Master of Buddhism Course

This is a blog for the course comments from the Master of Buddhism course through the Universal Life Church Seminary.
The course can be found at Buddhism Course.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Buddhism

Lesson 12
I.  Zen Buddhists strive to break the language barrier because Zen ultimately cannot be described in words  It is an internal journey that, by turning inward, defies description..  There have been many times when I have been unable to describe an experience because language was useless -- there were no adequate words.  One such intense experience was a feeling of Oneness with all of nature and all beings.  I was a tree, a tree was e.  It is a sense of knowing and connection, yet words still cannot describe the absolute feeling.  They can only point toward it and perhaps evoke resonance with others who have had the same experience.
II.  The koan text title, the "gateless gate," probably provides a clue to koans themselves.  A "gateless" (nothing)  gate (something) could easily refer to the delusion of barriers to understanding or solving koans.
III.  Zen is so very opposite of our Western way of life, our "hurry up or we'll be late" external culture.  Humans, whether they will admit it or not, like quiet and balance in their lives, yet rush off in the opposite direction thinking they will find what we want if we hurry and rush fast enough.  For those who have discovered the inward journey, Zen is not only a path to inner peace and quiet, it is a necessary one.

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