not tell people to worship him or follow him but to realize what he realized for themselves.  It's like leaning about swimming rather than becoming a swimmer.  So Zen wants you to become awakened and not to ‘act' like an awakened person.  Another way to think about it is to get in shape.  If you want to get in shape you must put forth the effort, you have to do the work and only you can commit yourself to do it.  You can imitate Mr. Olympia but that won't make you him.   It is your self-effort alone that helps you to achieve this.  Now if you are in a community of like-minded people it might keep you on track or motivate you to work out so in this way a community can help you. However, the community really does not need to be there for if you are not self-motivated then how can you ever achieve such a goal?  It is the same with Zen.  Unless you are committed to achieving awakening completely in yourself then you have no chance.  You can sit with any community, chant, meditate and do whatever you want but if you are not single minded in your effort you will not achieve this.  So, yes, there are temples and Zen meetings and many, if not most of the followers, practice ‘Zen' but they do not realize Zen.  To know everything about swimming and the theory and practice of swimming does not enable you to swim.  Zen wipes away anything you can hang on to, words, letter, and ritual and asks you ‘ who is there to be awakened'?  It puts you front and center as the problem that separates you from awakening.
  I hope this helps you, take care,
                      Joe