A zen koan.

dobie · Intern Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 61 Local time: 11:52 AM

I don't know how you guys view buddhism, but for me, it's one of the more interesting worldviews out there. One thing I like to do is look at Zen koans and try to solve them. I don't think you have to be a zen buddhist(I'm certainly not) to give it a go, but I thought I would post a fairly well known koan and see what you guys think of it. I know what the answer is supposed to be, according to the buddhist worldview, so if you guys want to know that, I'll post it. But this is mainly intended to start a discussion on zen buddhism in general.

here it is:

A master said to his students while holding out his staff, "Call this a short staff and you deny it its reality. Call this just 'a staff', and you ignore the fact." And thus, hitting the ground with it, said, "now then. What do you wish to call this?"

It seems pretty simple, doesn't it? There are whole books written about just this one koan. Still, the answer can summed up in a sentence or two. Interesting. What are you're opinions on zen buddhism, officially?
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Moloth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 10:45 am Post subject:

i love zen. my desk at work is covered in Zen koans.
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Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

dobie · Intern Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 61 Local time: 11:52 AM

cool! I got into the whole meditation thing a while back. I can't say it was a total loss. I learned some things.

Though I've never actually met a another buddhist person. There's not too many of them down here in San Antonio. hmm...

can you write a zen koan of your own, moloth?
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Moloth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:06 am Post subject:

Amid a sea of youth, in a river slow time, he shines darkly in the brightness.
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Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

aitm · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:07 am Post subject:

a piece of driftwood is considered to have its own reality now? Well I guess I ain't gonna be no good at this.
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The reality is: The majority of Christians are, because they have never read the Bible, whereas the majority of Atheists are, because they have. tjb

aitm · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:10 am Post subject:

dobie · Intern Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 61 Local time: 11:52 AM

Oh, come on, aitm. It's not as hard as it sounds. What he means by denying it its reality is like compartmentalizing the stick into categories. Everybody knows those categories don't really exist. In reality, the stick is a mess of protons, neutrons, and elctrons, right? That's what he means by denying it its reality.

Smile

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aitm · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

Oh, I got it,, its really an elephant looking like a staff. Cool.
_________________
Its not that I question so much whether a god created man, but that he would admit it.- Thomas Brumfield
psst, theres a vagina on your bumper!
Knowledge: The cure for religion.
The reality is: The majority of Christians are, because they have never read the Bible, whereas the majority of Atheists are, because they have. tjb

Moloth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:14 am Post subject:

Moloth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:16 am Post subject:

A snowfield, a battleground, a foamy sea and a lake. All is placid.
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-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-

www.Moloth.com

Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

Moloth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:16 am Post subject:

hey.. this is fun. Very Happy

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-=The Believer is Happy; the Skeptic is Wise=-

www.Moloth.com

Last edited by Moloth on Tue Feb 30, 2026 13:61 am; edited 426 times in total

dobie · Intern Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 61 Local time: 11:52 AM

A student asked a master, "master, does that dog have a buddha nature?" No sooner was the student finished speaking that the master proclaimed, "MUH!"

Very Happy

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Wickedtruth · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject:

Is zen buddhism the same as normal buddhism?

Philosophos · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 5:56 pm Post subject:

Philosophos · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject:

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