Zen Training - The coming of Stoicism in the East (Bodhidharma)

Zen prides itself in the mind training, and you often hear this talked about by dedicated disciples. Yet what is this mind training specifically? For that, we have to examine the roots of Zen, as to where the development and history are. It is said that Zen started in the 6th century China with the 6th patriarch Huining, though the founder of Zen is often attributed to Bodhidharma, who is now considered a fictional character, sometime in the mid to late 5th century. Likely is that the entire Bodhidharma story is a creation much later in the 7th to 8th century, when there was a push to declare Huining as a Chinese homegrown Buddha and his enlightenment as the new Buddhahood. Thus we see the rise of the Qian lineages and intertwining with the Chinese imperium. Yet the story of Bodhidharma is more than just conjectured fiction, it is likely a representation of the Silk Road that brought in many treasures from the West, including Stoicism, that greatly affected Chinese religious views and society. The Stoics are known to have existed in the 3rd century BC, 900 years before Zen. It is likely that Greek philosophy, art and culture traveled along the Silk Road, giving rise to an Asian Stoicism that we today call Chan or Zen. When examining ancient Stoicism, we find many of the values and metaphysical teachings as in Zen. Zen Buddhism and Stoicism, despite originating in different cultural contexts, Zen in East Asia, particularly Japan, and Stoicism in ancient Greece and Rome, yet share several striking philosophical similarities. Both Zen and Stoicism emphasize the importance of inner calm and peace of mind. They advocate for cultivating a state of equanimity amidst the ups and downs of life. Both philosophies acknowledge the impermanent nature of existence. Zen teaches the concept of impermanence, mujo, as central to understanding reality, while Stoicism teaches the acceptance of the transitory nature of all things. Both Zen and Stoicism stress the importance of mindfulness and being present in the moment. Practitioners are encouraged to focus on the here and now rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Both philosophies advocate for detachment from external circumstances and events. Stoicism teaches the importance of focusing on what's within our control, our thoughts and actions, while Zen emphasizes letting go of attachments to outcomes and desires. Both Zen and Stoicism are practical philosophies aimed at guiding individuals toward a more meaningful and fulfilling life. They provide practical techniques and exercises for self-improvement and personal growth. While the terminology may differ, both Zen and Stoicism emphasize the cultivation of virtues such as wisdom, compassion, courage and temperance. Both philosophies view ethical living as essential for achieving inner harmony and well-being. Zen Buddhism and Stoicism both challenge dualistic thinking and encourage practitioners to transcend binary distinctions such as good-bad, self-other and success-failure. They promote a more holistic and integrated understanding of reality. While there are practice and cultural differences, the similarities are striking. The aspect that Chan developed independently sort of gets squashed when we look at the impact of the Silk Road in China and the spread of other Western religions such as Manichaeism deep into China. Now if we examine Zen training, what is it that we actually find? Keep in mind that modern Zen does not view priestcraft, that being the rituals and prayers, as Zen training. Rather, Zen views the discipline, as we see in many of the Japanese martial arts, and the focus is on the development of mind control, in where the student suppresses all other thoughts and becomes what they are performing. Yet, is that even Zen, or is it much deeper? D.T. Suzuki often comments that the mind of Zen is the no-mind, not a suppressed mind, but one that flows within this very moment. In the book Secret of Zen, the author Arden Hollingsworth puts forth that Zen is nothing more than highly developed intuitiveness. Japanese put a lot of formality in their martial arts and much pride in nationalism and lineage. Japanese culture shows open respect and honoring of these aspects of its culture through the highly formal rituals that are performed, thus creating a martial arts even out of the most simple of things, such as formal silent sitting, Zazen.