Sunday, 12 June 2022

Zen Under the Gun: Don't say "Zen Master" unless you mean it

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Under-Gun-Masters-Turbulent/dp/0861715926/ Hengchan (1222-1289)

Up in the hall a monk came forth and asked, "When Zen master Danxia burned a wooden buddha for warmth, why did the temple director's eyebrows fall?"

Hengchuan said. "This is precisely what I have doubts about." The monk said. "Master, you are an enlightened teacher. Why do you too have doubts?"

Hengchuan said. "When no one in the world has doubts, then I will have no doubts."

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Welcome! ewk comment: Here is the Danxia in question:

There are many stories about Tan-hsia (who was a close friend of the Ch'an layman P'ang-yun) telling of his unconventional behavior. The most famous of these stories tells that once during his wandering years he spent the night in a Ch'an temple. The night being cold, he took a buddha image off the shrine, made a fire with it, and warmed himself. When the temple priest took him to task for having violated a sacred statue, Tan-hsia said, “I'll get the bones of the Buddha [for relics] out of the ashes.” “How can you expect to find Buddha's bones in wood?” asked the priest. Tan-hsia replied, “Why are you berating me then for burning the wood?!”

Buddhist "meditation masters" are all about hiding in churches and promising people that doctrine will save them, obedience should guide them, and knowing is impermanent.

None of them has ever met a Zen Master.

How about saving people with doubt?



Submitted June 13, 2022 at 05:55AM by ewk https://ift.tt/ZCRrgHE

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