I remember reading offhand on a website a Zen Buddhist Koan that had not worrying as its theme, and one of the lines was "if you're about to go to Hell, don't worry". That's all I can remember of it. If anyone of you knows what I'm talking about, please share the name and text of this Koan. Thank you in advance.

> 「不許夜行，投明須到」: "Fuku yakō, Tōmyō shudō," or "Bùxǔ yèxíng, tóumíng xū dào." Meaning "Not permitted to travel at night, but must arrive by dawn." This sentence appears in a kōan in *Blue Cliff Record*. > 趙州問投子：「大死底人卻活時如何？」投子云：「不許夜行，投明須到。」 > > Jōshū asked Tōsu, “What happens to a person who died a great death, > yet in the end returned to life?” Tōsu said, “They must not go by > night. They must arrive by dawn.” In light of the discussion on kṣaṇabhaṅga (“momentary decay”) and ēkacitta (“one unit of consciousness”) as in https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/55227/32114 What is Master Jōshū actually describing? There is also another kōan from *The Transmission of the Lamp*. > 問：「百了千當時如何？」師曰：「不許夜行，投明須到。」 > > Question: “What happens when everything is > in proper order?” The Master said, “They must not go by night. They > must arrive by dawn.” What is Master Fūketsu Enshō (風穴延沼) talking about here?

> 僧問藥山：「平田淺草，麈鹿成群。如何射得麈中麈？」山云：「看箭！」僧放身便倒。山云：「侍者拖出這死漢。」僧便走。山云：「弄泥團漢有什麼限？」 > > A monk asked Yakusan, “On an open plain with shallow grass, elk and deer form a herd. How does one shoot the Elk of Elks?” Yakusan said, “Watch the arrow!” The monk let himself fall. Yakusan said, “Attendants, please drag this dead fellow out.” The monk chose to walk away. Yakusan said, “Fellows who play with mud balls know no bounds.” Master Yakusan pretends to shoot an arrow. The monk in the story lets himself fall. Master Yakusan apparently was not happy with the monk’s response. What should the monk have done instead?

Some song lyrics are hard to understand at their face value. But a careful exploration can often reveal their hidden messages. All this is similar to the study of Zen kōans. So the question is: Can the study of Zen kōans help understand song lyrics and vice-versa?

In Abhidharma (“abhi-” roughly means “meta-,” so Abhidharma can be understood as meta-dharma, or “one level above dharma”), there is a concept called kṣaṇabhaṅga, or “momentary decay.” It holds that all existence lasts only for a split second, and this includes human beings. A related term is ēkacitta, or “one unit of consciousness,” according to which consciousness arises in discrete units rather than as a continuous stream. Under this understanding, is it fair to say that each person dies and is reborn from one split second to the next?

I'm interested to know the academic consensus on Cleary's translation of The Blue Cliff Record. I've heard that his translations could be spotty at times, given that, how accurately has he depicted this text? To clarify: I want to know how closely Cleary's translation adheres to the original Blue Cliff Record, not how the Buddhist community regards it in terms of Buddhist practice.

Do we know any Zen teachers/masters that do not have Chinese origins and do not speak Chinese? For example English? P.S. I know that such type of logical questions are taken humorously in the zen culture, as it does not really matter but still my "small mind" is curious. Does one need to know Chinese in order to get to the heart of the teachings?

A few months ago I bought a four volume set of The Shobogenzo, translated by by Gudo Nishijima and Chodo Cross. In this set there was not only a translation of the Shobogenzo, but an interpretation of each chapter of the text in modern language. I found these interpretations extremely helpful in actually understanding the text, as a lot of the original language was quite obscure. Recently, I also picked up The Blue Cliff Record, translated by Thomas Cleary. However, in his text there are no direct interpretations of the chapters, and so I'm having trouble understanding some of them. I largely understand Zen itself, but the original language of The Blue Cliff Record often just doesn't seem to get to the point, or make that point clear. **So I'm wondering if any modern, English interpretations of The Blue Cliff Record exist?**

