The content is more important than the container
Just now I am in Shaolin Temple Europe in the office of the
abbot. Here there is an extensive library of Buddhist books, many
of which have Chan (Zen) as their theme, I looked at a few.
I noticed that all the books are about sutras, precepts and
history, but the essence of Buddha's teaching, "enlightenment",
is not, or hardly, covered.
Page by page, the places are listed where Buddha had stayed,
where he was born, where he taught, where he stayed. Also his
successor Bodhidharma is discussed in detail historically, his
successors, up to Hui Neng, are considered in all details
historically. The transmission of the (Chan) Buddhist "teaching"
to Japanese, Korean and other Buddhist monks is treated in detail
in terms of content.
In a book about Chan (Zen) it is described on almost 300 pages
who Buddha was, views about his life are compared, but about the
central topic "enlightenment" there are only a few lines.
Allegedly, the historical Buddha, in deep meditation, achieved
the redeeming knowledge of the middle way, and defined the four
noble truths. The statement can only come from an author who has
not experienced "enlightenment", but treats the subject of
"Buddhism" like a historian, and also does not take "awakening"
seriously.
The reason probably also lies in the fact that everybody copies
from everybody.
Buddha's way to "enlightenment" as the core statement of
Buddhism, however, cannot be treated separately from his life.
Buddha reached "awakening" after he had failed completely. He
meditated for 6 years to achieve something that was unknown to
him in the early days. His various meditations were aimed at the
knowledge of the essence of all things, however, at that time,
even the historical Buddha was like a blind man talking about
color.
When he had completely given up the search, failed and empty, all
desires, imagination and valuations fell away from him, only then
Buddha experienced the "awakening".
"Enlightenment" is not a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual
one.
As with Buddha, meditation can certainly accompany your path, but
"enlightenment" presupposes the cognitive component of
realization, namely letting go of everything, becoming completely
empty.
If now the most different authors write about Buddha, Bodhidharma
and Chan, without having attained realization themselves, this is
WRONG. Thus seekers are led into the completely wrong direction.
Buddha is not only a historical personality whose life can be
considered chronologically, but a spiritual teacher whose
teaching constitutes his life.
Without having experienced "enlightenment", there should be no
texts on Buddhism.
If after the first snowfall someone paves the way others will
follow the path!
WHO KNOWS NOTHING, MUST BELIEVE EVERYTHING
- MARIE FREIFRAU EBNER VON ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN STORYTELLER -
1830 TO 1916
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