Questions & Koans

If ‘the universe is neutral and perfect’ meant that nothing happens that we don’t want and that we neither have to do our best nor have to be responsible for anything, we human beings would be no better than robots. Then, we might be free from all suffering, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be possible for us be happy, that is, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy things such as a sense of fulfilment, or greatness that enable us to feel dignified and valuable, either.

In order not to make humans like robots, God endowed them with the right to make decisions and the responsibility for their decisions. In other words, God gave us the privilege of being able to feel happiness and sadness. However, we don’t see the universe as it is and are troubled by suffering because we mistake the perfect world for an imperfect burning house. So, God sent his son to lead us to realise that the burning house is no other than the Kingdom of Heaven by seeing everything as it is. God sent his only son to us so that he might teach us how to make the best of the privilege of being able to feel happiness and sadness. This is evidence that the universe is perfect.

Student: “What is the perfect aspect of human beings?”

Master: “Parents bring up their children.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

According to the Sutras, Buddha once said, “I transmit the true Dharma that I have, to my student, Mahakasyapa.” before the congregation one day. Regarding this, a monk asked Master Heung-hwa, “What did Buddha transmit to Mahakasyapa then?” The master answered, “One person transmitted falsely, and ten thousand people transmitted truly.”

Student: “Why did the one person transmit falsely?”

Master: “Because of his compassion.”

Student: “Why did the ten thousand people transmit truly?”

Master: “Because of their foolishness.”

Commentary:

Don’t mistake a meal coupon for food.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Part 5

“Subhuti, what do you think—is it possible to see me, the Realised One in terms of physical characteristics?”

“No, World Honoured One; it is not possible to see you, the Realised One in terms of physical characteristics.”

“Why? Because physical characteristics explained by you, the Realised One are not physical characteristics.”

Commentary:

This paragraph shows how we can see the real Buddha, the true-Self. The historical Buddha tells us not to seek the essence of his being, the true-Self by seeing his physical characteristics; 32 primary features and 80 associated secondary features of the Buddha that he had mentioned before, because they are just kinds of forms, illusions. Regarding such physical characteristics as the real Buddha is dwelling on forms, being deluded by illusions. This is against the core of the Buddha’s teaching that we should not dwell on any forms.

However, not to dwell on physical characteristics doesn’t mean to ignore them. We should know that the true-Self is hidden in forms, physical characteristics. This is why they are called the store of the true-Self, which means that we should be able to discern the real Buddha hidden in physical characteristics by ceasing to dwell on them.

Student: “Why did the historical Buddha say that the Buddha has 32 primary features and 80 associated secondary features?”

Master: “One man told a lie, and ten thousand men heard the truth.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. In the temporal world, when we see a thing, we define it with words, imaginary labels. For example, when we see a flower, we define it with words such as flower, rose, red, beautiful and so on and mark its identity.

When we encounter a similar thing later, we, thinking of it as a red rose, are sure that we know it. Our belief of its being a red rose is unshakable although the rose has never said it is a flower, rose, red or beautiful. This is the way knowledge is established in knowing and seeing. This is referred to as being deluded by illusions, or being attached to illusions in Buddhism because all knowledge about the flower that we have is just imaginary labels created by us and not the essence of it. This is why it is said that when knowledge is established in knowing and seeing, it is the root of ignorance.

‘When knowing and seeing are not present in knowing and seeing’ means to see things without attaching any labels to them, that is, to see things as empty. When we see things as empty, we can see what we have not been able to see before because our eyes are covered by illusions, words. In short, we can see the true-Self that is the essence of everything, that is, we can enter nirvana.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

According to the Sutras, Buddha once said, “I transmit the true Dharma that I have, to my student, Mahakasyapa.” before the congregation one day. Regarding this, a monk asked Master Heung-hwa, “What did Buddha transmit to Mahakasyapa then?” The master answered, “One person transmitted falsely, and ten thousand people transmitted truly.”

Student: “Who transmitted falsely?”

Master: “He is still here.”

Student: “Who transmitted truly?”

Master: “They are not here anymore.”

Commentary:

The one who can see him who is still here was at the scene above.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

“Subhuti, what do you think— is the space to the east measurable in thought?” “No, World Honoured One.”

“Subhuti, is the space to the south, or the west, or the north, or the four intermediate directions, or the zenith, or the nadir, measurable in thought?” “No, World Honoured One.”

“Subhuti, the merit of the Bodhisattvas’ practice of charity without dwelling on forms is also like this—it cannot be measured in thought.”

“Subhuti, the Bodhisattvas should live just as they are taught.”

