Question
True Zen or not true Zen—isn’t that trivial?
How can you use these complications about “true Zen”?
Doesn’t your true mind find the difference between true and false?
Robert, from Poland.
Robert from Poland
Answer from Master Kosen
Indeed, the true mind finds the difference between true and false and can therefore distinguish true Zen from false Zen.
The world is teeming with misguided forms of Zen, where disciples have lousy, weak postures and have not been taught true breathing. Dojos that reek of formalism, priestliness, or intellectual masturbation, where people talk about Japanese trappings or koans that have nothing to do with human beings, life, or the “real thing.”
Most people interested in these false forms of Zen have no intention of facing their reality. On the contrary, they want to escape it by hiding behind a new folklore. Encountering authentic Zen, however, is an extremely rare and precious thing. If you are fortunate enough one day to meet an authentic master who transmits real Zen to you, you will certainly be able to tell the difference yourself.
Kosen