Path: shell.portal.com!shell.portal.com!not-for-mail
From: !
Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.zen,alt.philosophy.zen
Subject: Koans and Context (Was Re: How To Raise An Ox)
Date: 22 Dec 1995 09:43:59 -0800
Organization: Portal Communications (shell)
Lines: 53
Sender: tyagi@shell.portal.com
Message-ID: <4beqov$71f@jobe.shell.portal.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: jobe.shell.portal.com
Xref: shell.portal.com alt.magick.tyagi:5689 alt.zen:19912 alt.philosophy.zen:5180

the following exchange can be utilized as a seed for discussion about the
 nature of a koan, not that it is particularly profound or that it is
 intended as a focus of study for any pupils or anything like that.  
 no, it has specific meaning from within the context of the conversation 
 in which it took place, and from which it was removed

like this, koans have a particular psychological and historical context,
 some of them recommended more often than others due to their liberative
 value; and yet many are given a context from which they may be understood.  
 the culture in which the koan arises is a pre-programming for results of 
 contemplation of the koan itself, and may have very important influences 
 on the mind of the student.

often koans are records of discussion among masters or between masters
 and students, and those of the tradition have *personal relationships*, 
 just as within the alt.zen forum people develop relationships which 
 may provide a vast context for meaning of any particular expression 
 or emphasized interaction

originally the 'Visiting Master' was 'System Master', a reference to
 an entire philosophical substructure developed by one of the alt.zen
 participants.  seeing the snippet below, one might not catch a glimmer
 of this nuance of the converation (and with poor translators it might
 be completely missed), and yet with the slight change of terminology 
 it still retains the aura of a genuine interaction (however inane you 
 may think what I used for my illustration has become

====================================================
 [contents rearranged slightly for effect]

Zen Master: "Hi there, how are you?"

Monk: "Fine."

Zen Master: "How do you know?"

Monk: "With great difficulty."

Visiting Master: "How are you?"

Zen master: "I am not."

Monk: "How do you know?"

Visiting Master: [explains extensively using his new Buddhist theory]

Zen Master (to Monk):  "Why does he speak so much?"

Monk (to Zen Master): "I hear it comes from hitting each other with sticks."

Zen Master (nodding): "There is much to be gained by a study of kendo."

Visiting Master is enlightened.