Definition
Reading: furyūmonji
Furyu Monji (不立文字) is a Zen teaching. It means that people cannot get the true teaching through words or scriptures. People can understand it only through direct experience. People say that this idea comes from Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen.
Q&A
- Q: Why does Zen reject "words"?
- A: Because words are not the truth itself; they are just a "finger" pointing at the truth. If you only look at the finger, you cannot see the moon (the truth). If you hold on to words or scriptures, you might get trapped in your own ideas. That is why Zen treats words as something to be used but not relied upon.
