04-17-2011, 12:00 AM
Jessicar wrote:There's an old Zen saying that the answer lies in the question.
Is that so?
I never understood this koan.
Two different items here. In regard the first, imo it has to do with questions of a spiritual nature. For example, "Why am I here?"..."What's the purpose of my existence?"..."What happens when I die?"..."Who am I, really?", and the comment means only that the one who asks is the only one who can answer. In a similar fashion, asking if Castaneda is full of ****, or if don Juan really existed, once again, there is no answer, only whatever opinion the asker is comfortable with. The same is really true of all spiritual teachings, actually. Bottom line, from another Zen quip, "Beware of seeking the truth by others."
In regard "Is that so?", it's a reference to a famous story about Hakuin and readily available on the Internet via a Google search.
In my opinion, many times questions are asked because they imply the asker has achieved a certain level of understanding and is seeking validation.
Is that so?
I never understood this koan.
Two different items here. In regard the first, imo it has to do with questions of a spiritual nature. For example, "Why am I here?"..."What's the purpose of my existence?"..."What happens when I die?"..."Who am I, really?", and the comment means only that the one who asks is the only one who can answer. In a similar fashion, asking if Castaneda is full of ****, or if don Juan really existed, once again, there is no answer, only whatever opinion the asker is comfortable with. The same is really true of all spiritual teachings, actually. Bottom line, from another Zen quip, "Beware of seeking the truth by others."
In regard "Is that so?", it's a reference to a famous story about Hakuin and readily available on the Internet via a Google search.
In my opinion, many times questions are asked because they imply the asker has achieved a certain level of understanding and is seeking validation.