The beatitude of Zen is Nirvana, not in the Hinayanistic sense of the term, but in the sense peculiar to the faith.  Nirvana literally means extinction or annihilation; hence the extinction of life or the annihilation of individuality.  To Zen, however, it means the state of extinction of pain and the annihilation of sin.  Zen never looks for the realization of its beatitude in a place like heaven, nor believes in the realm of Reality transcendental of the phenomenal universe, nor gives countenance to the superstition of Immortality, nor does it hold the world is the best of all possible worlds, nor conceives life simply as blessing.  It is in this life, full of shortcomings, misery, and sufferings, that Zen hopes to realize its beatitude.  It is in this world, imperfect, changing, and moving, that Zen finds the Divine Light it worships.  It is in this phenomenal universe of limitation and relativity that Zen aims to attain to highest Nirvana.  “We speak,” says the author of Vimalakirtti-nirdeca-sutra, “of the transitoriness of body, but not of the desire of the Nirvana or destruction of it.”  “Paranirvana,” according to the author of Lankavatarasutra, “is neither death nor destruction, but bliss, freedom, and purity.”  “Nirvana,” says Kiai Hwan,[FN#276] “means the extinction of pain or the crossing over of the sea of life and death.  It denotes the real permanent state of spiritual attainment.  It does not signify destruction or annihilation.  It denotes the belief in the great root of life and spirit.”  It is Nirvana of Zen to enjoy bliss for all sufferings of life.  It is Nirvana of Zen to be serene in mind for all disturbances of actual existence.  It is Nirvana of Zen to be in the conscious union with Universal Life or Buddha through Enlightenment.

[FN#276] A commentator of Saddharma-pundarika-sutra.

15.  Nature and her Lesson.

Nature offers us nectar and ambrosia every day, and everywhere we go the rose and lily await us.  “Spring visits us men,” says Gu-do,[FN#277] “her mercy is great.  Every blossom holds out the image of Tathagata.”  “What is the spiritual body of Buddha who is immortal and divine?” asked a man to Ta Lun (Dai-ryu), who instantly replied:  “The flowers cover the mountain with golden brocade.  The waters tinge the rivulets with heavenly blue.”  “Universe is the whole body of Tathagata; observed Do-gen.  “The worlds in ten directions, the earth, grass, trees, walls, fences, tiles, pebbles-in a word, all the animated and inanimate objects partake of the Buddha-nature.  Thereby, those who partake in the benefit of the Wind and Water that rise out of them are, all of them, helped by the mysterious influence of Buddha, and show forth Enlightenment."[FN#278]

[FN#277] One of the distinguished Zenists in the Tokugawa period, who died in 1661.

[FN#278] Sho-bo gen-zo.