with Shugen Sensei
"What is the sound of one hand clapping?" "How do you speak without moving your lips?" Koans or "public cases" have always fascinated westerners and anyone reading about Zen and the "crazy encounters" between teachers and students. But koans are neither nonsensical nor mysterious. They are simply direct pointings to the nature of reality and the self. In this important retreat, Shugen Sensei deals with the history, language and use of koans, focusing especially on their relevance to 21st-century Zen practitioners. He also touches on the dangers inherent in this kind of practice when a koan is seen as nothing else but a problem to solve, rather than a live engagement of the question of how to live this life fully and freely. 5 downloadable MP3s. Length: 6 hrs, 31 min.