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Koan Practice

Diana St. Ruth and Richard St. Ruth

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Koan No. 43 of the Mumonkan

Master Shuzan held up his staff, and showing it to the assembled disciples said, 'You monks, if you call this a staff, you are committed to the name. If you call it not-a-staff, you negate the fact. Tell me, you monks, what do you call it?'

Simple Guide to Zen Buddhism St. RuthThis report of Master Shuzan's words may be put to you, should you become a student of Zen, who will set about trying to understand it. Just imagine yourself in this situation for a minute or two. You will meditate upon it while sitting in formal meditation (zazen) or working, or doing anything in the normal day. You become the koan and the koan becomes you. The mind, to begin with, may work with it in the customary way - asking, asking, wondering: If I can't call it a staff and I can't say it isn't a staff, what can I call it? Is it a staff after all? Was it ever a staff in the past? What was it in essence? What kind of wood was it made fram? What am I? What am I made of? ... The mind questions, questions, questions, and then you are again sitting before the Zen master (roshi) who is waiting for your comment.

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