Attesting to Enlightenment: Zen Style

With the variety of religious backgrounds coming into /r/Zen, there have been a number of doctrines put forth as the basis by which people should understand the experience of Zen Masters' understanding. However, none of them have a basis in the records of Zen Masters; all of them insist that their 'non-textual' religious beliefs should be exempt from Q/A. Some such claims from the past week from reddit, twitter, and the offline include:

1) Understanding is found through 'quiet sitting' and 'happiness' in following the religious teachings of Dogen.

• "Later on, if people ask me Dongshan's message, how would you have me quote it?"

  "The vegetables in the garden are extremely dry; fetch some water to sprinkle on the spinach."

2) Understanding true peace is possible by regarding the poison of a liquor store as medicine.

• The Master was eating some nuts with Head Monk T'ai during the festival of the winter solstice when he suddenly said, "There is something the upper part of which props up heaven, the lower part of which props up the earth, is as black as lacquer, and is always in motion. In the midst of this motion, it can't be grasped. Tell me where it is passing now."

  "It is passing where its motion takes it," said T'ai.

The Master called his attendant and had him clear away the nut tray.

3) Understanding is verified through claiming that an understanding exists.

• Baoci, hearing the coo of a pigeon, asked a monk, "What is that sound?"

  He said, "A pigeon." Baoci said, "'If you want to avoid committing a crime with immediate consequences, don't slander the Realized One's wheel of true teaching.'"

Wumen was famous for presenting his understanding of Zhaozhou's 'No' which itself was Zhaozhou presenting his understanding on the nature of Buddha. People who cannot present their understanding of Zen cases are not conversing.

What's your understanding of a Zen case?

Submitted July 17, 2022 at 06:54PM by ThatKir https://ift.tt/uJ4skBT