Thirdly, Buddhist denominations, like non-Buddhist religions, lay
stress on scriptural authority; but Zen denounces it on the ground
that words or characters can never adequately express religious
truth, which can only be realized by mind; consequently it claims
that the religious truth attained by Shakya Muni in his Enlightenment
has been handed down neither by word of mouth nor by the letters of
scriptures, but from teacher's mind to disciple's through the line of
transmission until the present day. It is an isolated instance in
the whole history of the world's religions that holy scriptures are
declared to be 'no more than waste[FN#9] paper by religionists, as
done by Zen masters.


[FN#9] Lin Tsi Luh (Rin-zai-roku).


Fourthly, Buddhist as well as non-Buddhist religions regard, without
exception, their founders as superhuman beings, but the practisers of
Zen hold the Buddha as their predecessor, whose spiritual level they
confidently aim to attain. Furthermore, they liken one who remains
in the exalted position of Buddhaship to a man bound by a gold chain,
and pity his state of bondage. Some of them went even so far as to
declare Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to be their servants and
slaves.[FN#10] Such an attitude of religionists can hardly be found
in any other religion.


[FN#10] "Shakya and Maitreya," says Go So, "are servants to the