Mike, You make some good points and ask some good questions. I want to emphasize I speak only for myself and my experience and do not pretent to represent Zen Buddhist teachings as a whole.
My responses are embedded below: --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: [Mike] Wouldn't it be fair to say that koans are given based on the level of attainment of a particular student? Only when a student has reached a somewhat proficient level are advanced koans given to breakthru a particular sticking point of the student. [Bill!] Even though I did go through koan study I do not consider myself anywhere close to qualified to teach using koans. From my perspective as a student I saw only two types/classifications of koans: 'breakthrough' koans - those used to induce kensho (like Mu, One Hand Clapping, Face Before Your Mother Was Born, etc...), and all the other koans which were used after kensho to broaden and deepen your complete manifestation of Buddha Nature. Just which koans to give and in what order I think are completely up to the teacher. I know for a fact that I was not given every koan in The Blue Cliff Record or The Gateless Gate collections; and from my conversations with fellow-students I can tell you that neither the same koans nor order of the koans given was the same at all. I can only assume the koan study was tailored by the teacher to address what he felt were the specific areas on which the student needed clarification. [Mike] As for the '100ft pole' koan, I understand the 'letting go' aspect (pre-kensho), but it also addresses the (usual) problem of thinking discursively instead of employing immediacy - hence the not climbing of the pole in the first place. [Bill!] I understand that and would agree with you that you are perfect as you are. Nothing additional is needed - like climbing some pole. I see the 'pole' as a metaphor for what you call 'discursive thinking' and what I usually call 'discriminate thinking', or just 'rationality'. We cling to that. It gives us comfort by giving us a false sense of understanding and of control of our lives. In order to experience Buddha Nature (kensho) you must let go of that. The abandoning (or at least temporarily halting) your rational, discriminative thinking process is what is necessary to reveal Buddha Nature. All reakthrough koans are structured to do just that. You can also do it by just sitting shikantaza (clear mind). That is a much more gentler and maybe 'natural' process. The two techniques were described to me like this: Using getting wet as a metaphor for kensho: Soto Zen which emphasizes shikantaza is like wandering around in a gentle rain for many days and then suddenly realizing you are soaking wet. Renzai Zen which emphasizes koans is like getting unexpectedly pushed into a swimming pool. You suddenly ringing wet, but you don't quite know just what happened. ...Bill! ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
