Читать книгу Zen Shaolin Karate. The complete Practice, Philosophy and History онлайн

12 страница из 27

Zen is the Japanese translation of the Chinese word Ch'an, which in turn is the Chinese translation of the Indian word dhyana, meaning meditation. According to tradition, its founder and first patriarch, Bodhidharma (Daruma in Japanese), left India and crossed into China, eventually taking up residence in the Shaolin Temple (circa A.D. 528).

The monks practiced seated meditation, living in the moment, and the direct experience of reality. It is said that Bodhidharma often pointed to wild animals or natural beauty to directly convey a teaching without using words. How many of us have not felt a tugging, somewhere deep within, when exposed to an ink drawing of a Zen landscape (or any other art form bearing the hallmark of Zen simplicity)? For many centuries, teachers have used these direct methods to transmit the concepts of Zen, which are always better experienced than discussed. The direct method also reduces the need to engage in endless and often counterproductive intellectual discussion.