Commentary:

What must be kept in mind here is that the core of Buddhism is non-duality, Oneness. We should not fall into the error of regarding merit as different from the true-Self. The merit that is separate from the true-Self is just mundane merit that means good karma since there is nothing but the true-Self when we don’t dwell on anything. So, although this paragraph appears to describe how great the merit of the practice of charity without dwelling on forms is, it is actually revealing the boundless and formless Buddha, the true-Self that appears before us when we stop dwelling on forms.

Therefore, ‘the Bodhisattvas should live just as they are taught’ means that we Buddhists should live without dwelling on forms. That is, we should see everything as the Buddha and where we are as the Pure Land.

Student: “What is merit?”

Master: “Not merit.”

Student: “The Buddha said that merit is inconceivable.”

Master: “Don’t dwell on anything.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. This question seems to reveal human beings’ lethal weakness of laying their blame on others, or on other things, I think. Would the world be better or worse off without radioactive material? Radiation itself has no intention to help or harm people. However, some people think that we are better off thanks to it while some others look upon it as the source of disaster.

In the same way, artificial intelligence (AI) itself didn’t appear on its own but it was created by people. It has no intention to benefit or harm people whatsoever. However, some people anticipate uncountable benefits from it while others are worried about disastrous situations that may be caused by it.

Everything is essentially neutral, neither harmful nor useful. Whether it is harmful or useful depends upon how we see and use it. Even if something undesirable happens due to AI, it is not AI but we who are to blame for it because the undesirable situation is caused, whether on purpose or by mistake, by the people who handle it.

Our question should be ‘How can we deal with AI to human beings’ advantage?’.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Dizang asked a monastic from Baofu Monastery, “How does your master teach the true-Self?” The monastic said, “Once Master Baofu told the assembly, ‘I cover your eyes to let you see what is not seen. I cover your ears to let you hear what is not heard. I restrain your mind to let you give up thinking.’” Dizang said to the monastic, “Let me ask you, ‘When I don’t cover your eyes, what do you see? When I don’t cover your ears, what do you hear? When I don’t restrain your mind, what do you discern?’” Upon hearing these words, the monastic had realisation.

Student: “Why did Master Baofu cover the monk’s eyes and ears?”

Master: “In order to stop him from seeing and hearing what is seen and heard when they are not covered.”

Student: “Why didn’t Dizang cover the monk’s eyes and ears?”

Master: “In order to stop him from seeing and hearing what is seen and heard when they are covered.”

Commentary:

What you should see and hear is what you can’t stop seeing and hearing it even for a moment.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Part 4

“Furthermore, Subhuti, the Bodhisattvas should not dwell on anything when they practise charity. That is, they should not dwell on sounds, scents, flavours, feelings, or phenomena when they practise charity. Subhuti, the Bodhisattvas should not dwell on forms by practising charity like this.”

“Why? Because if the Bodhisattvas practise charity without dwelling on forms, the merits are inconceivable.”

Commentary:

‘Not dwell on anything’ is so critical that it is no exaggeration to say that it is the core of Buddhism. It means not to attach any labels, words to anything and anyone, which implies to see everything as it really is, or to see everything as empty. So, when we don’t dwell on anything in practising charity, a giver is not a giver, a receiver is not a receiver and charity is not charity, and there is no distinction between the one who practises charity, the one who takes charity and charity itself. No matter what charity we may practise, we should never have the least idea that we practise charity. When there is no distinction at all amongst things and actions in this way, everything becomes one, which is referred to as the true-Self, the Buddha, Emptiness, or Oneness.

In other words, not dwelling on anything when you practise charity implies to see your act of practising charity, the receiver’s action and the charity as the functions of the Buddha.

In short, we should see everything, including ourselves, as the Buddha by seeing it as it is in our everyday life, much more when practising charity.

Then, the merits are inconceivable because the greatest merit of Buddhists is to see the Buddha, that is, to realise that they themselves are the Buddha.

Student: “How is it when we don’t dwell on forms?”

Master: “Who asks whom what?”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

A. This implies that the Buddha’s teaching is so great that once one hears it, all one’s illusions turn into enlightenment. We can doubt why we still don’t attain enlightenment although we have heard so muchabout it for many years. We can find an answer to our question when we take into consideration the Buddha’s words ‘Not a word have I said’. This means that the core of his teaching is not in his words but beyond them and that we have struggled only with the words. Comparing his words to a dry tree branch, ancient masters would say that we should not try in vain to squeeze juice out of a dry tree branch.

Student: “How should I hear the Buddha’s words?”

Master: “Hear the whole and not the half.”

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway