Telepathy - telepathy

A term used in Zen Buddhism to describe the secrets of Buddhism being passed on from master to disciple without the use of words or letters. It is based on the story of when Shakyamuni Buddha, in front of a crowd of 80,000 people on Mount Vulture Peak, picked up a flower and one of his disciples, Mahakasyapa, realized Shakyamuni's true feelings and smiled (the "flower-picking smile"). This is an allegory that clearly shows that the contents of enlightenment are passed on as is from master to disciple, and the phrase "telepathy" became a Zen slogan along with "furyu monji" (not relying on words) and "kyoge betsuden" (transmission outside the teachings). By extension, it is also used to mean that subtle matters that cannot be explained are conveyed to others.

[Rikiyama Ishikawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

禅宗の用語で、ことばや文字を用いずに仏法の極意が師から弟子へと伝えられること。釈尊が霊鷲山(りょうじゅせん)で8万の大衆に向かい華(はな)を拈(ひね)ってみせたところ、弟子のなかで摩訶迦葉(まかかしょう)1人が釈尊の心を悟り微笑したという故事（拈華微笑(ねんげみしょう)）に基づいている。これは、悟りの内容がそのまま師から弟子へと伝授されることを端的に示す寓話(ぐうわ)で、以心伝心の語は不立文字(ふりゅうもんじ)、教外別伝(きょうげべつでん)とともに、禅門の標語となった。転じて、説明不可能な微妙な事柄が相手に伝えられる意にも用いられる。

［石川力山］

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