Koans are self-explanatory, aren't they? I am really proud of this one:
There was a monk who studied Buddhism for years. He claimed he found a cure
for neuroses. Bodhidharma, disguised as a pauper, came to him one day and
asked: "How do you know if your cure is a cure?"
The monk answered: "If you want to argue with that, I'll need specifics, not
just variously phrased statements of distaste for anything associated with
religion."
"I don't want to argue", said Bodhidharma, "Just a few samples to support
your claim would do".
"I'm not going to waste my time trying to explain the therapeutic nature of
my cure to anyone disinclined to believe it", said the monk, "In case you
don't know, it is often very easy to distinguish those who wish to
understand, from those who merely wish to exercise their prejudice, by the
kind of question they ask."
"I am convinced", said Bodhidharma, as he was a true Zen Master.
"That's strange -- it wasn't meant to be", the monk said. Then he knew the
pauper was Bodhidharma Himself.
=======================
Based on a true story. Planet TeTa, copyright 1997.
=======================
References:
>I think the problem is most usefully seen as neuroses.
Good point. Neurosis may be a symptom of the MAIDS virus. What is a
definition of neurosis? One definition I heard is: a neurotic person keeps
performing the same actions and hopes to get different results. Like if the
universe was not rational and A one day will not be A (if you persist long
enough).
[...]
>And, IMHO, though it's often
>said that Buddhism is not so much a religion as a
>philosophy, what it *really* is, is psychotherapy. And that
>is probably the best account I've ever given to anyone of
>why I'm into Buddhism. Cool!
Are you sure Buddhism is a cure or just a relief?
>On the basis that there's no difference between complete,
>permanent relief and a cure, it's a cure. (Actually, it may
>well be possible to make a better case for it than that, but
>I can't do so here and now.)
If life hurts alcohol may be a permanent relief, but it's not a cure.
>Alcohol attacks only the symptom, not the underlying cause, and
>brings problems of its own. I say Buddhism, or more precisely
>Buddhist techniques, attack the cause,
How? (I'm not an expert on Buddhism)
>and bring no serious or
>long-term problems of their own. If you want to argue with that,
>I'll need specifics, not just variously phrased statements of
>distaste for anything associated with religion.
I don't want to argue.
Just a few samples to support your claim would do.
>I don't know what you mean by "samples" in this context.
>But I'm not going to waste my time trying to explain the
>therapeutic nature of Buddhism to anyone disinclined to
>believe it. I'll very happily correspond with anyone who
>genuinely wishes to understand.
>BTW, in case you don't know, it is often very easy to
>distinguish those who wish to understand, from those
>who merely wish to exercise their prejudice, by the kind
>of question they ask.
Regards, Tadeusz (Tad) Niwinski from planet TeTa
tad@teta.ai http://www.teta.ai (604) 985-4159