Page 6 - Zen Tzu

Preface

A transcription of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching into Zen would
not be necessary if Taoism and Zen were essentially identical, yet
would not be possible if Taoism and Zen were entirely different.
So the Zen Tzu is the consequence of this intriguing combination
of similarities and differences that became increasingly obvious
over many years of studying and pondering these two venerable
and enigmatic oriental traditions. Eventually, familiarity met with
imagination to reveal how the content in Lao Tzu's conventional
81 chapters of Chinese text could be adapted to concur with Zen's
Japanese character. This creative effort should not only provide a
better understanding of the commonalities shared by these two
traditions, but might even result in a unique work with its own
particular merits.

An additional incentive to undertake such a transcription
came from the modern dissemination of Taoism and Zen beyond
their respective borders of China and Japan. This distancing from
their nascent sources brought them together within other cultures
where they could be examined, compared and explored with fresh
perspectives. It was from this meeting that the overlay of Zen on
Taoism became a considered possibility. The usual themes from
the Tao Te Ching will be evident in the Zen Tzu, but they may be
expressed quite differently from the conventional translations of
the Chinese texts.

Whether these themes are recognizable or not, the depth of
wisdom inherent in these two Eastern traditions cannot be easily
conveyed to the West because of the dual barriers of culture and
language. Significant ontological and epistemological distinctions
handicap this transference, a problem complicated by the glyphic
writing system shared by the Chinese and Japanese—it creates a
style of thinking in the East that is markedly different from the
one generated in the West by its alphabetical system. If a transfer
of wisdom from an oriental source to an occidental consciousness
is to occur with relative fidelity, then these cultural and linguistic
differences need to be understood. The extensive Appendices at
the back of this book have been provided for this purpose. The
information contained in them is not only intended to assist with
understanding the relevant mythologies, philosophies, histories
and languages, but to justify the use of English for a transcription
of a classical Taoist document into a Zen idiom.

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