Secular Buddhism 89 - Killing The Buddha
Jan 11, 2019
Exploring the meaning behind the zen quote 'If you meet the Buddha, kill him' and how it can help us be less reactive. Emphasizing experiential understanding over intellectual grasping. The power of ideas and how they can unite or separate us. Moving beyond conceptual thinking and experiencing the present moment. Apologies for inconsistent uploads, gratitude to listeners, book promotions, and encouraging audience engagement.
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Koan As A Tool To Break Reactivity
- The koan "If you meet the Buddha, kill him" is designed to jolt practitioners out of habitual, intellectual reactivity.
- Its purpose is to push learners from conceptual understanding into direct experiential insight.
Rejecting Doctrine To Preserve Essence
- Sam Harris interprets the koan as a warning against turning the Buddha into a fetishized doctrine.
- He urges dispensing with rigid Buddhism to preserve the essence of the teaching.
Reclaim Your Buddha-Nature
- Shunryu Suzuki frames "kill the Buddha" as reclaiming your own Buddha-nature rather than locating it elsewhere.
- Meeting a separate, external Buddha signals a delusion of separation.