![]() While Heine admits that some koans are simply mind games designed to break our brains and force us into new ways of seeing, others are rooted in ancient traditions that are hidden to most modern readers. You will die from my pitchfork even if you do not explain it. What kinds of demons made you become a Buddhist priest? What kind of devil forced you to take up this pilgrimage? You will die from my pitchfork even if you explain it. It can take years to "solve" and the solution, as determined by the master, will vary according to what the individual student needs to learn. "Joshu's Dog" is one of the first koans presented to students of Zen Buddhism. Instead of simply saying, "Yes, every living thing has the Buddha nature," Joshu wants us to meditate night and day on the concept of "nothing" in order to think beyond "yes and no," "Buddha or no Buddha" and connect with something universally true. The koan is a way of "completely uproot all the normal workings of one's mind," wrote Mumon. Indeed your ego-shell suddenly is crushed, you can shake heaven and earth. As a fruit ripening in season, your internality and externality spontaneously become one. Then, all the useless knowledge you have diligently learned until now is thrown away. ![]() It is neither nothingness, nor its relative "not" of "is" and "is not." It must be like gulping a hot iron ball that you can neither swallow nor spit out. into this question of what "Mu" is day and night, without ceasing, hold it before you. Would you like to pass through this barrier? Then concentrate your whole body. This is why it is called the Gateless Gate of Zen. The story is a means to an end."įor the pursuit of Zen, you must pass through the barriers (gates) set up by the Zen masters. "The koan is an instrument to get you from un-enlightenment to enlightenment," says Heine, "But it's more about the interaction you have with your teacher than the story itself. That's why koans often seem contradictory, paradoxical and downright random. Zen masters use koans to startle and disarm their students, and shake them from their spiritual slumber. While every wisdom tradition uses stories to teach moral and spiritual truths (Jesus, for example, taught using parables), there's something different about a koan. "Two or more individuals have a brief exchange - which can include words, gestures, even silence - and through that encounter, some kind of ignorance is exposed and understanding is revealed." "A koan is basically an encounter dialogue," says Heine. There are hundreds and hundreds of koans, but each one tells the story of a brief interaction - usually between a student and a teacher, but sometimes two teachers, or a teacher and a rival - that results in a sudden flash of insight. The above links for browser difficulties.The best tool for peeling back those layers is the koan. r/Buddhism Buddhist cheat sheet! Blue Red Minimal Poster Allĭid the Buddha really say that? Buddhist sūtra/sutta sources "I'm an Atheist/Christian and interested in learning more about Buddhism…" Understand that in our attempt to reduce trolling, questions from new or “throwaway” accounts will be reviewed more closely. What is the actual question, and why are you asking? Please assign link flair for your submissions. Link flair helps other users find your submission. Promoting a personal blog or website? Please see our rules here. Racist, sexist, or otherwise derogatory comments may be removed at the moderators' discretion. r/Buddhism is not the place for other religious traditions to proselytize their faith. r/Buddhism is not the place for sectarianism. Please place your meditation and drug related experiences in the weekly meditation thread. ![]() Please place your submissions about activism at /r/EngagedBuddhism. Please direct your questions seeking medical/psychiatric advice to /r/AskDocs, mental health subreddits or the SuicideWatch hotlines and chat support. We are not here to change anyone's mind on the matter. If you feel the need to discuss it further talk to your teacher about it. Please do not post questions or beliefs about vegetarianism/veganism. Posts with New Kadampa Tradition-supporting content will be removed. No pictures with text, including memes and memetic videos. Posts disparaging other subreddits will be removed. Name calling, harassment or trolling will not be tolerated. Off-topic posts will be removed at mod discretion. We encourage relevant and thought-provoking submissions.įull explanation of posting rules can be found here and may include additional rules not listed in the sidebar. New to Buddhism? The Sidebar has so much to offer you! :) Read Our Posting Guidelines
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |