Zen Words: Study and Verbal Teachings on the Path of Zen

Once you have deeply experienced and realized the oneness of yourselves, the universe, and the many things, the Zen path calls you to the forge of the ancestors. By using your buddha-eye, that is, your observing prajna, you apply yourselves to discerning the wisdom of buddhas and Zen ancestors. That is how you become proficient in the skills of helping all beings, which is now your true task.

Good friends, the study of the verbal teachings of buddhas and Zen ancestors has always been an integral part of Zen... Unfortunately, some contemporary teachers assert that reading and study are non-essential to Zen. Some even go so far as to imply that reading and study are detrimental to practice and enlightenment, often insisting that sitting meditation is all that is important. This is not a new phenomenon; it has been a recurring plague on Zen down through the ages. Many of the great masters have pointed out the fallacy of this teaching.

~The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing