Zen

Q. Do enlightened people experience intense emotions and can they easily control their emotions if they arise?

A. Of course, they do. The belief that the enlightened are emotionless like stone results from the misunderstanding of enlightenment. If Buddha, for example, had not experienced intense emotion, strong compassion, how would he have devoted all his life to helping sentient beings?

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They experience the same emotions as we do; the enlightened feel hungry when they don’t have food and feel sorry when seeing the poor. However, their emotional ups and downs are even gentler than the unenlightened’s and they are not swayed by their emotions as the unenlightened are, since they see everything as empty. This is the way they enjoy their lives like seeing a film.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

#zen #meditation #zenmeditation #enlightened #enlightenment #zenfools #photography

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