Zen thoughts

The shagreen leather is shrinking

There is no cold place in a boiling cauldron. Only the one who can stand on a whirlwind in the emptiness will be able to dance and laugh. All the rest will be dying one by one. They have already started. The shagreen leather is shrinking.

Zen and religion 

Zen is not a religion. Ch'an is not a religion. Buddha is not a religion. I don't care of what has been made out of them. Well actually, I care about it, but not more than about other asteroid objects surrounding me as I work my way between them. ...You just cannot imagine who were Buddha, Hui-Neng and Lin-Chi... I can't love religion because of my extreme honesty and my pathological denial of deception in all forms.

Eternal life used for intimidation and cultivation in religions

Zen has nothing to do with religions. And with intimidation... "it's useless to act upon us by threats!" :))))))))

Hell as punishment and heaven as incentive

A bargain. It doesn't exist on the Path.

Sin

A sin is an crime against God. The way of Zen does not provide the notion of a "crime against God". The way of Zen provides only one kind of crime: a "crime against yourself". This is the difficulty!   You even have no God as a crutch :))). The way for people with "outstanding abilities", pls :))))))

To experience Zen

I think it is possible in principle... to experience Zen :)) No, not so. Zen is like an art - painting, for example. You can experience it. But any new creative task or creation of a masterpiece - this is the way nobody has gone before. So, in Zen experiencing is permanent. It continues as long as one is able to create masterpieces. If one is unable - that's it, Zen is over, it's dead. Hence, the question about experiencing Zen is constructively insoluble. Therefore, there is no sense if somebody stands on "is possible to experience" or "is not possible to experience" point of view. So let's speak specifically :)))) Can I help you with experiencing Zen? Can you help me with experiencing Zen? Can we help each other with our movement on the Path? Or! No, no "or"... all rest is not important.

No excesses!

No excesses at all! Try to understand. It's not about vodka or food - this is trifling matter! Well, it also concerns things like that, of course :))))))) but this is a triviality. No excesses means strategic tendency to optimization, to "doing maximum by minimum" or to "doing even more than maximum by less than minimum" :)))) But how to distinguish "excesses" from "non-excesses"? If you don't, you might cut off something alive, or - somethig necessary... :)))))))))))))))) ...without proper understanding :))))))))))))))))))))))))

Temptations

There are a lot of temptations on the Path :)) Outside it there are even more of them, but they are smaller :))

The True Ch'an

The True Ch'an always manifestates itself in a true form, and therefore always in a new (it is important!) form. :))) The True Ch'an always shows in a true form, therefore it always radiates novelty, activity, creativity and so on! Hence, I have no choice :))) - this way or no way :)))

Short conversations

Zen and religious experience

- Zen has nothing in common with religious experience, you, know-all :)))

- If I am a know-all :), what is religious experience?

- How can I know "what is religious experience" if "Zen has nothing in common with religious experience" and I have nothing to do with religion?

True

- Are things, in which a man believes sincerely, true?

- "Sincerely believes in" has a lot of meanings... As well as "man"

- Ha-ha-ha-ha! And the same thing for "true" :))

- No, this is not the same thing :)))

 Joy

- Is joy really so important?

- It is the mOst important :)))

Essence

- Is human being really freedom, in essence?

- Yes!

Ch'an demands

- And fuck off everything!

- Aren't you putting it too strongly told, sir?

- You have to give up everything to Ch'an :))) Otherwise - it's a clap of one hand.

How it this related to Zen?

- By the way, I cannot understand (or maybe I cannot accept?) what all this has to do with Zen. This is not the path anyway...

- Who is the specialist in the Path - you or me? :)))

Koan from Lotos

Everything is the best

When Baizhang was walking about the marketplace, he heard a talk between a buyer and a butcher: "Give me the best piece of meat" - the buyer said. "All that I have in my shop is the best" - butcher replied - "You cannot find a piece of meat, which is not the best". With those words Baizhang became enlightened...

"Zen Flesh, Zen Bones", Paul Reps

To the reader

No excesses, OK? Try to get a clue. I wish you all the best and great! Kl. :)))))