Zen and the Martial Arts

[Kyle-san]

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

 

In modern times when most westerners think of Buddhism, the Zen sect usually comes to mind. There are a number of reasons for this ranging from products using the Zen label in order to seem more "exotic" (an example of this would be Zen shaving gel which combines the scent of fig leaf and lime into what is apparently a "Zen" smell), to association with martial arts. It is the association with martial arts that is of interest, especially with Buddhism's message of non-violence as reflected in the 5 Precepts. Equally interesting is the point of satori (instant/sudden enlightenment or awakening), which seems to make the claim that the end of enlightenment justifies the means. Since Buddhism preaches this non-violence and Zen has this focus on instant enlightenment, is Zen actually able to fit in with other forms of Buddhism? Or is it the case that Zen was misconstrued and associated with martial arts when it actually has no association? There is certainly a long history of Zen and the warrior tradition in Japan, but that does not make Zen any less valid as a form of Buddhism. This association with violence is a result of Zen's appeal to a warrior by being simple and direct, not as an excuse to violence. It is not that the means justify the ends, just that the path taken is different.

 

The first thing that should be examined is Zen's association with the Japanese warrior class and how it became coupled with modern martial arts. Around the same time that Zen was being introduced to Japan, the new set of Shogun were coming to power and found the religious system to suit their style of life. The simplicity and instant enlightenment appealed to them as Buddhism did what it does best, adapt to different cultures. Alan Watts states: "The association of the peace-loving doctrine of the Buddha with the military arts has always been a puzzle to Buddhists of other schools. It seems to involve the complete divorce of awakening from morality. But one must face the fact that, in essence, the Buddhist experience is a liberation from conventions of every kind, including the moral conventions." (107) This adaptability and liberation from conventions would be perfect for the man who spends the majority of his life on the edge of violence, for the samurai. This relationship of Zen and the samurai would continue for hundreds of years and last into modern times, which is where the association with modern martial arts can be made. However, it should be noted that only the highest-ranking samurai would truly be able to devote themselves to Zen practice and it is very likely that lower ranks viewed this practice as part of the end of their lives. The best explanation would be that once their lords converted to Zen, the samurai (being loyal retainers) would also convert but not be able to dedicate themselves to the practice with the same rigor. Zen has become associated with modern martial arts through a few different paths, but the main ones would be: soldiers that were stationed in Japan after World War II and learned various martial arts would have brought Zen back with them, Japanese sensei immigrating to Europe and North America to teach both Zen and their arts and Bruce Lee. Many martial artists credit Mr. Lee with turning martial arts into something more commonly known by the public and it is a known fact that he was an avid philosopher. All of these paths have contributed to the current state of affairs where a student of the traditional art will usually look into Zen, as a way of furthering their training, in fact there are several books on the subject of Zen and martial arts. This progressing interest in Zen has allowed things to become quite widespread and it seems that every other martial artist has an opinion on the subject. In particular, the art of Japanese swordsmanship and Zen are closely linked.

 

D.T. Suzuki often wrote of a sword that gives life as opposed to a sword that kills which fits in quite well with Buddhist ideals and at the same time avoids modifying a culture to suit a religion. It is important that this difference is noted and written about as it can be used to disprove the idea of Zen not being really Buddhist because of its association with samurai and warfare. It should be emphasized, however, that it was the warriors who took up the ideals of Zen and not Zen developing itself for the warriors. This is another important distinction when discussing the validity of Zen as a form of Buddhism. These points are only applicable to the pre-modern forms of martial arts when they were being used consistently in life or death struggles, as opposed to today where it is unlikely someone will have to use their skills more than handful of times and few, if any, of them life or death. The modern martial arts, of course, generally have a non-lethal focus that makes more sense in terms of fitting in with the 5 Precepts of Buddhism. With Zen being applied to modern forms of martial arts, it seems to have attained that balance between the warrior and the pacifist that would certainly make it fit in with Buddhism as a whole. Winston L. King writes: "'Self protection,' discovery of the true No-Self of every individual is, of course, the major goal of nonlethal martial arts of the present time." (181) Of course, this definition would only apply to traditional arts and not to the whole other branch of martial arts, which focuses purely on competition and "combat," completely ignoring the sentiment of self-betterment. Many modern artists are finding the right idea in Zen by finding it in both their training and everyday life. The majority of martial artists who find themselves involved with Zen or having some particular interest are usually just finding the experiences in everyday life or some small part of their training, but not actually taking up the religion in order to become enlightened.

