Why Zen can be developed and flourished well in the history of China, but not in India?

Writer: Tao Qing Hsu

The origin of Zen is in India. Why Zen is not popular and not developed in India? If we do not understand the profoundly meaning of Zen, we would never know the answer.  

Zen is not equal to the meditation-sitting.

Some people think that Zen is equal to the meditation-sitting. This is to mistakenly understand the Zen. In fact, meditation-sitting is one of many ways to go into the gate of Zen. Furthermore, if we stubbornly persist in the name of Zen, we also mistakenly understand the Zen.  

When Buddha Shakyamuni was alive, he said that Buddhism will flourish in China. If we reference the culture of India to compare to the difference of culture of China, we will be easy to know why.

Caste System limits one’s mind and freedom.

In the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Caste System has been existed in India. Even today, Caste System is still in India to affect everyone’s life. Caste System is a strongly class system. It has the strongly exclusivity. The same class can be intermarried. Different classes cannot be intermarried.

The lowest classes and the poorest persons cannot change their fates under the restraint of such social system. They and their future generations will be in the hereditary poverty. No matter what class they are, their mind and life is stubbornly tied by the concept of Caste System. 

The concept of the class opposition does not belong to the profoundly meaning of Buddhism.

In other word, Caste System made the society exist the mood of hostile and the contemptuous environment. Such strongly control system and the generated atmosphere as said could not empty and free their mind. The greedy mind is strongly existed in the rich people. And the hatred mind to the rich people would be strongly existed in the poor.

Under the circumstance, no matter which class they are, there is no flexibility and creation in their mind. In such society, there will be strongly existed the class opposition. The concept of the class opposition does not belong to the profoundly meaning of Buddhism. The profoundly meaning of Buddhism is to break the concept of any class opposition.

   

In the history of China, scholar, farmer, worker and businessman, these four classes can flow with each other.

In the history of China, there are four classes and which is classified by career. That is, scholar, farmer, worker and businessman. These four classes can flow with each other. Most scholars worked in the government and some of the scholars become the tutor. If people want to be the scholar, they have to pass the examination set by the government. Scholars are most respected by the public. The family background of scholars may come from any one of the four classes as said.

In the traditional education in China, to have the broad-minded and to accept the different human race is the important thought in the nobility. Even the farmer, the poor or the beggar, once they have any ability to be admired and create any merit to the country, they have the chance to be the nobility and to own the fortune someday.  

Rich people will not exceed three generations. The poor may step one into the sky.

In other word, it is possible for the rich or the poor to be changed at any time. The poor may become a rich person by running the business, defeating the enemy of the country or by passing the government examination and thus working in the government. If the rich people do the evil thing, it would become the poor at one night. That is why there is a saying, ” Rich people will not exceed three generations. The poor may step into the sky.”

Therefore, no matter in the political, literary, or in the industrial, there is a lot of flexibility and creation in the peoples’ mind in the history of China. Meanwhile, the Chinese people believe that they can change their fate by personal’s effort. Of course, the traditional Chinese politic and culture also provide such environment.

Such thought is very corresponding to the meaning of Buddhism. That is, as long as we will do the good thing, we will get the good repay from the god of heaven. However, once we do any evil thing, we could not avoid any punishment or evil retribution from the god of heaven.  

To empty and free the personal’s mind and to break the concept of class opposition is the profoundly meaning of Zen.

Therefore, in the history of China, it is possible to break the class opposition according to the personal’s effort. That is why it is possible for Chinese people to empty and free the personal’s mind and to break the concept of class opposition.

In a word, if there is a thought of binary opposition, it is impossible for us into the profoundly meaning of Zen. From comparing the different culture between India and China, we understand why Zen can be developed and flourished in the history of China, but not in India.