"I realised that the idea I had constructed of the lovely Great Silence – the emptiness out of which all is created, the love flowing through the universe and so on, was all a reification of ‘Nothingness’ into a beautiful ‘Somethingness’. What I was now doing was ascribing qualities to it, and that it was becoming a new and improved Buddha Nature and Joshu was still there muttering, “Not have Buddha Nature,” at me. “No.” I had reified Emptiness into something full. Not have. No, said Joshu. Nothing holy, said Bodhidharma.
This koan is uncompromising, and leaves you no room for your favourite ideas at all. Joshu has you
trapped. He dismantles all conceptualisations. I was exceedingly reluctant to give up my sense of Buddha Nature, the Essence, the special sense of Life in the universe, the Absolute, its quiet subtle energy and gentle numinous power, its peace and love – I felt I knew it from experience. But the attempt to find its identity and define it had to be abandoned. I was in love with my conception of Emptiness but Huang Po and Nagarjuna and Mäll and Joshu and Bodhidharma were chorusing, “No!” Joshu was wagging his finger at me. I came to Buddhism looking for a beautiful inspiration to give meaning and focus to my life and they were all saying, “No!”...from MEANINGLESSNESS THAT MAKES SENSE : WORKING WITH MU by George Marsh in http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/uploads/media/ncf46.pdf
Also check out these Chan sites of interest:
2. How to chan meditate:
3. Master Sheng Yen in Facebook
4. The Western Chan Fellowship at http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/
5. Other Buddhist centres in the Comox Valley:
http://www.dharmafellowship.org/hermitage/
http://www.sherabchammaling.com/biography.html
Call Adrian at 250 898 8201,
email adrian2@shaw.ca
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