 Zen
And Daoism in Practice
by Konrad Plendl
In traditional Far Eastern societies there is considerable overlap
between religious practices. Confucianism, Shintoism, Buddhism,
Daoism and other Eastern belief systems do not demand exclusivity.
Recently, my own spiritual path has led me to both Zen Buddhist and
Daoist practices. It could be said that Zen meditation is for the
mind and the Daoist exercise system of Taiji is for the body, but
this is an over simplification. Although it is not emphasized in the
Kwan Um Zen School, there are many types of Buddhist practices which
emphasize physical as well as spiritual practice. The well known
Shaolin Temple System of China is one example. In
Shaolin Gong Fu, Buddhist and Daoist philosophy is combined
with martial arts training.
Buddhism and Daoism may seem similar to each other when compared
with Western religious systems. Neither has a creator God who
controls all aspects of our lives. There is no beginning or end to
the world, life is lived in the present moment. The philosophical
systems of Buddhism and Daoism teach that logical discourse is
limited in any metaphysical description of reality. However, there
are many ways in which the two systems differ. According to the Heart
Sutra, of Buddhism, "That which is form is emptiness, that which is
emptiness form." No object or concept has its own self-nature.
Everything is interconnected on an ontological level.
In contrast, the Daoists believe that form is the complement of
emptiness. According to the Daoist teacher Laozi: "Shape clay into
a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful. Cut doors and
windows for a room; It is the holes which make it useful." Form works
because of emptiness, emptiness works because of form. All the forces
of nature, not only form and emptiness, exist in complementary pairs
of yin and yang: Heaven and Earth, dark and light, hard
and soft . . .
The concepts of yin and yang are put into action in
the practice of Taiji. Although it is a gentle and slow exercise,
the same motions can become aggressive when done with force in the
martial arts. Yi (intent) leads Qi (the life force)
which leads Li (action). Mind controls the motion of the
body.
Zen meditation seeks to clear the mind. Sit, watch the breath, and
repeat a simple phrase in your head. Zen Master Seung Sahn teaches,
"Red comes, red. White comes, white." Perception and action without
intention. By calming the mind one becomes aware of the inner working
of the life force and body.
The clarity and awareness gained in Zen meditation are useful in
Taiji exercises where complex motions have to be carried out in
exact detail. If you try to perform Taiji while thinking about
other things, it will be reflected in your actions. While Buddhism
and Daoism arose in different areas of the world, their interplay
over the centuries since Buddhism was introduced into China in the
early part of the first millennium has continued to produce dynamic
philosophies and practices.
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