SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

. Zen in the West 107Conceptual Zen ÑThis is the Zen derived from readingmany books. It tries to grasp Zen conceptually and failsbecause Zen is a practice and not a concept. But the concept canserve as a starting point.Square Zen ÑThis is the Zen bound by rigid forms andrituals. Its advocates put weight on solving k‡ans and receivingthe certification of the Zen masters. But since Zen stresses vitalfreedom, there is no need to be so strictly enslaved by form.Suzuki Zen ÑThis is the Zen grown through the works ofProfessor Daisetz Suzuki. His contributions to Western understandingof Zen have been tremendous, but his Zen tends toemphasize enlightenment through the k‡an. If this emphasis istoo strong, Zen loses its original ÒabruptÓ flavor and becomesstep-like.Native Zen ÑThis is the Zen based on native philosophictradition. It is represented, for example, by the writing of ProfessorVan Meter Ames of Cincinnati University. It resemblesthe kakugi (syncretism) method of early China, which adaptedBuddhist thought to the native heritage. This method contributedmuch to the development of Mahyna Buddhism inChina. This type of Western Zen has potential for contributingsignificantly to Zen in Europe and America.Zen, or Serene Rešection Meditation ÑThis is the Zen thatgrows from right training. Here the works of Great MasterD‡gen, the founder of the Serene Reflection Meditation School