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Opening the Hand of Thought: Approach to Zen (Arkana)

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Excellent depth. Uchiyama analyzes the content of Zen, the actual internal experience when doing zazen. Even Dogen, the founder of the meditation practice of zazen, can be accused of not clearly explaining the internal content of zazen. (See Bielefeldt, "Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation") But with a diagram, Uchiyama illustrates how to aim at the target of letting go or "opening the hand of thought." He further explains that although we aim at the target of "not aiming" (my term), we can never really hit this target. But, not being able to stay on target is also part of the "reality of life," the total content of zazen. So, does Uchiyama provide the definitive explanation of the "what" or "how" (Dogen's terms) of the content of zazen? Hardly. Unfortunately, the internal content of zazen cannot be explained through books or over the Internet. Theory only complements practice. "How" we aim, the very power to "aim," remains a mystery. It remains something strange (myoho, the wondrous dharma), something we cannot grasp with our intellection. (See Shohaku Okumura's introduction to Uchiyama's newest translation of and commentaries on Dogen's "Bendowa.") If we could explain it, it would no longer be "wondrous." However, Uchiyama's book does provide a signficant clue about what happens when you sit in zazen as instructed by Dogen.

Three Books by Kosho Uchiyama, February 21, 2000 Reviewer: Eric Arbiter from Houston, TX
"The Wholehearted Way", "Opening the Hand of Thought" and From "Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment"

I have re-read these books so many times that I think of them as different components of the same work, since the subjects
interweave to produce a wonderful fabric of integrated Zen practice viewed from different perspectives. At first
glance all of these books might seem "lightweight". I thought so at first because of their covers. Especially
"Opening the Hand of Thought- Approach to Zen". It suggests a new-age type of quick fix book about Zen.
Nothing could be further from the truth. This was just the book I needed, though I didn't yet know it. Having come
to Zen meditation 2 years before reading this book, I was still unclear about meditation (zazen). Many of us reach
the point where we realize that we need and want to practice meditation. Then we get to the same point of the
monk in Master Dogen's (1200-1250) quote in Fukan Zazen-gi:

"When Yakusan was sitting [in meditation], a monk asked him 'What do you think when you sit?' The master said,
'I think of not thinking.' The monk inquired further, 'How do you think of not thinking?' Yakusan replied, '[by sitting]
beyond thinking".

What is beyond thinking? This is where Uchiyama makes his point of departure, walking us through just this
juncture. He describes the movement of the mind and what need be done or not done about it. He even includes
a diagram of the action of the mind getting caught up in thoughts and alternatively falling asleep. He speaks of
zazen as neither developing thoughts, nor hating them, but releasing them (hence the title Opening the Hand of
Thought). Zazen is opening the hand of thought (not grasping thought) and returning to seeing the wall millions
of times.

"Opening the Hand of Thought" addresses the vast world of seated meditation and the religious and personal
underpinnings behind it. It is as though Uchiyama Roshi is your own grandfather, telling you about his life, and
your life, too. It is about living the "most refined way". This is not a detached dry retelling of ancient stories about
someone else, but the vital story of ourselves living the life of ourselves (which he says is the very life of the
buddhas, patriarchs and matriarchs). It is the way of "not being dragged around by our thoughts" and living our
lives based on this even-mindedness. We take this into our daily lives in every encounter.

"From the Zen Kitchen to Enlightenment- Refining Your Life" at first appears to be a popular cookbook appending
Zen to the title for more interest. Again, not so. This is Uchiyama Roshi's commentary on another of Master
Dogen's texts: Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions to the Zen Cook) which was part of Dogen's manual for his monks.
Translator and practitioner Thomas Wright says in the introduction: "Now, what possible connection could a text
written for a group of male monks some 750 years ago have for present-day Europeans and Americans, neither
living in a monastery nor particularly familiar with the society or way of looking at life which differs totally from our
modern Western societies? That is the question to which Kosho Uchiyama Roshi addresses himself when he
began writing the commentary that accompanies Dogen's text". I would say that the emphasis of this book is on
Master Dogen's "three minds": magnanimous mind, joyful mind and parental mind. Through meditation (zazen) we come
to the place where we see that the world is none other than the self and that we take care of others because they
are really ourselves. Everything which arises in your life IS your life.

"The Wholehearted Way" is Uchiyama Roshi's commentaries on Master Dogen's Bendowa, his early manifesto
about the practice of zazen. It is followed by questions and answers (probably asked by his chief disciple, Ejo)
directed at various misunderstandings of what Dogen felt to be the true significance of zazen.

"Sitting is itself the practice of the buddha. Sitting itself is nondoing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart
from sitting there is nothing to seek as the buddha-dharma".
(from Eihei Dogen's, Shobogenzo-Zuimonki)

Uchiyama Roshi's commentaries are in the same vein as the other books, bringing these ancient teachings to us
in a fresh and vital way so that they function in our daily lives. The translations and introductions are done by
three of Uchiyama Roshi's close disciples and long-time practitioners, Tom Wright, Daniel Taigen Leighton and Shohaku
Okumura. Their comments in themselves are worthy of our study.

There is for me tremendous appeal in the great scope and depth of Uchiyama Roshi's teachings expressed in his
straightforward and engaging way. Although carefully thought out, I get the feeling, (as I expressed earlier) of
being spoken to directly. He takes great pains to really look into and study certain Buddhist terms that can cause
confusion if we are unclear about them. For example, he devotes several pages to the term "buddha-dharma".

I consider these three books to be essential in the deepening of my practice of Zen and meditation.

Here are Uchiyama's closing words in his foreword to "Opening the Hand of Thought":

"Above all, I hope that when you read this book, (Opening the Hand of Thought) you will forget your sentiments
about exotic foreign lands and read with a completely fresh mind. I hope that, as you read, you will look at your
own life and apply what I have written to your everyday life. That is the only place where the real world of Zen is".

Successfully defends zazen against Krishnamurti's unfair characterization of the practice as "crude & unnecessary". Clearly and rationally presented in simple language, this book is for non-academic english-speaking lay-folk.