The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and JapanNukariya, Kaiten
Religion
The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
Nukariya, Kaiten
Buddhism -- China; Buddhism -- Japan; China -- Religion; Human beings -- Origin; Japan -- Religion; Zen Buddhism
Besides, the heart is as much material and impenetrable as the eyes,
ears, hands, and feet. How, then, can the heart within freely pass
to the organs of sense without? How can this one put the others in
motion, or communicate with them, in order to co-operate in producing
Karma?
If it be said that only such passions as joy, anger, love, and hatred
act through the body and the mouth and enable them to produce Karma,
(I should say) those passions--joy, anger, and the rest--are too
transitory, and come and go in a moment. They have no Substance
(behind their appearances). What, then, is the chief agent that
produces Karma?
It might be said that we should not seek after (the author of Karma)
by taking mind and body separately (as we have just done), because
body and mind, as a whole, conjointly produce Karma. Who, then,
after the destruction of body by death, would receive the retribution
(in the form) of pain or of pleasure?
If it be assumed that another body is to come into existence after
death, then the body and mind of the present life, committing sins or
cultivating virtues, would cause another body and mind in the future
which would suffer from the pains or enjoy the pleasures.
Accordingly, those who cultivate virtues would be extremely unlucky,
while those who commit sins very lucky. How can the divine law of
causality be so unreasonable? Therefore we (must) acknowledge that
those who merely follow this doctrine are far from a thorough
understanding of the origin of life, though they believe in the
theory of Karma.
2. The Doctrine of the Hinayanists.
This doctrine tells us that (both) the body, that is formed of
matter, and the mind, that thinks and reflects, continually exist
from eternity to eternity, being destroyed and recreated by means of
direct or indirect causes, just as the water of a river glides
continually, or the flame of a lamp keeps burning constantly. Mind
and body unite themselves temporarily, and seem to be one and
changeless. The common people, ignorant of all this, are attached to
(the two combined) as being Atman.[FN#337]
[FN#337] Atman means ego, or self, on which individuality is based.
For the sake of this Atman, which they hold to be the most precious
thing (in the world), they are subject to the Three Poisons Of
lust,[FN#338] anger,[FN#339] and folly,[FN#340] which (in their turn)
give impulse to the will and bring forth Karma of all kinds through
speech and action. Karma being thus produced, no one can evade its
effects. Consequently all must be born[FN#341] in the Five States of
Existence either to suffer pain or to enjoy pleasure; some are born
in the higher places, while others in the lower of the Three
Worlds.[FN#342]
[FN#338] A. 'The passion that covets fame and gain to keep oneself
in prosperity.'
[FN#339] A. 'The passion against disagreeable things, for fear of
their inflicting injuries on oneself.'
[FN#340] A. 'Wrong thoughts and inferences.'
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