There is no such thing as “having zen,” zen is an internal state you demonstrate, like happiness. Zen masters demonstrate their zen with actions and words like lightning, they don’t make empty claims and tear down other people like a beating with a sad, droopy stick.

If you want to talk about someone else’s understanding, shut your mouth and demonstrate your own scales!

Empty claims about zen are like a wet noodle, it’s unsightly, just put it away until you know better. If you have lightning, let it loose from your eyebrows, don’t prattle on with words from the high school playground.

To test this, cite a case of a zen master who can’t shoot sparks from his own fingertips and goes around chiding others with words like a wet noodle! To test this, cite a case of Joshu prancing around to “I’m a dragon, look at me zen!”

Once I put this question to the Master. How many of the four or five hundred persons gathered here on this mountain have fully understood Your Reverence’s teaching?

The Master answered: Their number cannot be known. Why? Because my Way is through Mind-awakening. How can it be conveyed in words? Speech only produces some effect when it falls on the uninstructed ears of children.

Huang Po is best read in quiet, thoughtful, contemplation. Anyone can buy it and read it on their own — there is no reason for a play by play analysis by the reverend zen master, Joe Madden of Florida.

Read it yourself and find your own zen:

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Teaching-Huang-Po-Transmission/dp/0802150926

Submitted June 09, 2019 at 11:16PM by chadpills http://bit.ly/2QWIeOg