Zen Koans Go Here

[cetus]

What is the sound of two hands clapping...

[abrakamowse]

16 minutes ago, cetus56 said:

What is the sound of two hands clapping...

One hand seamless
Without location
Without no location

No sense of “I”-ness
Without sound
The Absolute

[abrakamowse]

Enquiry Hint:

The head represents the concept of
knowing or imagining knowing will help or mean
something, or is something. The sense of knowing
must be cut off.

Zen Koan

(modified) What is the essence of
wisdom?

[cetus]

@abrakamowse

1 hour ago, abrakamowse said:

The head represents the concept of
knowing or imagining knowing will help or mean
something, or is something. The sense of knowing
must be cut off.

      Today I tried a practice of moving between "knowing" (reading the forum), to not knowing by closing the laptop and sitting in empty stillness- than back again.  That head got cut off and put back on many times. What a great contrast between the two.  Quite an awakening.     When there is what's known, there are two. When there is no known, there is not even one. 

[abrakamowse]

12 minutes ago, cetus56 said:

@abrakamowse

      Today I tried a practice of moving between "knowing" (reading the forum), to not knowing by closing the laptop and sitting in empty stillness- than back again.  That head got cut off and put back on many times. What a great contrast between the two.  Quite an awakening.     When there is what's known, there are two. When there is no known, there is not even one. 

That's so cool @cetus56 . I think I am heading to the same direction. I need a break, I can't stop reading hahahaha... good to know your experience.

[abrakamowse]

Huike, the Second Patriarch, said to Bodhidharma, “My mind is not yet at

rest. Master, I implore you, set my mind to rest.”

The master replied, “Bring your mind here and I’ll set it to rest for you.”

Huike said, “I’ve searched for my mind, but am unable to find it.”

“There,” said the master, “I’ve set your mind to rest.”

[abrakamowse]

I found this koan on reddit, I thought it would be nice to share it, here it goes:

Koan of the Month: Tôzan Unwell

Introduction:
The lower do not discuss the higher; the humble do not move the dignified.
Even if one rules over oneself and follows the others, One should not burden the heavy by the light. When the four elements are not in order, how would one attend and serve?

 

Case:
Tôzan was unwell. A monk asked, “Your Reverence is unwell. Is there anyone who does not become ill?” Tôzan said, “There is.” The monk said, “Does the one who does not get ill take care of Your Reverence?” Tôzan said, “‘The old monk’ is properly taking care of the other one.” The monk said, “How about when ‘your Reverence’ takes care of the other one?” Tôzan said, “[The old monk] does not see that there is illness.”

 

Verse:
Casting off the stinky skin bag(1), rolling over the bulk of red flesh;

Right here the nostrils are straight, right now the skull is dried up.

The old doctor(2) doesn’t see the previous traits [of illness];

The young one(3) can hardly encounter and approach him.

When the water in the field becomes meager, the autumn lake recedes;

Where the white clouds are no more, the old mountains are cold.

It must come to a complete annihilation – don’t cheat!

Fully exhausting non-accomplishments, he attains his state;

Lofty and solitary, he does not share the same scales as you.

 

1 the physical self
2 the essential self
3 the phenomenal self

[Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj]

"Why the fuck am I spending so much time on this forum and filling my mind with crap from the internet and books instead of just meditating like hell?"

-Darth Vader Roshi

Pounder that koan deeply...

[Ludwig]

Koans at the point they happend were very natural living exchanges between master and student. Student has the number one BURNING question on his mind. Like "what happens when i die?". Then the masters gives a spontaneus reflection of this question back to the student that might or might not make him realise the inherent answer in his quest. Having an "answer" to this question of LIFE and DEATH was REAL to the people. See student of Bodhidharma who cuts his hand off only to be noticed by him. Who of you would do this for truth? Back than this questions meant real genuine realisation for the people. Because it was a LIVING question. If you now read them and think about it they are 10000% useless. It's pure masturbating. You think you can figure the trick out if you only read enough of this koans. It will NEVER EVER EVER happen. 

RATHER look into What is YOUR OWN burning question? What is it in your life you need to know to finally settle in your being? An example for such a question is extreme fear of death. So extreme that you can't  think of anything else. When you eat this is in your mind, also when you shit. It's literally your own matter of life and death. You resolve the question and you're free. That's your entrance into the world of the Buddhas. Another one is that you cannot be with yourself. You always need to be distracted, being alone is excruciatingly hard. Sit with this, investigate it and it becomes your unique entrance point.

So what is it in you life? Look into that instead of wasting your life with fairytales.

[abrakamowse]

Everything Is Best

When Banzan was walking through a market he overheard a conversation between a butcher and his customer.

"Give me the best piece of meat you have," said the customer.

"Everything in my shop is the best," replied the butcher. "You cannot find here any piece of meat that is not the best."

At these words Banzan became enlightened.