Mental and Physical Bullying
of Arrogant Zen Masters
Zen literature defines Koans as:
"The koans ... are generally such as to shut up all possible avenues to rationalisation" (p.78, An Introduction to Zen) and that Koans are"... a dialogue between a master and monks... put forward by teacher ...for opening one's mind to the truth of Zen" (p.72, An Introduction to Zen)
It is apparent that the system of Koan was "put forward" to maintain the authority of the teacher over novice disciple, leading to blind obedience:
- For a novice, the solution to the puzzling koan must be “approved” by the master. If one brings an explanation, which does not please the master - then one is a failure. Zen literature provides proofs that disagreement with a master can end up in slapping the face of younger monk. The pursuit of spiritual awakening is reduced in this way to a procedure akin to a rigid feudal primary school performance. Instead of encouraging novice to reveal own mind of inherent Buddhanature, a build up in obedience and copying the mind of master is established.
- Zen literature defines Koan as a tool to destroy the mind of reason. In his book Pointing at the Moon , Alexander Holstein offers an explanation to koan, as being the master’s attempt to ‘shock the usual way of thinking’ of the questioner, and to teach his disciple to “destroy the common values of ordinary mind”. A novice dwelling on illogical constructs of koan would attenuate own intelligence - making the mind dull, accepting master's nonsense as profound wisdom.
Stories and Koans: The following is a presentation of various stories quoted from Zen literature.
Regardless of whether the mentioned events did take place in reality or not, or whether they are considered as "inspirational stories" or as "event- koan" to ponder about - in any case they do convey the spirit of Zen.