Wu Kwang, Zen Master (Shrobe, Richard)

Biblioteca Digital de les Illes Balears

Book Review 
The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master To-
rei, t ransla ted by T h o m a s Cleary, is a p re -modern Japanese 
gu idebook to Z e n pract ice from the Rinzai perspect ive . The 
author, Zen Mas t e r Torei Enji ( 1 7 2 1 — 1 7 9 2 ) was a direct suc¬ 
cessor o f Haku in Ekaku. Haku in was responsible for the ref¬ 
ormat ion o f Rinzai Z e n a n d for the creat ion o f the kong-an 
( Japanese : koan) system that is still u sed in J a p a n today. 
Torei he lped systematize Hakuin's t each ings . 
The tone o f the t each ing in this book is 
energet ic to say the least . It has the spirit 
o f "rousing the troops to bat t le", that is, 
be ing extremely ser ious, s incere and 
di l igent in one's efforts to pract ice 
the Zen way. There is a par t icular 
t each ing style in the Zen t radi t ion 
that makes use o f a d m o n i s h i n g the 
s tuden t a n d rai l ing aga ins t what is 
cons idered as m i s g u i d e d or inau-
thent ic t each ing approaches . This 
approach goes back at least as far as 
the Tang-Dynas ty Chinese Z e n M a s ­
ter H u a n g Po, address ing his monks as 
"You are all eaters o f dregs ." Z e n Mas te r 
Dahui frequently m a d e reference to what he 
cons idered the m i s g u i d e d approach o f "silent 
The Undying Lamp of Zen 
The Testament of Zen Master Torei 
Translated and edited by Thomas 
Cleary 
Shambhala Publications, 2010 
Review by Zen Master Wu Kwang 
(Richard Shrobe) 
i l luminat ion" a m o n g the Chinese Soto pract i t ioners o f his 
t ime, a n d Hakuin frequently a d m o n i s h e d s tudents for what 
he cons idered lukewarm efforts. He railed aga ins t a partic¬ 
ular Chinese master who h a d a t t empted to integrate Pure 
Land pract ice a n d Zen . W e find some o f the same in this 
book and , relevant as it migh t have been in its t ime, it can 
be redundan t as you read through the t each ing . 
Torei beg ins his preface with these remarks " I f you want 
to read this treatise, do so from start to finish thoroughly 
penet ra t ing each point . Don't jus t p ick out a saying or a 
chapter that conforms to your own l iking a n d cons ider that 
right." He then lays out a tenfold s chema o f pract ice , which 
he e laborates on in each chapter . The chapters inc lude teach¬ 
ings on faith a n d pract ice , true realization, progressive tran¬ 
scendence , a n d working appl ica t ion , to name a few. 
Here is an example o f Torei's approach to hav ing a b ig 
ques t ion , what he calls "congea l ing a mass o f wonder." 
Right now, what is this? W h a t is it that sees? 
W h a t is it that hears? W h a t is it that moves? 
W h a t is it that sits? At all t imes , in all p laces , 
focus your m i n d a n d see how it is. W i t h o u t 
conce iv ing o f be ing or non being, wi thout 
th inking o f aff irmation or negat ion , wi thout 
d iscr imina t ing , wi thout rat ionalizing, jus t 
observe in this way. W h e n the t ime comes , it 
will appear o f itself. 
One o f the points emphas ized by Torei 
is that after the realization o f one's t rue 
nature, one mus t cont inue to pract ice 
to refine one's percept ion and ap¬ 
pl icat ion to the various s i tuat ions 
o f one's life. Torei sees this as be¬ 
ing the purpose o f working through 
the many kong-ans that facil i tate 
the expression o f compass ion and 
clarity. 
In J a p a n the book is cons idered 
an indispens ib le a id to the pract ice o f 
Rinzai Z e n . As the remarks on the back 
cover say, "Torei is a compel l ing gu ide ; his 
tone is energet ic , no-nonsense , and full o f 
personality." (Sk 
[23 


Book Review (The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Biblioteca Digital de les Illes Balears