Welcome to another series of blogs, topic: koans!
As I share what I've learned about koans and my experience with them, things might get too obtuse, confusing, or far out. It’s likely helpful then to note that working with these koans helps one to live with more peace, ease, confidence, and compassion. At the very least, having a touchpoint each day, hour, moment is a great mindfulness practice. An excellent way to navigate the inevitable trials of these lives and times! Koans came about when Buddhism was carried out of India and met
Taoism in China. The resulting sect of Buddhism became known as Chan and when that found its way to Japan, it became known as Zen. Koans are awakening stories of various lengths and from a wide variety of people both monastic and lay-folk, but most commonly between students and a master.
That without substance…
I just spent five days meditating at home as part of a zoom retreat. The teacher would end every session by sending love and kindness. And as much as I talk about love, I had to acknowledge that in those moments I wasn't feeling it. What was coming up instead was grief. (You never know what's going to come up when you sit down and be quiet and look at your mind for days on end.) It seems I had been ignoring a growing sadness about not spending time outdoors and in physical activity the way I used to. Simply by acknowledging this grief changed it, released it, and reconnected my heart.