I post koan, you answer
This is case 38 from the gateless gate (book written by master wumen, a collection of koans and wumens comments on them)
The Case
Goso said, ”A buffalo passes by the window. His head, horns, and four legs all
go past. But why can’t the tail pass too?”
Wumen's comment
If you make a complete about-face, open your eye, and give a turning word on
this point, you will be able to repay the four kinds of love that have favored you
and help the sentient beings in the three realms who follow you.
If you are still unable to do this, return to this tail and reflect upon it, and
then for the first time you will realize something.
Wumen's verse
Passing by, it falls into a ditch;
Coming back, all the worse, it is lost.
This tiny little tail,
What a strange thing it is!
So /his/, what do you think? Why can't the tail pass through the window?
>>1061800
>Why can't the tail pass through the window?
pass BY the window, sorry
>>1061800
This is all done under the influence of opium, yes?
>>1061810
No mind altering substances involved
Because it is your lingering attachment. While you look at what you have let go, you fail to notice to have held onto the tail.
As long as you obsesses over the mystery of the tail, it reflects your subconscious attachment to the entirety of the buffalo. Only when you let go of the tail, can you truly let go of the buffalo.
>>1061822
Very good answer.
I'll post next koan in a minute
>>1061845
The point of a koan was never to give a memorized answer, but to force the student to break with deductive logic and use intuition.
There are stories of people becoming sick while trying to find a satisfactory answer
>>1061873
Can't be possible to believe the tail did not "go by" the window, logically speaking, and not on opium.
This is a classic, and much easier than case 38
Case 21: A dry shit stick
A monk asked Unmon, ”What is Buddha?”
Unmon replied, "A dry shit-stick."
Wumen's comment
Unmon was too poor to prepare plain food, too busy to speak from notes.
He hurriedly took up dry shit to support the Way.
The decline of Buddhism was thus foreshadowed.
Wumen's verse
Lightning flashing,
Sparks shooting;
A moment’s blinking,
Missed forever.
>>1061889
Because you're thinking purely logically, which makes it impossible to solve the koan
>>1061894
Instead of "What is Buddha" (which is a nonsensical question to most people, but a phrase commonly used in zen),
think "What is the absolute"
>>1061889
Literally, the tail is at the rear end of a buffalo. If you want to use logic, which you can't, it means every other part of the buffalo has gone past the window except the rearmost part.
>>1061900
Exactly. What I said.
>>1061894
Idolatry.
>>1061894
Faggots only bought one copy of The Hyperion Cantos and shared it.
>>1061928
>The Hyperion Cantos
I don't know what that is.
I'm copying these from the gateless gate, written by wumen translated by katsuki sekida
>>1061800
>Passing by, it falls into a ditch;
>Coming back, all the worse, it is lost.
>This tiny little tail,
>What a strange thing it is!
Tail stuck in asscrack.
Cannot see tail while buffalo headed at you.
Tiny tail, big animal. Always funny.
And strange.
>>1061935
Oh.
What you posted is from Dan Simmons' Hyperion. AI is speaking in koans.
>>1061945
Er, Artificial Intelligence, not Al
>>1061894
Anon asked /pol/, ”Redpill me on the Jews”
/pol/ replied, "holohoax_infographic_666.gif"
Anon was too stupid to doubt, too busy to check facts.
He unironically took up memes as truth.
The decline of 4chan was thus foreshadowed.
>>1061950
Redpill flashing
facts shooting
A moment's blinking
ruined forever
>>1061927
No
Another one:
Case 6:
When Shakyamuni Buddha was at Mount Grdhrakuta, he held out a flower to
his listeners.
Everyone was silent.
only Mahakashyapa broke into a broad smile.
The Buddha said, ”I have the True Dharma Eye, the Marvelous Mind of
Nirvana, the True Form of the Formless, and the Subtle Dharma Gate, inde-
pendent of words and transmitted beyond doctrine. This I have entrusted to
Mahakashyapa.”
Wumen's comment
Golden-faced Gautama really disregarded his listeners.
He made the good look bad and sold dog’s meat labeled as mutton.
He himself thought it was wonderful.
If, however, everyone in the audience had laughed, how could he have trans-
mitted his True Eye?
And again, if Mahakashyapa had not smiled, how could the Buddha have
transmitted it?
If you say the True Dharma Eye can be transmitted, then the golden-faced
old man would be a city slicker who cheats the country bumpkin.
