Koan

Maezumi Roshi (1931-1995) was a transformative figure in modern Zen, integrating teachings from both the Rinzai and Soto traditions. He bridged the gap between koan practice (Rinzai) and shikantaza (Soto), offering a comprehensive approach that helped popularise Zen in the West. His emphasis on direct transmission of experience brought Zen’s insights into contemporary life. He developed a koan system, passed down to his successors and eventually to my teacher, Genno Roshi, under whom I trained in koan study for many years.

A koan are encounters and exchanges, often between student and teacher that point the way , point to the nature of reality, to the ground of our being . Each exchange invites us to the koan of our own life, invite us to become who we are. They are a beneficial means to perceive and demonstrate our Buddhahood.

We often say that we are working on a Koan, what we find is, that we are worked on.

We take a koan with our whole body and mind. A leap into the Koan – turning the ancestor’s realisation into an intimate part of our own being.

Each Koan pointing to something important. They help us to see through delusion and taste the fundamental truth of our beingness.

The koans take on their own life, thoughts feelings, and associations come up – turning it around , upside down-seeing it from many different perspectives.

To start we may try to control it, figure it out with some kind of answer with our intellect- Instead surrender to the fundamental ground of not knowing- holding the Koan with openness, curiosity and patience….

However frequently it doesn’t feel that way at all. Often we a full spectrum of our own reactions and emotions- no insight-only a seemingly cement wall, seemingly impenetrable. Banging our head against it over and over. Making no sense to our rational mind, driving us bananas.

Frustration, anger, heartbreak, self-doubt, discouragement, self-criticism, defeat- intimacy with all this and more…

It doesn’t go through the head. We take it in with our whole body and mind. So trained are we in knowing or having to know, or I should know, that it can be tough not to know.

Koans bump, prod, poke us- They can stop us in or tracks, whilst beckoning us onward.

And it’s not just these ancient Koans of those who have pointed the way for us- we have life koans, current wordly puzzles, relationships, work difficulties. Our actual lived messy lives, illuminates openness, compassion and take us to who we really are.

All the ingredients of our life, heartbreak fury, joy, each moment there is an opportunity to enter a gateless gate of wakefulness, openness and love.

Clarifying itself right in the midst of its most knotty challenges and confusion.