discourse, by intellectualizing reality, by turning reality into concepts.
At the same time, Zen as it is practiced in monasteries is not simple individual or anarchic seeking after the truth. It is useful to briefly explore the life of the Zen monk in the monastery in order to understand Zen as a way of life, although it is vital that we keep in mind that Zen is not reducible to a series of rituals or disciplines.
As Suzuki writes, democratic principles underlie life in the Zen monastery. The Zen monastery is a "self-governing body divided into so many departments, each of which has its own office to serve the community. A noteworthy feature . . . was the principle of democracy. While the elders were naturally respected, all members were equally to engage in manual labor .... In this even the master himself joined, and while working with his brotherhood he guided them to the proper understanding of Zen" (Suzuki 1973, 4).
This emphasizes another unique factor of the Zen way of life --- its practicality. Zen is a down-to-earth way of life, with both its philosophy and its practice grounded in the effort to short-circuit the mind's tendency to conceptualize and distance the spirit from reality.
Returning to the actualities of the way of life in a Zen monastery, we read that the monks of Zen are deeply concerned with the world as it exists around them and seek to avoid having their heads in the clouds of conceptualization: "In metaphysics Zen absorbed much of Taoist teachings modified by Buddhist speculations. But in its practical conduct of life, it completely ignored both the Taoist transcendentalism and the Indian aloofness from productive life. When a Zen master was asked what his future life would be, he unhesitatingly answered, 'Let me be a donkey or a horse and work for the villagers'" (Suzuki 1973, 4).
This brings up another important element of the Zen way of life --- simplicity. The individual who see...