The Zen Koan Notebooks Course I Cracking the Code of the Zen Koan The Zen of Advaita-Vedanta The TeAChINg MAsTery of srI NIsArgAdATTA MAhArAj Copyright 2010 Stephen H. Wolinsky, PhD An imprint of Quantum Press, under the auspices of Quantum Institute Inc. Stephen H. Wolinsky, PhD Library ISBN 0-9749954-3-6 website stephenhwolinskyphdlibrary.com Typesetting: Bramble Books www.bramblebooks.com Book cover design by Mike Dowdall [email protected] Copyediting by Simon Abbott [email protected] INTroduCTIoN There is no one There is nothing and no one to get No one to receive a teaching No one to give a teaching That being said Who hears? Who reads? Let’s begin Nisargadatta Maharaj: “There is no such thing as enlightenment, the realization of that fact is itself enlightenment.” 3 forwArd All spiritual paths are pointers at best and become religious dogma at worst. Zen, although a “clean” form of Buddhism with its magnificent Koans which both lure and attract the deconstruction or de-conditioning of the mind, nevertheless carries with it (if these Koans are taken as a real thing, a real roadmap a real path, that will do the job) the same traps as any other dogma. Zen Saying: If you fall in love with the road, you will forget the destination. Nisargadatta Maharaj: “I do not believe in spiritual paths….all paths lead to unreality.” “I” was drawn to Zen in the early 1970’s with one of their most famous Koans, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” Although hypnotized by the puzzle, I did not “realize” and “experience” one of its meanings 4 until 1975, (that there is no such thing as choice, and that there was no purpose). In 1979 “I” spoke to Nisargadatta Maharaj about this, (that there is no such thing as choice, and that there was no purpose, and everything just happens as it happens) wanting to “test my understanding”. He replied, “Obviously.” The structure of the Koan however was not revealed in its entirety for almost 20 years. This book represents several things: 1. A cracking of the code of the Zen Koan and appreciating the Koan, its “purpose”, “how it works”, and “where it leads.” 2. A completion of the queue of the mind, with its extraordinary capacity to deconstruct, without any regard from a “me”. In other words it just happens. 3. The realization of my beloved Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj as the 5 ultimate Zen Teaching Master, who used Enquiry like a Koan. 4. For the “reader” and “myself” the danger of realizing that even the magnificent Koan is still a thorn to remove a thorn. Better said, the Koan deconstructs and points, but one cannot “nest” in the “beyond” or any “experience” that arises”, even satori. In short, the Zen Koan too, like the enquiry process, must go. 5. Finally, this represents yet another tribute to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, who was able to pinpoint where the imaginary “I” imagined it was, and set it free from its illusionary existence. This book is offered to Maharaj, whose Teaching Mastery leaves “me” in awe and reverence, even twenty- nine years after his passing. Jai Gurudev Nisargadatta Maharaj Ki Jaya! 6 seCTIoN oNe wATCh your sTeP! A word of CAuTIoN Nisargadatta Maharaj: “Question everything, don’t believe anything.” As you are about to go through this book, please note that nothing you are about to read is true. It is merely words which represent things which do not exist. Please do not fall into the trap of words. Recall two Archetypes, (current patterns in the ocean that form waves, then bubbles, the “I”, as droplets).The First Archetype is of the “Genie in the Lamp”. In this current the right words (magic words) must be said (chanted) for the genie to appear and grant your wishes (kind of like mantras).The second Archetypical current is “Using a Treasure Map to Search for the 7 Buried Treasure”. Like spiritual paths searching for enlightenment (the Holy Grail of the “spiritual” quest). Why is this important to remember as we tread through this series of books? Because all pointers and metaphors are using words which represent and describe things which do not exist. In short, “Don’t fall into words and language games”. Finally, be aware of precognitive traps that offer pleasure and rewards for understanding and learning the words and their meanings. This deeply embedded current only assures more craving and a fixation on learning more and more words to have more and more experiences with the belief that both experiences words and understanding will lead to the ultimate experience, termed some form of bliss for all eternity called “Enlightenment”. Nisargadatta Maharaj: “…all experiences will lead you to is more experiences…expect nothing from experiences…” 8 As we will see Koans, like Enquiry Questions, are designed to break language patterns. BUT, throw the thorn away, (step away from word-meanings and understanding) otherwise you will fall into the trap of words and the joy of learning and experiencing their meanings. With Love Your Mirage Brother Stephen 9