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Zen is a synthesis of Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism. Zen can take a vibrant and even anarchic attitude towards spirituality, which has led to it being enthusiastically embraced outside of the Buddhist context by spiritual seekers worldwide. Zen is not an organised set of teachings, nor is it a philosophy; rather Zen is about emptying one's mind and experiencing the mind itself. In the emptiness of pure consciousness, there is a sense of being at one with all that is. Zen masters are renowned for acting in strange or eccentric ways in order to get their teachings across. Famous stories tell of a professor who once visited a Zen master - when the master poured tea for the professor, he just kept on pouring, spilling the tea everywhere. When the professor protested, the master told him that just as the cup was full and could take no more tea so his mind was too full and needed emptying before he could experience zen. Another story tells of a young student excitedly relating what he had learnt to a master, ending with the proud proclamation that in reality, nothing exists. Silence followed for a long while, then the master suddenly struck the student with his bamboo cane, to the student's fury. "If nothing exists," said the master, "then where did this anger come from?" Koans are Zen riddles, and koan contemplation is a form of Zen meditation. A famous traditional koan is "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" Such questions cannot be solved with the powers of the rational mind, and their paradoxical nature creates a mental tension which can only be relieved by a sudden spontaneous breakthrough of intuitive insight. A koan is not answerable by words, only by a transformation of consciousness. "Mu!" is another famous traditional koan. Literally translated it means "not!". In other words, whatever you can think, it is not the answer. Mu! points to a direct experience of consciousness in which there are no such questions, and in which questions cannot be answered. "Who am I?" is another famous koan. Whilst the initial answers may be the trite, obvious recitation of name, address, occupation, likes and dislikes, if contemplated continuously, the question soon becomes absurd. The thinker realises that any answer they can think of is only a thought in their head - but who is thinking that thought? Questions such as this can stay buried in the mind for months or even years before a spontaneous breakthrough of enlightenment occurs. My own personal favourite koan is "What was your original face, before your parents were born?" For more information, visit our Zen Gifts and Kits section or our Zen Books section in the new age shop.
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