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.
Love
At a meditation retreat years ago, I experienced some resolution of unacknowledged grief around my mother’s death. I grew up knowing my mother was dead, but there was always a sense of secrecy and shame about it. Things like suicide are kept from children. Everyone around me knew this secret. It was strange way to grow up. On the other hand, death isn’t a big scary thing for me; it’s a familiar one.