1. A Zen Buddhist will try to break the language barrier so that he/she can experience or show forth Zen without words. Zen is said to be a way of life, of humility, of service and in that much, can not be described with words. To use words to describe Zen would fall short since words are only labels. We reflect on the lesson of the Flower that the Buddha used, which is one reason some call Zen “the secret of the flower”. I would venture to say that anyone who tells us that they know true Zen and can describe it to us, does not know Zen at all.
2. The title Gateless Gate is in and of itself a koan. A puzzle. I think the title is something to be meditated on and pondered just as the text inside it.
3. I think Zen has become popular in the West because it offers a calming way and approach into ones own mind. Modern life can be very hectic and the quiet of Zazen, without the restrictions of alot of ceremony and fanfare that other religions require, is appealing to a westerner who desires quieting. It also offers a less rigid way to view life and the universe, where no one just gives an answer, but a practictioner must seek the answer themselves.
4. LOL
Rev. Mark J. Larose
“We are all streams of water
…..flowing into the same river.”
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