What is Zen?

[xamnzero]

What is Zen?

[I, Brian]

Is a seekers question, or a rhetorical one?

[xamnzero]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Is a seekers question, or a rhetorical one?

Both.

[Vajradhara]

namate all,

this is, perhaps, my favorite description of Zen...

If people ask me what Zen is like, I will say that it is like learning the art of burglary. The son of a burglar saw his father growing older and thought: "if he is unable to carry out his profession, who will be the breadwinner of this family? I must learn the trade." One night the father took the son to a big house, broke through the fence, entered the house, and opening one of the large chests, told the son to go in and pick out the clothing. As soon as he got into it, the lid was dropped and the lock securely applied. The father now came out to the courtyard, and loudly knocking at the door woke up the whole family, whereas he himself quietly slipped away. The residents got up and lighted candles, but found that the burglars had already gone. The whole time, the son remained in the chest, and thought of his cruel father. Then a fine idea flashed upon him. He made a noise like the gnawing of a rat. When the lid was unlocked, out came the prisoner and fled. Noticing a well by the road, he picked up a large stone and threw it into the water. The pursuers gathered around the well trying to find the burglar drowning himself. By then, he was safely back in the house with his father, whom he blamed for his narrow escape. When the son told him of his adventures, the father remarked, "There, you have learned the art!"

D.T. Suzuki

[I, Brian]

Heh, that is the most...bizarre way of describing anything.

[Vajradhara]

hehehe

did it work for you though?

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

hehehe

did it work for you though?

Not quite - but it's certainly something to think about.

[Vajradhara]

Namaste brian,

if i may, perhaps, explain it a bit...

it's rather like trying to explain how a lima bean tastes... no matter what words i use.. until you actually taste the lima bean for yourself, you will never know what it tastes like...

[I, Brian]

That in itself is fine.

Explaining spiritual practises in terms of criminal activity is perhaps a little distracting on my tired days.

But I do understand the intention and meaning.

[bob x]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Explaining spiritual practises in terms of criminal activity is perhaps a little distracting

But explaining it in terms of lima beans! That goes too far, yuck.
I wanted to reply to What is Zen? with a totally blank post, that would have been very Zen, but this forum wouldn't let me.

[I, Brian]

Ah, it's the thought that counts.

[xamnzero]

[emong]

Originally Posted by xamnzero

What is Zen?

John Lennon said it best:

"I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together."

[Vajradhara]

Namaste all,

what is zen? that's a great question...

i suppose that, other than my explanation by Suzuki, which i find to be thoroughly zen-like, i would offer this...

Zen is what you make of it. it is nothing in an of itself. we could say that it's a system of practice.. however that leads one to ask the question "who is doing this practice?" which Zen practiconers will not find an answer to.

in many respects asking "what is zen" is akin to asking "what is the color of electromagnetism" (i think it's chartruese) since to even pose the question exposes the fundamental mistake that the questioner is making in the query.

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by xamnzero

What is Zen?

Traditional Definition of Zen:

Outside teaching; apart from tradition.
Not founded on words and letters.
Pointing directly to the human mind.
Seeing into one's nature and attaining Buddhahood.