Does an enlightened Zen master live a saintly, extraordinary life? Delivered Jun 1, 1986

About this episode

Lola McDowell Lee discusses the nature of truth and the importance of trusting one's immediate experience through Zen teachings.

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores the nature of truth, the limitations of the intellect, and the profound importance of trusting one's own immediate experience. She begins by introducing a classic Zen Master Tozan’s question: "What is the Buddha?" While working in a storeroom, replied, "This flax weighs three pounds." This seemingly nonsensical answer helps dismantle our reliance on logical analysis. Lola tells the story of a young student others thought stupid. He who suddenly comes alive in class to ask where numbers go when erased from a blackboard. And the story of a toddler who stumps his mother by asking how the first clock-maker knew what time it was. These questions, like the koan, point to mysteries that cannot be solved by conventional logic. Lee emphasizes that words are merely "fiats" for communication, not the truth themselves. While words carry meaning, they often trap us. If we analyze "three pounds of flax" intellectually, we find no connection to the divine. However, the koan is not a logical proposition but an expression of a state of consciousness. To understand it, one must drop comparative judgments—notions of gain, loss, right, and wrong. The answer…

People in this episode

Host: Lola McDowell Lee

Topics covered

• Zen philosophy
• enlightenment
• truth
• intellect
• self-trust
• koans

Keywords

• Zen master
• Buddhism
• ordinary reality
• self-distrust
• koan
• intellectual analysis

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