Question
Master, there are certain things I do not understand, and I would be grateful if you would answer me.*
In Buddhism, the aim is to avoid suffering as far as possible. But I know that in Japan’s Zen temples, discipline is so harsh that it causes obvious suffering. For my part, in recent months I experienced an accident and hospitalization, and after these events, which I found painful, I saw that my mind was clearer and that I perceived things I had not seen before. Can you make sense of all this?
I would very much like to meet you. I send my greetings and gassho.
Anonymous
Answer from Master Kosen
We must learn to disconnect suffering within ourselves, in our own state of mind, not outside. It is not a matter of seeking difficulty, nor of trying to avoid it at all costs.
Kosen