In early Buddhism, the Buddha taught that identification with the empirical man consisting of five constituents (P., khandha; S., skandha) is an erroneous identification. These constituents are not my self (na meso attā). This non-identification with the five constituents, even included theories or views of self and theories of the world. (M. i. 40).
Ultimately, the Buddha’s enlightenment was transcendent. It went beyond the range of the senses and even thought, itself, by which we form theories.
As we might expect, to realize this transcendent abode requires of the adept engagement with a special kind of meditation whereby he might transcend the empirical man. This meditation takes it for granted that even our mental world of thoughts arises from mind which, itself, is devoid of thought, thought being only a phenomenon of mind like waves are a phenomenon of water. Such a meditation is based on intuition which is defined as immediate cognizance of the absolute. This intuition leaps over rational thought which is about drawing inferences or conclusions by the use of reason which is little more than an explanation.
Unfortunately, we moderns are stuck with the use of reason when approaching Buddhism and Zen which is the heart of Buddhism. It is part of our culture and not easily let go of. It’s good for many things but in the final analysis, in order to realize what is beyond the ken of the empirical man we have to let go of reason.
The real training of Zen is about letting go of reason which only works with the empirical side of man. Paradoxically, Zen puts out a kind of bait that reason is addicted to which turns the adept into something like a dog gnawing on a dry bone because there is still the scent of flesh left on the bone—but nothing of caloric value.
The real purpose of the koan is not for the purpose of pouring wisdom into our brains but breaking down the barrier which keeps us from entering the no-gate 無門. The barrier concerns our long established habit of using rational thought applying various reasons, in the end, to no advantage! There is only the sound of crickets.
Often later than sooner we come to realize what we are doing to our self. The koans have beat our powers of reason down to a pulp. No explanation will work. Only when we get here does our journey begin eventually to come face to face with our true self.
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