 

An excellent example of how Zen has become entwined with martial arts to the extent that most traditional martial arts students tend to take a even just a passing interest with Zen is the book Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams. In this book, Mr. Hyams has written a series of his experiences in the martial arts studying under various masters and how they each related a bit of Zen in some fashion or another to him. Unlike an academic pursuit, the book is written very simply with the message decidedly clear at the end of each story and how his thoughts have changed through Zen experiences and, although he doesn't outright say it, he is sharing his satori with the reader. Another example of Zen becoming intertwined with martial arts is found in how certain Zen concepts have been translated into how a student should react in a certain situation. The famous Zen saying, "If you meet the Buddha, kill him!" is meant to be a statement on freeing yourself from attachments. Thich Nhat Hanh has written that "We are often attached to our knowledge, our habits, and our prejudices, and the language of Zen must be capable of liberating us from them." (52) Likewise, in martial arts the concept of "mind like water" is used in order to get the student to free himself from his bad habits and over thinking that could prove fatal in the wrong situation. Most martial artists don't even realize that they are being taught Zen concepts during their training and they likely never will. It is clear that many people are taking the most basic steps towards enlightenment by training in a traditional martial art and have an excellent opportunity to attain this enlightenment. These are important associations considering the protective nature that martial arts can take on, a very Buddhist nature. Following the lines that there are Zen teachings "hidden" in the traditional martial arts, it is only natural that someone who has attained a high ranking would know more of these "hidden" teachings. Another excellent example of Zen in martial arts is the concept of nonduality. Jean Smith wrote that there's "a Zen saying that the most intimate relationship you can have is not knowing. That means you have dropped away the separation between the knower and the known. There is nothing to know because you are it." (124-125) The reflection in martial arts comes with an advanced student being able to separate the technique from his thought process and just react when it is needed. It's as though the technique is a part of you, there is no separation between the technique and the student.

 

It is interesting to note the different martial arts that provide different emphasis on Zen concepts. In modern times many have forsaken traditional practices in order to become more "combat effective" or tournament worthy which, sadly, ignores the benefits of Zen combined with the arts. Now the ones that would have the most focus on any kind of Zen training and be aware of it, would be traditional styles of Japanese Karate, Aikido and, in some cases, Jujutsu. Aikido specifically stresses non-violence and on using the opponent's energy against them which appear to be very Buddhist concepts at their core, in the end it's their karma that harms them and not you. These non-violent principles can be applied while still gaining that element of protection that would completely agree with the Buddhist precept of not harming living beings. In addition to this, Aikido also heavily emphasizes the "hidden" Zen concepts that have already been discussed as well as many more. This art is an excellent example of how Zen can be applied to what, for some, would be an everyday situation. Even the simple understanding that can suddenly come from practicing a certain move has its parallels to satori. It is important that Zen and martial arts have become so intertwined, especially in disproving the claims of Zen being associated with something of complete violence. It would seem that a truly complete martial artist would recognize and understand the workings of Zen and the martial arts together, especially the necessity of them. These revelations (again, satori) are just waiting to be uncovered by the unthinking mind. It is almost surprising that these sport martial arts can divorce themselves from this theory and still claim that they are still arts and not just a method of beating people up. This is the true separation between Buddhist ideals and violence.

 

Zen practices have some different approaches than many conventional forms of Buddhism, which has earned it the criticism of justifying any karma built up as long as the enlightenment occurs. This is an accusation that basically states that Zen is saying that the ends justify the means. Of course, the questioning of Zen's validity as a form of Buddhism isn't unexpected seeing as almost every new system went through the process of being questioned and this has continued in modern times. Every form believes themselves to be right and that the other forms of Buddhism are following an incorrect path. This certainly isn't the case with Zen or any other form; they are all simply just different paths to enlightenment and Nirvana. In fact, part of Zen training involves the study of the basics of Buddhism, specifically the ones following the Mahayana tradition.

