Question
Could you talk about the soul?
Anonymous
Answer from Master Kosen
Thank you for your question. We could say that the equivalent of the Christian word “soul” is the Buddhist SHIN, but the concept of this
word does not include the notion of a god. Shin is the heart-mind, but
it can mean the whole range of a person’s spiritual manifestations,
or it can mean the absolute, the Spirit that lies beyond
duality and the conditioning of karma, one’s true
nature, or BUSHO, Buddha-nature.
When there is intimacy at the level of this original nature between a
master and a disciple, we use the words “I shin den shin.” When
Master Deshimaru first used it, it was translated as “from my soul
to your soul,” and later as “from my spirit to your spirit.”
Best regards.
Kosen