Question
Dear Barbara, thank you for your answer. I have not used words for
what it is. I have never thought and do not think it is old, luminous, or
deep. I followed Chan teaching and have never practiced
zazen; in Chan it is “pi kuan.” I do not know what these terms
mean, but I am talking about lived experience, so why do you consider it
only words?
Jacques
Master Kosen’s answer
Hello Jacques,
Sorry, I did not know you did not practice zazen, and I answered impulsively. Usually I do not answer questions very quickly! In zazen, consciousness no longer rests on words or thoughts; body and mind unite in concentration, and thoughts pass like clouds in the sky. When I tell you they are only words, it means I was giving you my subjective view of consciousness beyond the senses. My subjective view is my lived experience, but not necessarily yours, and that is why I say they are only words: it is deep, ancient, and luminous, and it is my experience.
Kosen