Morning,
This week, Kevin and I talk about koans and so-called non-rational language use.
In short, I go over the tradition of Rinzai koan use, direct path zen, and offer some thoughts on how it induces awareness or so-called “awakening” experiences and “epiphanies”.
Kevin speaks on some more modernistic approaches, such as that of Chris Hyatt, in which we use statements and record our emotional reaction to them in order to derive our true character.
We try to tie in how these processes are similar and perhaps not similar.
As I stated, I suspect that both are ultimately a type of self-overcoming. One is a non-rational statement that induces a short-circuiting of the contraction of selfdom most of us exist in, day to day.
The other method involves taking data, measuring reactions, and over time realizing how these things are whimsical and variable, again showing in some sense that the self is also not stable, but really no more than a “feedback-mechanism” in an environment.
In my opinion, it is well worth your time to run this experiment.
Finally, my first post for the 10-part reflection series is being edited. Unfortunately, I’ve been called to a distant location for other duties, but I hope to have it up sometime later this week.
This means the bio-indiv recording will be delayed as well.
So until then, there is plenty in this to get through! Links below.
All the best.
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