--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Zen's object of worship cannot be named…" description: "\"“Zen's object of worship cannot be named and determined as God, or Brahman, or Amitabha, or Creator, or Nature, or Reality, or Substance, or the like. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddha_zen-s-object-of-worship-cannot-be-named_2691122.jpg" --- # Zen's object of worship cannot be named and determined as… ![“Zen's object of worship cannot be named and determined as God, or Brahman, or Amitabha, or Creator, or Nature, or Reality, or Substance, or the like. Neither Chinese nor Japanese masters of Zen tried to give a definite name to their object of adoration. They now called Him That One, now This One…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddha_zen-s-object-of-worship-cannot-be-named_2691122.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddha_zen-s-object-of-worship-cannot-be-named_2691122.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/kaiten-nukariya-793_buddha_zen-s-object-of-worship-cannot-be-named_2691122.jpg) > ““Zen's object of worship cannot be named and determined as God, or Brahman, or Amitabha, or Creator, or Nature, or Reality, or Substance, or the like. Neither Chinese nor Japanese masters of Zen tried to give a definite name to their object of adoration. They now called Him That One, now This One, now Mind, now Buddha, now Tathagata, now Certain Thing, now the True, now Dharma-nature, now Buddha-nature, and so forth.”” [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Zen avoids fixed labels for the ultimate reality, using many names to point beyond conceptual thought. **In simple terms:** Zen uses many names to avoid fixing reality. Key Takeaway Embrace fluidity in spiritual concepts. Themes spirituality Zen language conceptual limits Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - meditation practice - religious study - personal growth Key Concepts non-duality emptiness Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to worship without naming? - How does language limit spiritual experience? A Different Perspective The many names may still create conceptual attachment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [ “Having set ourselves free from the misconception of Self, next we must awaken our innermost wisdom, pure and divine, called the Mind of Buddha,\[FN#190\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/having-set-ourselves-free-from-the-misconception-of-self-next-we-must/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/the-mind-is-the-buddha-and-the-buddha-is-the-mind/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [Without the mind there is no Buddha. Without the Buddha there's no mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/without-the-mind-there-is-no-buddha-without-the-buddha-there-s-no-mind/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [The mind, the Buddha, living creatures - these are not three different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sengcan/the-mind-the-buddha-living-creatures-these-are-not-three-different/) [Sengcan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sengcan/) > [As long as you look for a Buddha somewhere else, you'll never see that your own mind is the Buddha.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/as-long-as-you-look-for-a-buddha-somewhere-else-you-ll-never-see-that/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [Mind is buddha. This is not our brain; it's not our head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-shugen-arnold/mind-is-buddha-this-is-not-our-brain-it-s-not-our-head/) [Geoffrey Shugen Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-shugen-arnold/) > [The mind of the Buddha is perfect because it is empty and yet it contains all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-mind-of-the-buddha-is-perfect-because-it-is-empty-and-yet-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Zen is often called the Sect of Buddha-mind, as it lays stress on the awakening of the Mind of Buddha.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/zen-is-often-called-the-sect-of-buddha-mind-as-it-lays-stress-on-the/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“our nature is the mind. and the mind is our nature.this nature is the same as the mind of all buddhas. buddhas of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/our-nature-is-the-mind-and-the-mind-is-our-nature-this-nature-is-the/) [bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [But deluded people don't realize that their own mind is the Buddha. They keep searching outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/but-deluded-people-don-t-realize-that-their-own-mind-is-the-buddha/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [If we seek the Buddha outside the mind, the Buddha changes into a devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/if-we-seek-the-buddha-outside-the-mind-the-buddha-changes-into-a-devil/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [I remember how people would often come to see my master Jamyang Khyentse simply to ask for his guidance for the moment of death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/i-remember-how-people-would-often-come-to-see-my-master-jamyang/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [But people of the deepest understanding look within, distracted by nothing. Since a clear mind is the Buddha, they attain the understanding of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/but-people-of-the-deepest-understanding-look-within-distracted-by/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [The unlimited mind, the diamond mind of the Buddha, is your mind, if you can get in touch with it. Stop thinking so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-unlimited-mind-the-diamond-mind-of-the-buddha-is-your-mind-if-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Look for Buddha outside your own mind, and Buddha becomes the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/look-for-buddha-outside-your-own-mind-and-buddha-becomes-the-devil/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) ## More by Kaiten Nukariya > [“the new theory of matter has entirely over thrown the old conception of the unchanging atoms, and they are now regarded to be composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-new-theory-of-matter-has-entirely-over-thrown-the-old-conception/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“5. Nature is the Mother of All Things. Furthermore, man has come into existence out of Nature. He is her child. She provided him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/5-nature-is-the-mother-of-all-things-furthermore-man-has-come-into/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [ “Rin-zai also says: "Spirit is formless, but it penetrates through the world in the ten directions."