Tập san Tánh Không - What is a zen attitude?
We hear a lot about various attitudes people have, mostly when we
hear people accuse each other of “having an attitude”. What they
mean is having a “bad” attitude toward others or toward a situation.
The holder of the attitude is referred to as the “self” or “person” and
the attitude is directed toward another person, group or thing which is
referred to as “other,” or “object”. The term “attitude” is an
abstraction. We cannot see, hear, smell, taste or feel an attitude,
nevertheless, it is real to the extent that it profoundly affects us and
others around us.
I will discuss the three dimensions of an attitude. The affective or
feeling dimension is the part of an attitude which elicits our “gut”
feeling. This feeling is a definite type of behavior involving our past
biases which we have learned from others as well as our own direct
experiences with the object. These feelings can consist of affection,
hate, guilt, envy, jealousy, revulsion, admiration, warmth, fear, etc.
These feelings are usually congruent with the cognitive dimension or
what we think about the object.
Cognition or thinking is another type of attitudinal behavior and it
includes our beliefs are pre-conceptions about the object as well as
knowledge we have gained about the object. Our thinking involves
our perceptions, reasoning and the interpretation of our knowledge or
feelings about the object. Thinking, as well as feelings, may be based
on reality and truth about the object or may be based on partial truths
or misperceptions, such as stereotypes. Prejudice is one type of
attitude which may be positively or negatively oriented toward the
object, but which involves stereotypes, generalizations and part truths
and perhaps even some myths.
The third dimension of an attitude is the conative or action
dimension. This is the part of an attitude that is usually overtly
expressed, in contrast to the cognitive and affective dimensions which
often-times remain covert and perhaps even the subconscious.
Usually, however, the action dimension agrees with the feeling and
thinking dimensions.
If we have a positive feeling and think positively toward the object
then our overt actions and behaviors toward the object
(person/thing/idea) will be positive, and conversely if we have
negative thinking and feelings toward the object. This, however, is not
always be the case. Sometimes we cannot judge how a person feels
or what they think about an object simply by observing their overt
behavior toward that object. For example, if person A has a negative
feeling and thinks negatively toward an object (say another person B),
perhaps because of the risk associated with expressing these negative
feelings and thoughts through negative actions, person A will not take
the risk. Hence, person A’s attitude will appear outwardly to others to
be positive since person A’s outward actions and behavior is either
neutral or positively oriented toward the object (Person B), and person
A’s negative feelings and thinking are kept hidden.
Another situation may arise, in which we may be misled by a person
behaving negatively toward an object, drawing the conclusion he/she
has a negative attitude toward that object, when in fact, he/she only
behaves outwardly as if he/she does, to satisfy the social demands of
person around him/her. He/she may have no malice or negative
thinking toward the object. Thus, while most often, people’s thoughts,
feelings and actions are congruent toward an object, there may be
exceptions, and we must always be alert to this possibility.
Of course, in our own experience, we know (or usually do) whether our
own thoughts, feelings and actions toward an object are congruent,
but we may not always communicate this to others. Based on
observation of our overt behavior, our attitude can be inferred by
others. Our attitude will of course be clearer to others if we
intentionally communicate our thoughts and feelings about the object.
My understanding is the Zen deals with things as they are, that is with
reality. The first step in applying Zen to attitudes, is the we enable
others to know how we feel, think and behave. This involves
transparency of our inner thoughts, feelings as well as our behaviors.
This may be easy to do when we believe others agree with us, but it
may be difficult if we anticipate disagreement or condemnation. On
the other hand, we may feel that full disclosure of our thoughts,
feeling and actions will injure others or damage our relationship to
them. To what extent should we communicate all of our thoughts,
feelings and actions to those around us? The Zen ideal of course
would be that we fully communicate the different dimensions of our
attitudes, yet in our dualistic world this may present a great deal of
difficulty to us. In order to avert conflict, disagreement or loss should
we hide our feelings and thoughts from others? Should we do one
thing to publicly please others yet, at the same time, privately think or
feel differently? Should we mislead others in not letting them know
exactly how we think and feel? These are indeed important questions
with which we must grapple in our daily lives.
It may be a little simpler when we ask how we should orient ourselves
towards others’ attitudes or dimensions thereof. We may simply take
the position on non-dualistic unconditional acceptance, regardless of
what they think, feel or do. Perhaps, if we could do the same toward
ourselves we would be better served. We must ultimately be
responsible for what we feel, think and do and must be totally aware
of our feelings, thoughts and actions. Hopefully, we are able to fully
accept ourselves as we are, with all of our thoughts, feelings and
actions. This will enable us to do likewise with others. In return, this
allows others to see the benefits derived from so doing, and opens the
possibility of their following our example. We, however, must be
willing to take the initiative, the first step, and this requires courage
and devotion to the Zen goal.
The Zen goal, as I understand it, is total awareness. It would seem to
me, this includes awareness of our own attitudes as well as those of
others. When we realize and accept the truth of how others feel, and
what they think and do and we acknowledge responsibility for what we
feel, think and do, I believe we will have achieved a Zen attitude. That
is, an attitude of awareness and non-dualistic acceptance of (not
necessarily agreement with) others’ attitudes and an awareness and
acceptance of responsibility for our own. With this, our human
condition will be greatly enhanced and the Buddhist goal of
enlightenment will be more fully realized for us all.
Chánh Giác
Honolulu, Hawaii, January 1999