These koans will change your perspective
A candle that is lit, can lighten others. Only the eyes that can see the truth are capable of enlightening others. A person with juxtaposed benevolence and ferocity was needed.
Bodhidharma had realized the truth. His realization surpassed the ordinary functioning of the mind; it was a realization without the mind.
He, then, aligned his actions to the adage of the candle. He undertook a voyage to China to kindle the fallacy of the people there into ashes.
Unfurling the wisdom was the goal, and Zen layed resting in his toolkit, waiting to accomplish the mission. The candle, Bodhidharma, benevolent with the person but ferocious with their delusions spread the teachings of Zen Buddhism.
Koans are a part of Zen that facilitate the ultimate goal of Zen: Satori or deep enlightenment. Oxford dictionary defines koans as “a paradoxical anecdote or riddle without a solution, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and provoke enlightenment.”
Enlightenment is a phenomenon beyond the mind. If the mind declares the being to be enlightened, chances are that it is just another delusion created by the mind. And, the hardest part for the subject is to accept the tactics of the mind.
Zen acknowledges this and thus created the brilliant technique of throwing the mind into enlightenment through confusion. The absurdity of koans disrupts the process the mind is accustomed to following. The very mind is the Buddha. Mind is not the Buddha. In that minuscule (or sometimes, longer) span of time 一 without mind 一 reality can be seen as it is. Thich Nhat Hạnh observes this aptly in these words of his:
“To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is”
In the book, The Gateless Gate, Koun Yamada elaborates on each koan written in the original version. I have listed and explained those which ranked as my favourites below.
Does a dog have a Buddha nature?
A monk asked Joshu in all earnestness, “Does a dog have Buddha nature or not?”
Joshu said, “Mu!”
Buddha means enlightened. The predominant Eastern religions preach that all beings are capable of becoming Buddha, in fact are, but do not realize this fact because of multiple layers of illusions.
A dog is a being. Therefore, by this definition, it must have a Buddha nature. Nevertheless, Joshu doesn’t give an answer to load the monk’s brain with more information, but to shatter them.
The attainment of Buddhahood, or enlightenment, can occur only in the present moment. Snatching away the information is crucial because newly acquired information is toyed around by the mind. Processing of information is where thoughts breed and make the subject more susceptible to drifting away from the goal of being present and thoughtless, and therefore realizing.
Mu is a Chinese character that means nothing or non-being. In its literal sense, the answer is that a dog does not have a Buddha nature. But, the answer is not the literal meaning of the word.
“Zen practitioners must try to find the answer by themselves and present it to the roshi (or master)”, explains Koun Yamada. He adds, “If you want to solve the problem of Mu, you must become one with it! You must forget yourself in working on it. Your consciousness must be completely absorbed in your practice of Mu.”
Gutei’s one finger
Whatever he was asked about Zen, Master Gutei simply stuck up one finger.
He had a boy attendant whom a visitor asked, “What kind of teaching does your master give?” The boy held up one finger too. Hearing of this, Gutei cut off the boy’s finger with a knife. As the boy ran away, screaming with pain, Gutei called to him. When the boy turned his head, Gutei stuck up one finger. The boy was suddenly enlightened.
The one finger he uses to respond to everyone refers to the oneness of everything. The students of Zen are taught the two aspects of existence: phenomenal and essential.
Phenomenal aspects are things and objects; everything around that is deserving and eligible for immense appreciation and wonderment, which is everything around, literally.
Essential aspects denote the consciousness of the subject. Thoughts do not see, senses merely act as a bridge to transport the information and the brain interprets the information. In this cycle, consciousness engages to contribute to the daily life of the subject, nevertheless, remains a separate part, silently witnessing everything. This aspect is indifferent to every one.
If you were your thoughts how could you have known that you are thinking them?
The word universe also indicates the unity of all things. ‘Uni’ means one and the Latin word universus means, combined into one. Everything that may seem disparate, by the definition of the word, becomes the same through the combination.
The violent action is an analogy. He cuts his finger because he hadn’t realized his essential nature but was mimicking him.
The flower
Once in ancient times, when the World-Honored One was at Mount Gridhakuta, he held up a flower, twirled it, and showed it to the assemblage.
At this, they all remained silent. Only the venerable Kashyapa broke into a smile.
The World-Honored One said: “I have the eye treasury of the true Dharma, the marvellous mind of nirvana, the true form of no-form, the subtle gate of Dharma. It does not depend on letters, being socially transmitted outside all teachings. Now I entrust Mahakashyapa with this.”
The World-Honored One is a name entitled to Gautama Buddha. Kashyapa was one of the closest disciples of Gautama Buddha. Maha means great, therefore Mahakashyapa means The Great Kashyapa.
The flower that he exhibits to the audience conveys a message: everything essentially is one. It is akin to Gutei’s one finger.
Zen masters and koans use different devices to explain the fundamental fact of unity. It could be a finger, a flower, Mu or three pounds of flax.
These words: “I have the eye treasury of the true Dharma, the marvellous mind of nirvana, the true form of no-form, the subtle gate of Dharma,” do not accurately transfer the gist of what had been said for they were written in Chinese characters and the essence gets refined in the process of translation; in English, these words do not communicate the tenor in the purest form.
Apropos to this scenario, Koun Yamada writes, “The very life of Zen is built on this fact: Buddha’s religious experience is transmitted from an enlightened master to a disciple.”
Zen is this. This is Zen.
The classic cartoon of Winnie the Pooh gleefully captures the wisdom in the following words:
“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favourite day,” said Pooh.
– A. A Milne