Yesterday, I went on a psychedelic trip and felt loved and held by a divine presence, not lost, but ultimately belonging. It was so wonderful. I want to secure that feeling in my heart. I'm drawn to the idea of Jesus Christ, a savior, a personal relationship, a friend who loves me, always listening, a friend who always loves me. I want to integrate that feeling into a Buddhist framework. Should I recite Namo Guanshiyin Pusa or Namo Amitabha, which is more similar to the feeling given by Jesus Christ of having an intimate personal relationship with a divine presence that loves you and holds you and you are with them and you belong to them? EDIT: I read both the Universal Gate Chapter and the Short Amitabha Sutra and definitely felt avalokitesvara’s message hitting closer to home. However, I felt more emotinal impact when chanting Namo Amitiofo and also felt his visualization more concrete and powerful (the golden Buddha of infinite ligh) then Guanyin. So I’m kinda torn.

I was reading that the Zen monk Hakuin suffered a debilitating condition called zen sickness before his enlightenment. This seem to be a direct result of his practice. Does anyone know what this was? Has there been a retrospective medical diagnosis of this? Are there equivalent stages of the path in other traditions? Should I be worried? Thanks

As I understand it, “bare awareness” is a meditation technique whereby anything that arises is noticed without judgement and allowed to pass without interaction by the meditator. Shikan Tasa means “just sitting” and is employed in Soto Zen. I’m not sure what the difference between the two techniques is.

I read this: > In Zen, it's generally understood that "When you meet the Buddha, kill > him" refers to "killing" a Buddha you perceive as separate from > yourself because such a Buddha is an illusion." Should we kill illusions of Buddha? I do wonder, in the time of Buddha, some people wanted to kill him — perhaps this too is a reason I ask, although that may have been for many reasons.

On researching Zen Buddhist literature I'm seeing a gap after Dogen's Shobogenzo in the 13th century, and before Hakuin's Commentary in the 17th century. Was there any notable Zen writing produced during this period? What was happening in Zen history during this time?

> Nirvana is not extinction because mind (which, from the first, was the > only authentic component of the vanished beings) persists; it is not > heaven because no sentient being remains to enter it Can you explain it so that I'm sure it is right? In other words, expand on it, or append it, etc. You may use concepts like "one mind", "mindful", etc,, whatever you like.

Is the samadhi nagi or also called Mushin a state were the mind gets blank and you expirience actions while your mind is blank or unconsciousness? From Suzukis book description your mind gets a known from the non-mind what during that time happend.

One of the "101 Zen stories": > [My Heart Burns Like > Fire](https://gist.github.com/dustin/798227#my-heart-burns-like-fire) > > Soyen Shaku, the first Zen teacher to come to America, said: “My heart > burns like fire but my eyes are as cold as dead ashes.” He made the > following rules which he practiced every day of his life. > > In the morning before dressing, light incense and meditate. > > Retire at a regular hour. Partake of food at regular intervals. Eat > with moderation and never to the point of satisfaction. > > Receive a guest with the same attitude you have when alone. When > alone, maintain the same attitude you have in receiving guests. > > Watch what you say, and whatever you say, practice it. > > When an opportunity comes do not let it pass you by, yet always think > twice before acting. > > Do not regret the past. Look to the future. > > Have the fearless attitude of a hero and the loving heart of a child. > > Upon retiring, sleep as if you had entered your last sleep. Upon > awakening, leave your bed behind you instantly as if you had cast away > a pair of old shoes. What does "heart burn like fire" mean in this context? I assume that "eyes are cold" means they're not acquisitive -- i.e. he doesn't desire everything he sees -- I say that based on this poem from Kipling which prefaces his story of _The King's Ankus_ > These are the Four that are nver content, that have never been filled since the Dews began-- > Jackal's mouth, and the glut of the Kite, and the hands of the Ape, and the Eyes of Man. I can only guess at what "heart burns like fire" means -- I don't know what a good answer might be -- maybe a reference to commentary on the story, or to a similar metaphor in the Zen tradition. FYI I'm posting this further to the problem described in this OP -- https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/51867/254 -- the problem there seems to be that "eyes being cold" (i.e. seeing people in a certain way) results in feeling "cold-hearted" -- and so this story came to mind but I'm unsure whether I understand this story well enough.

