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.
Song lyrics
I’ve been going through an intense period of medical treatment and emergencies. In hindsight, it’s been quite a string of what one might call bad luck. But I've been able to hold gratitude, humility, and curiosity through most of it. It’s been a great opportunity to learn more about myself and this weird existence. Some unexpected triggers for these lessons have been song lyrics — popping into my head vividly, loudly, or persistently. Usually, these “ear-worms“ are just the mind on its hamster wheel of constant thinking. Now and then, though, it feels to me like something is surfacing, as though the subconscious is relaying a message. From the depths, wisdom uses whatever tools are at hand to get through to us.