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Inspired by and grounded in the classic records of Zen, the Flatbed Sutra Website is aimed at providing a clear understanding of this primary Zen teaching and offer suggestions on how to actualize it in your life.
Avoiding ambiguous or "esoteric" language, the classic teachings of Zen are offered in a clear straightforward manner—neither sidestepping the tough issues nor "watering down" the more challenging and subtle doctrines. Augmented by the classic Zen records, the Flatbed Sutra Website offers lucid explanations on how the doctrines of Zen can meet, and resolve life’s most difficult challenges.
Although these teachings are firmly grounded in and inspired by the Zen tradition, their message applies to persons of all traditions, or of no tradition at all. After all, Zen is only one path among many. The wisdom of Zen is not esoteric, or unique. It is the wisdom of reality, common to all beings. In the words of Louie Wing:
"The truth of reality existed long before the establishment of any religion or spiritual tradition. It is simply the truth of the oneness of the essence of the vast unnamable fathomless void and your own mind… Awakening to this reality is the function and reason of all true religious practice… When you awaken to your own source, wrong notions cease to exist, ideas and concepts can no longer bind you, the tangles and snares of the various religions are transcended." The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing: The Second Ancestor of Zen in the West, Ted Biringer
According to the classic teachings of Zen, claiming superiority for one doctrine over another is meaningless; only direct personal experience can bring true liberation. As the classic masters emphatically assert, since reality cannot be contained by words, claims of superiority are pointless.
The classic Zen masters proclaim that enlightenment is inherent to everyone, regardless of their particular circumstances. Whether you are rich or poor, a monastic or a homeowner, male or female, intelligent or slow-witted, a criminal or a saint—enlightenment is equally accessible to all. The Zen masters insist that anyone with genuine aspiration can awaken in whatever circumstances his or her life situation is in. The records of Zen are full of examples of people in all times and places, from all manner of lifestyle that have been able to realize awakening.
The methods, or practices described and recommended here are thoroughly grounded in the Zen tradition. Nevertheless, the sages of all the great traditions warn us about the dangers of becoming attached to any method or doctrine; insisting that no practice or teaching is right for everyone. According to the Zen records, all doctrines, techniques, and practices are valid only insofar as they can actually lead practitioners to the experience of enlightenment.
The classic Zen masters all recommend the basic practice of Zen meditation. This practice is referred to in the classic Zen texts as "Zazen," "nonthinking," "turning the light around," "shikantaza," and other similar terms. This practice—by whatever name—is the essential art of Zen practice and enlightenment; it is the keystone of Zen.
While the Zen ancestors warn us to avoid becoming attached to verbal or written teachings, they consistently maintain that such teachings are vitally important for the ongoing process of practice and enlightenment. They point out that attachment poses the danger, not the teachings themselves.
A common misperception in the West is that Zen masters regard reading and study as non-essential, or even counter productive to Zen practice. This fallacy contradicts the Zen records, which testify to a thorough knowledge of, and profound insight into, the literature, doctrines, and techniques of Buddhism as well as other traditions.
While the masters do advocate the primacy of awakening, they also affirm the necessity of acquiring useful knowledge and developing proficiency in useful practice. The classic teachings make it clear that the insistence on awakening is not a rejection of knowledge or practice, but a demand to activate the faculty through which knowledge and practice become truly useful.
Unrestricted by allegiance to institutional authority or sectarian obligation, the teachings of the Zen ancestors are presented from within their proper context: the traditional and authentic teaching of Buddhism. The great Zen masters used clear and convincing systematic explanations to demonstrate the often subtle and even startling implications that Buddhism revealed concerning the great questions of life and death.
Whether you have just begun your investigation, or your are a veteran practitioner, you are invited to come along as we explore some of the most profound insights the Zen masters have revealed about the authentic teaching of Buddhism. These revelations include insights into the nature of time and space, interdependence and dependent origination, the dynamics of enlightenment and spiritual practice, the essence and function wisdom and compassion, and many others.