![]() ![]() Absolute morality is profoundly destructive of morality, for the sanctions which it invokes against evil are far, far too heavy…. Herbert Benoit noted that “Zen demonstrates the nullity of all belief in a personal God, and the deplorable constraint that necessarily flows from this belief.” In a telling statement Alan Watts commented:Ībove all, I believe that Zen appeals to many in the post-Christian West because it does not preach, moralize and scold in the style of Hebrew-Christian prophetism…. Westerners or skeptics who have felt themselves “burdened” with a Judeo-Christian concept of God have converted to Zen for just this reason, to “give up belief in God” and live as they wish. He declares in no mistakable terms that “Zen is a very peculiar and subtle form of atheism.” In fact, the practical atheism of Zen is part of its appeal. Lit-Sen Chang was a practitioner of Zen for 50 years before his conversion to Christ. Zen masters do attack the Christian’s faith in God because in Zen the very concept of God in Christianity is a delusion preventing enlightenment.ĭr. He did not say that the Christian would or should give up his belief in God.” īut Lassalle ignores the fact that this is often exactly what happens. A Zen master once told his Christian disciple that his idea of God might change after he was enlightened. Nevertheless, he will forbid that his disciple think of God, that is think about God as one usually does…. In most cases, the Zen master himself will not be an atheist. If you say yes or no, you lose your own Buddha-nature.” Lassalle claims: “No understanding Zen master will attack the Christian’s faith in God. “Is God dead or not? That is the most serious question of all. ![]() Zen masters may argue they are not atheists since they stress neither belief in God nor disbelief in God. Anything and everything that appears to us as an individual entity or phenomenon, whether it be a planet or an atom, a mouse or a man, is but a temporary manifestation of THIS in form. God-if I may borrow that word for a moment-the universe, and man are one indissoluble existence, one total whole. Rather, Zen holds that there is no god outside the universe who has created it and created man. Zen does not hold that there is a god apart from the universe who first created this universe and then created man to enjoy, or even master it…. Ruth Fuller Sasaki denies relevance to God while affirming absolute relevance for “THIS”: Theologically Zen denies relevance to God and practically speaking it is atheistic. ![]()
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