If you say it cannot be transmitted, then why did the Buddha approve of
Mahakashyapa?
Wumen's verse
Holding out a flower,
The Buddha betrayed his curly tail.
Heaven and earth were bewildered,
At Mahakashyapa’s smile.
Wumen's comment is the key here.
>>1062063
There's nothing to be transmitted because the dharma simply is.
>>1062092
Then why did the buddha talk so much?
>>1062120
Because hes not a real Buddha
>>1062127
You started well, but this was a let down.
>>1061822
heavy
>>1062120
Is it because the buddha was a bodhisattva?
>>1062221
Is it because the external buddha has nothing to do with the internal buddha?
>>1062224
Nah, you're thinking in the wrong direction. Read wumen's comment again.
>>1062249
Is it because the listeners are attaching meaning to the flower when there is none, and Mahakashyapa is the only one who realizes what the Buddha is getting at. There isn't a transmission from the Buddha, but there is within the listener (well at least Mahakashyapa) due to the Buddhas words.
>>1061800
He's going through the window and he got stuck with his big fat arse.
>>1062273
First you said nothing was transmitted, now you say talking shows the way towards understanding it.
Do you really think the buddha's words made anyone understand anything?
He's selling dog meat labeled as mutton
>>1062288
>Is it because the listeners are attaching meaning to the flower when there is none, and Mahakashyapa is the only one who realizes what the Buddha is getting at.
This is good
>There isn't a transmission from the Buddha, but there is within the listener (well at least Mahakashyapa) due to the Buddhas words.
This is wrong
>>1062297
>zen
>buddha's words
>>1062307
what are you trying to say?
>>1062315
I'm implying Zen Buddhism is not really the Buddha's words.
>>1062305
So is Wumen selling me dog meat labeled as mutton?
>>1062331
Yes.
>>1062297
>Do you really think the buddha's words made anyone understand anything?
The words themselves, no. Otherwise he could simply enlighten everyone himself.
And yet, his words and actions are reflections of dharma.
Dharma can, in relative terms, be attained or understood, but one cannot transmit it to someone else. The flower isn't the dharma and holding it up doesn't advance another person spiritually, but both are reflections of dharma.
>>1062063
Another one?
>>1061965
You're a Sage
>>1061800
before I read the post, the only word I noticed was "wumen".
I thought it was /neo/pol lingo for women and this was another MRA thread.
pleasantly surprised.
>>1062353
Case 20:
Shogen osho asked, ”Why is it that a man of great strength does not lift his legs?”
And he also said, ”It is not the tongue he speaks with.”
Wumen's comment:
It must be said that Shogen shows us all his stomach and intestines.
But alas, no one can appreciate him!
And even if someone could appreciate him, let him come to me, and I’ll beat him severely. Why?
If you want to find pure gold, you must see it through fire.
Wumen's verse:
Lifting his leg, he kicks up the Scented ocean;
Lowering his head, he looks down on the fourth Dhyana heaven.
There is no space vast enough for his body
Now, somebody write the last line here.
>>1062358
Are you literally retarded?
>>1062387
More types than strength than physical, actions are more meaningful than words.
>>1062393
What the fuck am I looking in this picture
>>1062393
But that's a bison.
>>1062387
I will answer a koan with a koan of my own.
D Y E L
Y
E
L
>>1062387
Great strength does not come from physicality or words.
>>1062387
>>1062429
Anon asked, ”Do you even lift?”
And he also said, ”Post time stamp, no homo”
It must be said that Anon shows us all his dick pics.
But alas, no one can appreciate him!
And even if someone could appreciate him, let him come to me, and I’ll bait him severely. Why?
If you want to find pure memes, you must see it on 4chan.
>>1061800
Close one eye, put a palm over the open eye.
>>1061894
You need a shovel to answer this one.
>>1061908
A self-slicing Bagel.
>>1062063
Install a carbon arc-light in the meditation hall. Turn it up to maximum. Unplug the power.
>>1062331
Wumen is serving you mutton labelled as dog meat. Delicious meats, you must eat.
>>1062387
Shogen osho might be ripped, but by using his tongue he skipped leg day. No homo bro, eat those cummies.
>>1062387
>And even if someone could appreciate him, let him come to me, and I’ll beat him severely.
Finally, Wumen, you got one right.