Slavoj Zizek is a little unusual I think among English-speaking philisophers, in expressing substantial sympathy for Buddhist ideas, but challenging them at a basic level. Eg The Problems of Buddhism (https://youtu.be/UN1hP_lBtp0) The Buddhist Ethic & The Spirit of Global Capitalism (https://youtu.be/qkTUQYxEUjs) Zizek criticising Buddhism (https://youtu.be/IlCkLqz20W8) Zizek vs Buddhism (https://www.youtube.com/live/9zqm7ZCP9t0) To summarise, he focuses on Zen At War, and especially Suzuki, using an understanding of Sunyata to better be able to go to war. A key phrase he uses is Kurosawa's interpretation of Shakespeare: (only) "The bad sleep well". That is, inner peace at the expense of acting morally, can lead to a situation like in Japan where only a handful of Zen figures opposed imperialist violence, an unsettled mind is sometimes appropriate over non-stop inner peace come-what-may. He also criticises mindfulness practices used in workplaces to allow workers to tolerate intolerable conditions. How should we answer this? Have people already in the Buddhist world responded? I feel like the answer relates to emptiness not being no selves at all, but rather intersubjectivity: to do violence to others is to do violence to our other self. Is that a mainstream response in Buddhism, and especially in Zen?

In the question *"A question regarding the level of worldly participation for a buddhist monk"* , Bhante gave an answer containing a Zen quote. The quote is; >"Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water". - What is the origin of the quote? - What is the meaning of the quote? Thank you for your time.

Does wisdom only exist, in zen, when it is perfect? Do zen monks and laity practice wisdom or is the focus so much on one practice samadhi that it's only there when you are?

It is confusing to me that what what the goal of zazen is (and is not), as proposed by various people with more or less authority on the subject, varies so greatly. Some say no goal, and others identify various goals. Rationally speaking, no goal makes sense. It is a form of non-dualism. If there is a goal, then there is an attachment to becoming something which one is not. But no goal is also nonsense. If there is no goal, then there is no goal to end suffering. The Four Noble Truths become descriptive, and the Eightfold Path is unimportant. This is as far as my thinking has gotten. I conclude with some verifiable examples of what the goal of zazen is said to be. **remove wrong perceptions** > the practice of meditation, the practice of looking deeply, has the purpose of removing wrong perceptions from us
—[“What is Nirvana and How Does It End Suffering?” by Thích Nhất Hạnh at *MeditationPlex*](http://www.meditationplex.com/zen-meditation/thich-nhat-hanh-nirvana-suffering/#sthash.ymYgRbuO.dpuf) **see ourselves** > Zazen deliberately tries to remove all entertainment and distractions from our minds so we can see ourselves as we really are
—[The Laughing Teabowl Sangha](https://sites.google.com/a/wildblue.net/laughingteabowl/Home/zazen) **there is no goal** > There is no starting point nor goal, nothing to attain
–[*Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind* by Shunryu Suzuki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_Mind,_Beginner 's_Mind) **grasp enlightenment** > the only way to grasp enlightenment is through a calm and settled mind
—[Zen Guide](http://www.zenguide.com/practice/zazen_guide.pdf) **engage with reality (not to make your life better)** > The real practice of Zen is to engage directly with reality, not to use it as a method to improve your health or make your life better
—[“Zazen Posture” by Josho Pat Phelan at *Chapel Hill Zen Center*](http://www.chzc.org/posture.htm) **not to learn** > Don’t think of practice in terms of “eventually”
—[“Zazen is not step-by-step learning meditation” by Harada Sekkei Roshi at *Buddhism Now*](http://buddhismnow.com/2014/02/19/zazen-not-step-by-step-harada-roshi/) **compassion** > the purpose of zazen is compassion
—[“Beyond Thinking: Dogen’s Teachings on Zazen” by Norman Fischer at *Upaya Zen Center*](http://www.upaya.org/2013/10/norman-fischer-10-05-2013-beyond-thinking-dogens-teachings-on-zazen-part-4/)