“If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
People ask me what this means. Is Buddhism actually violent?
Buddhists make vows of nonviolence and harmonious living, so I’m thinking this is not an incitement to violence, but rather a teaching technique to shock students into awareness.
Zen koans are a public record of the best practices of Zen teachers over the centuries. This short koan is rich with cultural allusions. It has to be unpacked to be understood.
Even if I could, I’m not about to explain this koan. I’m not a teacher. Each person committed to koan practice with a teacher, must enter into the investigation of these koans by letting go of habits of thought, and going on an inner journey of investigation with energy and curiosity.
Investigating what? Investigating reality, and how the mind works ...... .....You can read more of this article in the Times Colonist HERE
Soshin McMurchy is a novice priest with the Victoria Zen Centre, zenwest.ca, and serves as the Buddhist chaplain with the University of Victoria Multifaith Services.
You can read more articles from our Interfaith blog Spiritually Speaking HERE
