“What is the true Reality?” “Beat the drum.”
THE BLUE CLIFF RECORD
Words can never lead us to direct experience. But words can be pointers to the awake world that Shakyamuni Buddha, the Patriarchs and great Zen Masters experienced. That’s what koans are for me – pointers to the vast and boundless nature of our True Self.
Zen Masters usually frown upon academic study and intellectual discussion. At Bukkokuji, the monastery of Harada Tangen Roshi, any monk caught reading, even commentaries on koans, can be expelled from the monastery. Harada Tangen Roshi says:
No matter how much you study, how many books you read or how much theory you learn, this kind of knowledge can only be an aid, but never the driving force, toward peace of mind. And actually, if one is not careful, theoretical exercise can even be an obstacle. The important thing is…
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A Compleat VA 