The Seminal Determinants of Zen Buddhism

Abstract

As a kind of 'a path to self-liberation, Zen Buddhism is the fulfillment of a long tradition of Indian and Chinese cultures that reached its zenith in Japan. This invaluable gift of Asia to the world cannot be pigeonholed into any of the formalist categories of contemporary Western thought, so this discussion will only try to delineate its specific features. The principal areas of investigation are the seminal determinants of Zen Buddhism: its understanding of paradox, its experience of emptiness, action and 'satori'. 'Satori' is the goal of Zen that leads to 'self-liberation', that is, a new point of view on the essence of reality and the true nature of man. The method of investigation involves an analysis of several relevant works dealing with this subject. By analyzing the seminal determinants of Zen Buddhism, the author has come to the conclusion that Zen avoids entangling itself into religious speculation or academic thought and aims directly at the essence of reality. The experience of Zen is the real purpose of man, and not something used as the first step in a series of ethical or metaphysical judgments, therefore this experience is accompanied by a feeling of all-embracing love and joy.