Our effort to understand and attain nirvana (an ultimate experience) is made difficult by our habit of trying to apprehend it by means of thought which nirvana is beyond. We can’t think our way there, in other words.
If I say nirvana is permanent (niccaṁ), ultimate happiness (paramsukaṁ) and eternal (dhuvaṁ), do these words get us any closer to nirvana’s realization? No they don't. This is because thoughts (the process of thinking) stands in our way.
In Zen Buddhism the unconditioned, which goes by many names which includes nirvana, is called the "no-gate" 無門. But as we make our way towards this strange gate to enter it, we are blocked. What stands in our way is the barrier/checkpoint 關. Whatever we bring with us cannot pass through because it is conditioned, especially, our thoughts.
In Zen the barrier of all barriers is the single word "Mu" 無. Of course there are other barriers such as "The eastern mountain sails on the river,” which is almost impossible to get past.
These barriers are akin to baited "thought-traps". Such traps are actually intended to make us aware of our problem which is trying to attain the unconditioned by means of thought, which is conditioned. We are assuming that the unconditioned, i.e., nirvana, is something thinkable. It is not.
A good teacher can help us understand the more recondite side of Buddhism but he or she cannot pour nirvana into us. There is a barrier/checkpoint that each of us, personally, must pass through. We have to make great effort. Maybe after many years we will have “great doubt” from using thought to get past the barrier/checkpoint which never seems to work. There is another way. But first the darkness, then comes the light.
In the legendary words of Ice Cube -- "Westward, hoe!"
LOL
Posted by: Adasatala | July 12, 2018 at 07:22 PM