http://blog.oup.com/2012/04/four-myths-about-zen-buddhisms-mu-koan/ Academic insights for the thinking world. Tue, 21 May 2013 22:08:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blog.oup.com/2012/04/four-myths-about-zen-buddhisms-mu-koan/#comment-295125 OUPblog » Blog Archive » Remembering Dogen’s death Sat, 22 Sep 2012 10:31:13 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=23010#comment-295125 [...] Dogen’s death permalink buy this book read more Posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 at 6:30 am [...] [...] Dogen’s death permalink buy this book read more Posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 at 6:30 am [...]

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2012/04/four-myths-about-zen-buddhisms-mu-koan/#comment-272738 David Dae An Rynick Tue, 01 May 2012 00:22:17 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=23010#comment-272738 I appreciate the research and scholarship of Mr. Heine, but I don't think it refutes the current uses of Mu as the first koan in the Gateless Gate. Each koan is just one entry point into the vastness of human experience. And the lovely thing about so many of these koan cases is that even the 'answer' is not the answer. I appreciate the research and scholarship of Mr. Heine, but I don’t think it refutes the current uses of Mu as the first koan in the Gateless Gate. Each koan is just one entry point into the vastness of human experience. And the lovely thing about so many of these koan cases is that even the ‘answer’ is not the answer.

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2012/04/four-myths-about-zen-buddhisms-mu-koan/#comment-272560 Gregory Wonderwheel Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:30:34 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=23010#comment-272560 This post seems to be deliberately provocative but somewhat terse. I suppose that is to whet the appetite for the monograph when it is released. This post does little to convince me of the alleged spurious quality to the four "myths." On the other hand, even if they are actually "myths" then that calls for articulation as to why they have achieved mythic status. A myth is not just a falsehood, but is a story that has numinous and profound effect in directing our attention to the source rather to the myriad differentiations. As the Lankavatara Sutra says, the Tathatgata is known by many names. Each of those names is a mythic character, and each mythic character is a name of the Tathagata precisely because the mythic qualtiy of the character is pointing to the root suchness. Every myth poinnts to suchness. So the four myths about Joshu saying "Mu," if they are indeed "myths," have developed in order to point to true suchness by the expediant means of the story of "Mu." This post seems to be deliberately provocative but somewhat terse. I suppose that is to whet the appetite for the monograph when it is released. This post does little to convince me of the alleged spurious quality to the four “myths.” On the other hand, even if they are actually “myths” then that calls for articulation as to why they have achieved mythic status. A myth is not just a falsehood, but is a story that has numinous and profound effect in directing our attention to the source rather to the myriad differentiations. As the Lankavatara Sutra says, the Tathatgata is known by many names. Each of those names is a mythic character, and each mythic character is a name of the Tathagata precisely because the mythic qualtiy of the character is pointing to the root suchness. Every myth poinnts to suchness. So the four myths about Joshu saying “Mu,” if they are indeed “myths,” have developed in order to point to true suchness by the expediant means of the story of “Mu.”

]]> http://blog.oup.com/2012/04/four-myths-about-zen-buddhisms-mu-koan/#comment-272244 Hoag Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:44:25 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=23010#comment-272244 Mu as a phenomenon unique to Zen only makes sense in the context of engaged practice. Something remarkable happens when one gives oneself to Mu over and over (sometimes over several years) while working closely with a teacher. Something vast opens up beyond the slot canyon of intellection. As Robert Aitken put it, in working with Mu: "...breath by breath, you will realize the buddhahood that has been yours from the beginning." Mu as a phenomenon unique to Zen only makes sense in the context of engaged practice. Something remarkable happens when one gives oneself to Mu over and over (sometimes over several years) while working closely with a teacher. Something vast opens up beyond the slot canyon of intellection. As Robert Aitken put it, in working with Mu: “…breath by breath, you will realize the buddhahood that has been yours from the beginning.”

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