Sunday, September 28, 2003		Books

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What Zen says
Randeep Wadehra

One Hand Clapping: a collection of Zen stories
Rupa. Pages 102. Rs 95.

AROUND 520 AD Bodhidharma, a Buddhist monk from India, introduced China to Mahayana, which blended with Taoism to transmute dhyana — the Indian form of meditation — into Cha`n. Subsequently it travelled to Japan, where it came to be called Zen, the Japanese for dhyana. Zen has greatly influenced the Far Eastern culture by orienting its outlook in favour of action rather than theory.

This slender volume explains Zen terms like Koan (riddles), Roshi (guru), Sanzen (personal guidance session with the teacher) Satori (enlightenment), and Zazen (sitting in meditation). The stories narrated here can be bemusing, dull or exciting — depending upon individual propensities. But some are delightfully lucid. For instance, a Zen master, while taking shelter in a shrine in winter, burns wooden statues of Buddha kept there to escape the biting cold. In reply to the incensed shrine-keeper’s reprimand, the master begins to look for the holy relics in the ashes. "But you’ll never find them in ashes!" the keeper cries out. Pat comes the retort, "In that case may I have more Buddha statues to keep me warm?" The message is obvious. The stories are crisp and thought-provoking and make for an excellent read.

Letters to Seekers

by Swami Ramanandji (collected & translated by Shiela Gohri & Vijay Bhandari). Sadhana Dham, Haridwar. Pages 365. Price: not mentioned.

One of the beauties of Hinduism is its total lack of regimentation. Even while emphasis on rituals exists, there is complete freedom for evolution of one’s mind. The thought processes are not sought to be conditioned in any predetermined manner. One may note that debate, questioning of extant beliefs and practices as well as presentation of new ideas — no matter how zany these might be — were encouraged in our ancient gurukuls. The guru interacted with his disciples on various levels, viz., personal, intellectual, spiritual, temporal and metaphysical.

While reading the Swami’s letters, so well translated from Hindi, one is transported back to the hoary past. He interacts with seekers on subjects that could be as mundane as allusion to a fruit tree in his backyard, or as esoteric as a dissertation on an abstract philosophical-spiritual concept. What is striking is the tone of the letters. He does not talk down to those who seek knowledge. Instead, his tone is conversational, friendly and soothing. Read it in solitude.

Dynamics of a Caste Movement

by Swaraj Basu. Manohar. Pages 153. Rs 350.

In India,social stratification is generally denoted by caste. Indeed, political and economic power has a symbiotic relationship with a community’s place in our caste based multi-denominational society. There have been several instances when a social group’s caste was upgraded or lowered on the basis of its waxing or waning influence with the priesthood.

Basu investigates into one such social stratum’s quest for regaining its standing in the hierarchy as Kshatriyas. Rajbansis are a predominant Hindu group in north Bengal. Basically agriculturists, they were deprived of their land and wealth by the upper caste Bengalis, who came there much later on. Downgraded to a lower order, Rajbansis have been demanding a separate Kamatipur state in order to regain their lost glory. The author systematically examines various documents, literature and local lore to trace this community’s search for its Kshatriya identity.

A valuable source material for sociologists and anthropologists alike.