Practice of the Week
KOAN
(Enigmatic Phrase)
What is a Koan exercise? This is something that we, the Gnostics , must profoundly study.
Koan is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese phrase Kung-an, whose original meaning is, “Document of an official agreement on the desk.”
It is obvious that Zen Buddhists give the term Koan a totally different meaning. It is obvious that they designate as Koan a certain mystical dialogue between Master and disciple.
For example: A certain monk asked the Master Tung Shan, “Who is the Buddha?” The Master strangely answered, “Three chin (a measurement) of flax.” A Buddhist monk asked the Master Chao Chou, “What is the meaning of the arrival of the Bodhisattva from the west?” The answer was, “The cypress tree that is in the garden.”
An enigmatic answer, is it not? All these famous stories that are narrated in the aforementioned manner are Koans. It is evident, clear, and obvious that Koan designates a Zen story, a Zen situation, a Zen problem.
The esoteric Koan exercise generally means, “To seek the solution to a Zen problem.” Behold here some Koan examples for Meditation:
“Who recites the name of Buddha?”
“If all things are reduced to the Unity, what can the Unity be reduced to?”
It is unquestionable that the mind will never be able to solve a Zen problem. It is obvious that our understanding will never be able to comprehend the deep significance of a Koan.
By all means it is easy to foresee that when the mind tries to integrally comprehend any Koan, it fails and becomes defeated. Then, the mind remains in a profound stillness and in silence.
Thus, when the mind is still, when the mind is in silence, the new arrives.
In those moments, the Essence, the Buddhata, escapes from within the intellect. Then, while in the absence of the “I” it experiences “That” which does not belong to time…
“That” is the Satori, the ecstasy of Saints, the Samadhi. In those moments, we can experience the Reality, the Truth.
It is necessary to use in our Gnostic lexicon the word Koan instead of the Chinese word Hua-tou, since the word Koan is now well-known and officially accepted in the West.
Therefore, the word Koan as well as Hua-tou are respectively used in their general and specific sense.
Samael Aun Weor. My Return into Tibet.
Koan or Enigmatic Phrases for Meditation
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**These practices requires for you to know how to relax your body and mind, if you need to learn how to do it, take our free Course of Meditation.