\[FN#149\] The Sixth Patriarch expresses the same idea more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/rin-zai-also-says-spirit-is-formless-but-it-penetrates-through-the/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“(O-yo-mei) won a splendid victory over the rebel army which threatened the throne of the Ming dynasty. During that warfare Wang was giving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/o-yo-mei-won-a-splendid-victory-over-the-rebel-army-which-threatened/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“in the use of the terms 'good' and 'bad.' Now let us examine how does good differ from bad. A good action ever promotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/in-the-use-of-the-terms-good-and-bad-now-let-us-examine-how-does-good/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“Although all sentient beings are endowed with this Enlightened Consciousness, they are not aware of its existence, excepting men who can discover it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/although-all-sentient-beings-are-endowed-with-this-enlightened/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“There are a good many people always buoyant in spirit and mirthful in appearance as if born optimists. There are also no fewer persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/there-are-a-good-many-people-always-buoyant-in-spirit-and-mirthful-in/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [ “it is the overcoming of egoism, the destroying of mean desires, the uplifting of the moral ideal, and the disclosing of inborn wisdom. \[FN#12\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/it-is-the-overcoming-of-egoism-the-destroying-of-mean-desires-the/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [ “The fourth stage is called the Rank of Co-operative Merit,\[FN#273\] in which the student 'co-operates' with other persons in order to complete his merit.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-fourth-stage-is-called-the-rank-of-co-operative-merit-fn-273-in/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“It is bare nonsense to say that I go to school, not to be educated as a member of society, but simply to gratify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/it-is-bare-nonsense-to-say-that-i-go-to-school-not-to-be-educated-as/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“8. The Application of the Law of Causation to Morals. Although it may be needless to state here the law of causation at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/8-the-application-of-the-law-of-causation-to-morals-although-it-may/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“Men of longevity never carried troubles to their beds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/men-of-longevity-never-carried-troubles-to-their-beds/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [ “2. The Errors of Philosophical Pessimists and Religious Optimists. Philosophical pessimists\[FN#214\] maintain that there are on earth many more causes of pain than of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/2-the-errors-of-philosophical-pessimists-and-religious-optimists/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [ “4. Man is neither Good-natured nor Bad-natured according to Su Shih (So-shoku).\[FN#164\] The difficulty may be avoided by a theory given by Su Shih… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/4-man-is-neither-good-natured-nor-bad-natured-according-to-su-shih-so/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“Over against these generalizations we raise no objection, but there are many cases, in practical life, of doubtful nature. An act of charity, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/over-against-these-generalizations-we-raise-no-objection-but-there/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) [Explore all 367 Kaiten Nukariya quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) ## More Buddha quotes > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [The birds fly in the sky but they don't leave any footmarks. That's what Buddha says, that the man who is awakened lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-birds-fly-in-the-sky-but-they-don-t-leave-any-footmarks-that-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Buddha gave his first talks, and three or four ascetics became his first disciples. They recognized his enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-buddha-gave-his-first-talks-and-three-or-four-ascetics-became-his/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I went on a Buddha jag. I read 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor and Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-o-hare/i-went-on-a-buddha-jag-i-read-confession-of-a-buddhist-atheist-by/) [Denis O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-o-hare/) > [The Buddha, the Godhead, resides quite as comfortably in the circuits of a digital computer or the gears of a cycle transmission as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/the-buddha-the-godhead-resides-quite-as-comfortably-in-the-circuits/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [When people suffer, their relationships usually suffer as well. Period. And we all suffer because, as the Buddha says, that's the nature of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-karr/when-people-suffer-their-relationships-usually-suffer-as-well-period/) [Mary Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-karr/) > [The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-real-power-of-the-buddha-was-that-he-had-so-much-love-he-saw/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“Then Maitreya Bodhisattva thought: “Now the World-Honored One has displayed a marvelous sign. But what is the cause or reason for this auspicious sign?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-reeves/then-maitreya-bodhisattva-thought-now-the-world-honored-one-has/) Gene Reeves > [It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/it-is-possible-that-the-next-buddha-will-not-take-the-form-of-an/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [“The foundational Vajrakilaya is the sun shining in the sky behind the clouds. The path Vajrakilaya is the removal of the clouds from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyatrul-rinpoche/the-foundational-vajrakilaya-is-the-sun-shining-in-the-sky-behind-the/) Gyatrul Rinpoche > [Inside we are all Golden Buddha's, but we grew to believe we were made of clay. Our ego's false perceptions led us to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/inside-we-are-all-golden-buddha-s-but-we-grew-to-believe-we-were-made/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodhidharma/the-mind-is-the-buddha-and-the-buddha-is-the-mind/) [Bodhidharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodhidharma/) > [“In the eyes of Buddha, there are no evil people, only people who don't yet have light in their hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lijia-zhang/in-the-eyes-of-buddha-there-are-no-evil-people-only-people-who-don-t/) Lijia Zhang > [I hold that all the Teachers of the world have attained that Life which is the fulfilment of life. Hence, whenever anyone enters that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-hold-that-all-the-teachers-of-the-world-have-attained-that-life/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Browse all 411 Buddha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddha/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Zen's object of worship cannot be named and determined as God, or Brahman, or Amitabha, or Creator, or Nature, or Reality, or Substance, or the like. Neither Chinese nor Japanese masters of Zen tried to give a definite name to their object of adoration. 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