[Buddha-l] Re: Tozan's blue mountain and white cloud

[BCarral]

On Friday, April 18, 2008, Piya Tan wrote:

> Anyway,  I  have  digressed.  More on Chan. How right
> would  I be in saying that the koan specifically, and
> Chan  in general, work best in a Sinic ambience: Chan
> is best taken Chinese (or East Asian).

   I lead the Oviedo Zen Center which is in the Chinese
tradition  (although  we  have  a  liturgy in Spanish),
attended only by Spaniards, and I can say that they can
get Chan quite well.

   I  read  them  some  koan from time to time, just to
feel  their  minds, and they find it a quite shattering
practice.

   But it's not because of language, it's because their
mind is blocked by concepts. For instance, I once asked
them,  "Why  do we have eyes?" And they were all caught
by these words. Otherwise they are very good students.

   Best wishes,

   Ben

-- 
   BCarral
     Asturias, Spain