The Mormon Buddhist

Koans are something I haven't looked too much into until I read about them in thi week's chapter. I decided to to a bit of reading about what they are. In short, koans are public and non-mystic stories, questions, or statements that make someone contemplative. The purpose of a koan is to meditate on them and come up with an answer to the question. It is meant to make you think about things, even if its in a way you wouldn't have thought to. You break down previous concepts and see things in new lights. They are not to be seen as rational, logical, and complex. They're meant to be seen as experiential, practical, and simple while often being symbolic. Koans are often used to test your progress in the Zen tradition. However, its not a right/wrong test because there's no one set meaning for a koan. There are hundreds of contradictory commentaries for each Koan (of which there are thousands). They were invented in China and then moved to Japan where many more were a...

Sisyphus was a trickster character in Greek mythology. He was punished for his tricks with the task of rolling a boulder up a hill everyday only to have it roll back down. His life became extremely pointless and nihilistic. However, I like the idea that Sisyphus actually became a very blissful being. Most people try to grapple what the point of their life is for a long time, and that causes a lot of anguish. However, Sisyphus knows exactly what his purpose in life is: rolling the same rock up a hill every day. It wasn't glamorous, it was simple. I like the idea that he came to terms with that simplicity. And if he can come to terms with what he does, I can come to terms with what I do.

Many of Buddhism's concepts are used metaphorically in stories. Some of these metaphors are supernatural and completely unrealistic. Its another added layer that it happened 2,500 years ago, was passed down orally for several hundred years, and was in a culture that is very different from our own. Because of that, I see the stories behind Buddhism like I see Marvel, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, or Star Trek: great stories that tell a moral lesson. I don't have to literally believe that Star Trek happened to glean that all life should be respected. The idea behind the stories is what really matters. I will try to re-write stories in a way that omits the supernatural aspects but keeps the message intact. However, when it absolutely cannot happen, I may post about stories that 100% could not happen. Take then with a grain of salt, and just realize they aren't meant to be taken historically, just like Star Trek.