 

According to Jean Smith: "Within Zen Buddhism, the Zen Peacemaker Order founded to link people who are engaged in social action and Zen Buddhism (see chapter 9), has given serious consideration to engaged Buddhism is linked through the sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts." (120) This is a clear indication that Zen is following Buddhist teachings and proves that the accusations of it not really being a form of Buddhism to be baseless. Once again it is important to note that just because they are following a different path to Nirvana, that it doesn't mean they have decided on an "incorrect" way of doing things. Their concept of instant enlightenment though everyday events provides an appeal to those that wouldn't have the time to devote themselves to monastic study. This is especially important in a modern setting when it isn't feasible to support your family and hope to make any significant advances towards enlightenment at the same time by following a more rigid form of Buddhism. All paths lead to the same destination, but none are any better or worse than the others.

 

In summary, there is a long association of Zen with violence, but simply because of the simplicity and directness that are found in this particular form of Buddhism. However, it is likely that the most serious practitioners were the most senior of the samurai. Zen has found it's way to the West and modern martial arts through a variety of paths, but most importantly from the books written on this particular subject. There are Zen practices and concepts that are seemingly hidden in the various techniques and ideas taught in many traditional martial arts styles, however, these aren't so far from the surface as they first seem. It is important that the arts that most heavily focus on Zen are the ones that are mainly nonviolent and, as such, fit right in with Buddhist principles. Finally, despite accusations that Zen isn't a true form of Buddhism because of the "shortcuts" being taken, the focus it has on traditional Buddhist values proves this false. Just because Zen takes a different path and emphasizes a divorce from attachments doesn't make it a false path, one that is inferior to others.

 

To conclude, awareness of Zen can only continue to rise as more and more people, martial artists and Buddhist enthusiasts alike, begin and continue to explore exactly what Zen is. It is likely that martial artists will continue to "uncover" these Zen concepts that are combined with their arts. There is a clear difference between the violence that the samurai lived and practiced, and the modern practices of nonviolent protection that is emphasized in martial arts. Zen is a wonderful form of Buddhism that provides a unique path to Nirvana.

 

Works Cited

 

Hanh, Thich Nhat. Zen Keys. Toronto; Doubleday, 1995

 

King, Winston L. Zen & The Way of the Sword. New York; Oxford, 1993

 

Smith, Jean. The Beginner's Guide to Zen Buddhism. New York; Bell Tower, 2000

 

Watts, Alan. The Way of Zen. New York; Vintage Spiritual Classics, 1989

[Patrick]

Thank you for the submission.

[Scorcho]

Awesome post!

[ninjanurse]

Thoughtful article!

 

[wado_lee]

interesting

 

reads very much like a book ever thought of writing one i like it though

[Guest]

interesting...thought provoking.

[aefibird]

Good article, thanks for sharing.

[markusan]

An interesting discussion on a difficult subject. I wonder though how true it is that martial artists are the main reason zen has been introduced to the west. I tend to think it is more pacifists like Thic Nhat Hahn, and the many Roshis and Japanese philosophers who have travelled from Japan like Masao Abe et al.

 

I would also tend to extend your example of non duality. It is fine to become one with your technique, but not all that challenging I think. More of a challenge is to be one with your opponent.

[Rotten Head Fok]

Interesting article, thank you.

[Kyle-san]

Markusan, since I've written the article I've had the chance to read a bit more into Zen, including Thich Nhat Hanh's Zen Keys, and I'd tend to agree that it was the pacificts that introduced Zen and caused it to flourish. However, in the context of popular culture, the examples I've given are more recognizable. That's a fine opinion to have on the example of non duality, however I was attempting to write this for an audience with little to no understanding of either Zen or the intricacies of martial arts. Just because an example isn't the best doesn't mean the concept can't be expressed.

 

In any case, this is a less mature bit of writing, there are a few revisions I'd make if I were writing it now.

 

As for the rest of the comments, thank you for your interest. I didn't even know this was still here until recently.