Koans

toastie wrote:

Akkarin wrote:

toastie wrote: Not sure if there's anything more romantic than your boyfriend writing you a koan

Yes... wrote... not copied-pasted and edited... :silly:

Honesty rises above romance right?

You ruined everything!

Making the rest of us guys look bad, master akkarin. I'm glad my gf doesn't read the forums at this point.

Two for everyone to ponder:

Elephant and Flea

Roshi Kapleau agreed to educate a group of psychoanalysts about Zen. After being introduced to the group by the director of the analytic institute, the Roshi quietly sat down upon a cushion placed on the floor. A student entered, prostrated before the master, and then seated himself on another cushion a few feet away, facing his teacher. "What is Zen?" the student asked. The Roshi produced a banana, peeled it, and started eating. "Is that all? Can't you show me anything else?" the student said. "Come closer, please," the master replied. The student moved in and the Roshi waved the remaining portion of the banana before the student's face. The student prostrated, and left.

A second student rose to address the audience. "Do you all understand?" When there was no response, the student added, "You have just witnessed a first-rate demonstration of Zen. Are there any questions?"

After a long silence, someone spoke up. "Roshi, I am not satisfied with your demonstration. You have shown us something that I am not sure I understand. It must be possible to TELL us what Zen is."

"If you must insist on words," the Roshi replied, "then Zen is an elephant copulating with a flea."



Most Important Teaching

A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the great teaching.

One day he met another monk who was traveling through the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the traveler also had studied under the same Zen master. "Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has been very clear about this. He says that his greatest teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind."

Midnight Excursion

Many Jedi pupils were studying meditation under the Jedi Knight Wescli. One of them used to arise at night, climb over the temple wall, and go to town on a pleasure jaunt.

Wescli, inspecting the dormitory quarters, found this pupil missing one night and also discovered the high stool he had used to scale the well. Wescli removed the stool and stood there in its place.

When the wanderer returned, not knowing that Wescli was the stool, he put his feet on the master's head and jumped down into the grounds. Discovering what he had done, he was aghast.

Wescli said: "It is very chilly in the early morning. Do be careful not to catch cold yourself."

The pupil never went out at night again.

I hadn't seen this thread before...

This has made my day :laugh:

Alexandre Orion wrote: One afternoon, Wescli was visiting V-tog. “Where is your wooden staff, the one I carved for you?” asked Wescli. V-tog said, “It broke when I hit a student over the head with it.”

Wescli then said, “And where is that candleholder I brought you from Texas ?” V-tog responded, “It broke when I threw it at a lazy student.” Wescli shook his head and said, “There seems to be a problem here with your anger”.

V-tog said, “No, the problem is you keep giving me things that break.”

Obedience

The Jedi Knight V-tog's talks were attended not only by Jedi students but by persons of all ranks and creeds. She never quoted doctrines, and did not indulge in scholastic dissertations. Instead, her words were spoken directly from her heart to the hearts of her listeners.

Her large audience angered a Sith Lord because the adherents had left to hear about Jediism. The self-centered Sith Lord came to the temple, determined to have a debate with V-tog.

"Hey, Jedi teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said V-tog.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

V-tog smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The Sith Lord obeyed.

"No," said V-tog, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

The Sith Lord proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed V-tog, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now please sit down and listen."

Open Your Own Treasure House

Adam visited the Wescli in Texas. Wescli asked: "What do you seek?"

"Enlightenment," replied Adam.

"You have your own treasure house. Why do you search outside?" Wescli asked.

Adam inquired: "Where is my treasure house?"

Wescli answered: "What you are asking is your treasure house."

Adam was enlightened! Ever after he urged his friends: "Open your own tresure house and use those treasures."

True Friends

A long time ago in TotJO there were two friends, Proteus and Alexandre, one who played the guitar skilfully and one who listened skilfully.

When Proteus played or sang about a mountain, Alexandre would say: "I can see the mountain before us."

When Proteus played about water, Alexandre would exclaim: "Here is the running stream!"

But Alexandre fell sick and died. Proteus cut the strings of his guitar and never played again. Since that time the cutting of guitar strings has always been a sign of intimate friendship.

Has anyone here "passed" any koans??

How do you feel about them after? Did your practiced get amped, or did it come to a standstill? Or neither?

I am working on one myself and am still on the checking questions. Sometimes I get going on them and really "tap in to 'em", but lately i've been sucking air trying to keep up.

Any experiences?

Has anyone here "passed" any koans??

"Solar-san…" Jack started, timidly. The old witch looked up from her pipe, "…I've been reading a lot of these koans lately… I don't really get them."

'Then, you have passed.' Solar-san replied.

Jack went away and thought it over a day. Then, she came back.

"Ah! I get it all, now." She said. Solar-san shook her head.

'And now, you will truly begin to fail.'

Think of learning Jediism...

Every-Minute Zen

Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: "I suppose you left your wodden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs."

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nan-in's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.