Certain striking similarities to the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi are noticeable in this

week’s readings. As the introduction to the Scripture in 42 Sections states, distinctly

Chinese stylistic and thematic features appear in that work, such as the use of the
term “Tao” and mention of filial piety. There are also specific images in that text that
recall both of our Taoist readings, such as the mirror mentioned in section 11,
polished by the “eliminat[ion of] desire” – a remarkably similar notion to the
Zhuangzi’s discussion of emptiness: “The Perfect Man uses his mind like a mirror
– going after nothing, welcoming nothing, responding but not storing” (section 7).
The Scripture also likens the mind to a pool of water, which can be filtered of dirt
and clarified (section 13), similar to the line in the Tao Te Ching’s section 15: “if
turbid waters are stilled, they will gradually become clear.” In the Diamond Sutra
and Platform Sutra, the discussions of formlessness and non-dualism recall certain
portions of the Zhuangzi. I would be interested in learning more about the extent to
which concepts were “imported” into the texts through Chinese scholars who had
read Taoist works, but there does appear to be a basic affinity between many Taoist
and Buddhist ideas.

Buddhist concepts in these readings that appear new within the Confucian and
Taoist context include universal love, benevolence and compassion, and
renunciation of sex (in the Scripture); gift-giving (Diamond Sutra); and meditation as
a discrete practice (Platform Sutra). Formally, there are certain features of the
Diamond and Platform sutras that recall the traditional Chinese texts’ descriptions of
conversations between Masters and their followers, but the Buddhist works’
emphasis on repetitive language sets them apart.

Scripture in 42 sections

Interesting to see the Way used in early Chinese Buddhist text

Aside from mention of filial piety and the Way, there are a lot of new concepts here:
Benevolence and compassion, universal love, patience in the face of insult.

On p. 367, section 11, there is mentioned a mirror that when polished shows one’s
own image, and that this is achieved through the elimination of desire. This is very
similar to the Zhuangzi discussion of emptiness: “Be empty, that is all. The Perfect
Man uses his mind like a mirror – going after nothing, welcoming nothing,
responding but not storing.”

On 367, section 13, the mind is likened to a pool of water: “Passion and desire
pollute the mind, leaving it murky, and thus the Way goes unseen. If the water is
filtered and the filth removed, leaving it pure and free of dirt, one’s own reflection
will be seen.” This recalls the Tao Te Ching’s discussion (section 15 in the old
version): “If turbid waters are stilled, they will gradually become clear…”

The Scripture in 42 sections differs from the Confucian and Taoist texts in its
emphasis on asceticism and renunciation of sex, and even of having children
(section 21). There is also more emphasis on misery, distress, old age, and sickness.
Diamond Sutra

Featurelessness is emphasized. Aspiring bodhisattvas are instructed to avoid

thinking of the “idea of a self…the idea of a living being… [and] the idea of a soul.”
(§6).

Boddhisatvas are also instructed to conceive of aspirations without form. This

means avoidance of reliance on appearances

There is also an emphasis on gift-giving and teaching as virtues (§10-13).

Freedom from ideas.

Platform Sutra

More on formlessness.
On p. 130 there is another mention of the mind as a clear mirror, which we must
polish in order to prevent dust from collecting on it.

Interesting to see the practice of making “obeisance” before verses

Section 13 is also the first mention of meditation we have encountered.

“The practice of self-awakening does not lie in verbal arguments.” (p. 136)
The deluded man clings to the characteristics of things … [and thinks] that
straightforward mind is sitting without moving and casting aside delusions … This
kind of practice is … the cause of an obstruction to the Tao. “

“No-thought, non-form, and non-abiding”

and non-dualism

all of which are similar to concepts discussed in the Zhuangzi.

Meditation is the means through which one can avoid activating thoughts and thus
become closer to the Tao.
The pieces in Four Huts appear to form a small literary genre unto themselves, with
parallel thematic and stylistic concerns not limited to the description of one’s home.
Po Chü -i’s “Thatched Hall” is described as a vacation dwelling built on Mount Lu in
China, where he spends time immersed in nature, playing his zither, and reading
books. Chü -i describes his inner life while in this home as “a state of utter calm and
forgetfulness” (9). Importantly, Chü -i makes reference to his professional
obligations as a “supernumerary official” (16), which prevent him from living there
full-time. This reference to the obligations and difficulties of life in the world, as
opposed to life within the confines of one’s ideal home, will reoccur in the other
texts.

Yoshishige no Yasutane’s home, the “Pond Pavilion,” is only described in his text
after a lengthy discussion of life in Kyoto, with a particular focus on class disparities
and their manifestation in home-building. He appears fed up with the chaotic city,
describing people as “stubborn” or “mad” based on where they build their homes,
which in certain cases leads to environmental problems and urban sprawl. His own
home is described as a place of solitude, where, free of power-seeking
contemporaries, where he can “hum poems and sing songs” (43).

Kamo no Chomei’s work expands on themes in Yasutane’s by discussing economic

inequality and environmental disasters, again in the context of people’s dwellings.
His own hut is a “temporary dwelling” (91) where he, too, has only books and music
to accompany him, and his references to mortality seem to make the point that all
homes are temporary.

Mastuo Basho’s work, while it does not address such overtly social concerns as the
previous two texts, mentions the author’s “dislike” of “society” (128) and echoes
Chomei in pointing out that “we all live, do we not, in a phantom dwelling?” (130).

Lady Nijo’s text is a fascinating portrait of both her times and her own psychological
makeup. Under a thick cloud of guilt and remorse after having been dismissed from
the court of Emperor Go-Fukakusa, Nijo decides to become a nun, since this was “in
accordance with [her] fate” (196). Wandering from one religious site to another, she
remarks on her surroundings and weather (e.g. moon, snow) as representative of
her feelings and life situation. Importantly, she reflects on profound emotions using
the medium of poetry, and often communicates with others using short poems that
express her feelings in a given moment using metaphors taken from her
surroundings. Poetry is shown to be a shared act of communication widespread in
her social world, and when she gives profound handwritten poems to others, she
can expect to receive one in return. She accords a great deal of importance to social
rank and appears to intermingle her romantic feelings for His Majesty with
reminiscences about her exceptional former life in the imperial court. Her devotion
to the ascetic life appears to be overshadowed by intense despair and regret at
having lost her former position (in addition to the loss of her father) leading one to
venture a guess that asceticism may have been a refuge for people of this period
whose lives had taken an unfortunate turn.