Zen Objects

I have been rediscovering Thomas Merton, and I am finding new riches. I am delighted by the light that he shines on the teaching of Zhuang Zhou, theTaoist philosopher 

who lived in China during the 4th century BCE. Anything we make into an object to strive for becomes a poison. Even Enlightenment as an object to strive for becomes a poison. Zhuang Zhou foresaw the trap into which Zen has fallen so many times, into which many are falling again. When enlightenment becomes the object of Zen practice, teachers become guides on the path to that object. The path becomes well-worn. In some places, it’s paved. Enlightenment becomes an object, and the path is objectified as well. “Completing” koan study may become the path. Each koan passed brings the student closer to completion.  

My teacher, Roshi Bernie Glassman, was for many years deeply immersed in objectified ways, a fierce champion of the “Mu room,” a separate space during sesshin where students working on the first koan, Mu, could “moo” out loud until they achieved their breakthrough. Bernie managed to escape these objectifications. He had seen so many students, pushed to kensho in the Mu room, go no further, stuck. Kensho, he would say, is not so important. It’s what you do after that matters.

Somehow, I escaped. Although I ordained, I was never fully immersed. I began priest training so I could serve as Roshi Jishu’s first shuso. After her passing, the momentum of the Universe carried me through ordination, but I never truly absorbed the forms – never even mastered the “correct way” to knot my robe – and I soon forgot the little priestcraft I had learned. I stopped wearing the robes, although technically I remain a priest. It’s a credential on the shelf, rarely used.

I’d caught a glimpse of the objectification process, but it was Zhuang Zhou via Merton who put this into words and helped me to work with it, to see the opportunity and the challenge of going back to the Zen liturgy and working with pieces as process rather than as objects memorized and regurgitated.