Merle, You might like to read the Mumonkan.
The no-gate gate; gate-less gate; gate-less barrier. This is a great collection of koan "cases", and commentaries on them. Not much or nothing is given away in the commentaries, but the hinting and pointing is wonderful. There are verses and poems. I think you'd love it. In Zen practice, some people "work on koans", in the study between teacher and student. You probably know this. Just reading koans does not help us, but reading them can give you a lot of background of the Zen tradition, its spirit, and can familiarize you with people who lived 1200 years ago, and with their names, Chinese and Japanese. Other people sit zazen NOT using koans, but practicing the method of Shikantaza, simply sitting, you know. "Simply" sitting, and in a very *strong* sense. People who have the feeling that they are already Buddha -- but who feel too that they just need to wake up to this -- often choose Shikantaza practice. Others, who don't feel this too strongly, need gumdrops along the way, and Koans definitely give that. There are a lot of translations of the Mumonkan. In it are 48 cases. Forty-eight wonderful stories and the wisdom they can bring. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Maybe you have this book already! If you like, a suggestion on a translation is Robert Aitken Roshi's translation; it is clear and direct. I think Subhana would say so too: Aitken was her teacher and Subhana is Aitken's successor. Well, maybe the book is familiar to you already. Aitken's translation is a good one to have if you don't have it yet. Don't confuse this with book-l'arnin'. It is not. It's like a book of poetry which -- as usual -- ALL depends on YOU. But it's more than poetry. It is meant to be life-saving. You find you can't just read it; you must do the experiments in your ...Lab. Pretty neat! The neatest. I wouldn't mislead you: not about "THIS!" --Joe PS Find the book "Used" and it's pretty inexpensive. Reference is easy to give this way: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gateless-Barrier-Wu-Men-Mumonkan/dp/0865474427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361909022&sr=8-1&keywords=aitken+gateless+barrier ------------------------------------ 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/
