Esoteric Zen?

DaftChris

As far as I know, Zen has no esoteric school of thought. However, are there esoteric elements to Zen? Or is there a way one could practice an esoteric form of Zen?

Zen, generally speaking, is primarily meditation; as well as finding the hidden in plain sight and simplicity. However, there are guardian deities and other Dharma protectors (such as Acalanatha) found within Zen and can be revered via ritual. With this in mind, can Zen, in and of itself, technically be inherently esoteric?

lobster

Seems esoteric but Nothing esoteric.

“The wise man does nothing, while the fool is always tying himself up.”
http://www.enlightened-spirituality.org/Zen_Humor.html

It really is our complexity that veils. We are esoteric or 'hidden from ourselves'.
When joriki develops, then things that seem 'supernatural' can arise. Nothing important.

Invincible_summer

I subscribe to the type of Chan/Zen popularized by Shunryu Suzuki and Ven. Sheng Yen. From what I've read, and my limited experience with a sangha, Zen can be quite iconoclastic and even reductionist. Esotericism would just be adding layers of obfuscation onto a practice that has the intent of breaking through all of that.

matthewmartin

NB for other readers, esoteric = tantra = shingon = vajrayana (roughly, close enough for this forum post)

This Shingon center in California combines Esoteric and Zen. Ref: http://www.daikokuji.us/mikkyo-zen.html

Some contradictions one would find reading about each:

Zen is universalist (one practice everyone can do)
Esoteric is um, how to put this politely, elitist. Only the best and brightest are allowed to learn the secret practices, which would be "dangerous" in the hands of the general public.

Zen is minimalist (again, one practice is good enough), everything other than meditation is so de-emphasized people are surprised to learn that there is anything else.
Esoteric is at the other end of the spectrum, with Hindu-like pantheons, contradictorily, also a monotheist like diety that is also all the other dieties (and the universe too), mantras, mudras, mandalas, rituals, fires.

Zen nowadays seem to be mostly about "instant enlightenment" as opposed to gradual.
Shingon ... I can't tell yet. The numerous levels imply that enlightenment is gradual, as you shift from exoteric teachings to esoteric, as you rack up the empowerments you get more and more enlightened.

Dennis1

DaftChris said:

As far as I know, Zen has no esoteric school of thought. However, are there esoteric elements to Zen? Or is there a way one could practice an esoteric form of Zen?

Zen, generally speaking, is primarily meditation; as well as finding the hidden in plain sight and simplicity. However, there are guardian deities and other Dharma protectors (such as Acalanatha) found within Zen and can be revered via ritual. With this in mind, can Zen, in and of itself, technically be inherently esoteric?

Hi Daft:
There is an esoteric branch of Zen. I think it was the original Zen which went to Japan from China and was called Chan. The only text I know is 'The Blue Cliff Records'.
That is pretty esoteric and thick wading. A lot of water in the buffalo's print stuff.
Happy hunting, Dennis