If you have to ask you will never understand
A classical question often posed by a student to a Zen master is the question “What is Zen?”. This question has many variations. Often times it is asked “What is the prime teaching?” or “What is the holiest of truths?” or such other questions that the student presents in search of finding the essential teaching of Zen. There are two general forms of responses to this question. Actually, these two forms are but one form but come at the question in a different manner.
The first approach to the question is to prevent the student from continuing an intellectual examination of the issue. Some examples of masters’ responses include, “Go ask the lamp post”, “You will see it in the year of the donkey,” (in the Chinese calendar there is no year of the donkey). “The price of cotton is Five Dollars a pound”. Along these same lines there are inaudible responses which include the master not taking any action or asking the student to approach closer and then striking him and even giving a shout.
The second category of responses presents a description of mundane activities. For example, “What is Zen?”, answer: “Sleeping and eating”. Another example is after a meal the student asked the master the question “What is Zen?”. The master inquired “Have you finished eating?”; and the student replied “Yes.” The master replied “Go wash your bowl” and he walked away.
Often times these two categories of responses frustrate the Zen student to the point of exasperation. Other times students will believe that the study of Zen is trite and there is nothing to get in searching further.
It is pitiable that they take this position because at that moment they are more closer to the truth then they have ever been. The proper approach to Zen reminds me of a story concerning the late Jazz artist Louis Armstrong. Someone asked Mr. Armstrong, “What is Jazz?” and he replied “Man, if you have to ask you’ll never understand.” To some people this response would appear to be an insult. However, Mr. Armstrong was pointing his finger in the direction of the proper understanding of Jazz. That is that there is no intellectual concept of Jazz, there is simply the feeling of Jazz in one’s heart. Once this feeling arises then words are useless.
Zen can also be approached in this same manner. Zen is not a thing, an item or object which can be described and given substance, definition, or form. Zen could better be described as a verb without an object and a subject. Simply doing without the consciousness self of doing. Once a student asked Master Ummon “What is Zen?” The Master replied “not a thing”. The student then stated “I don’t understand.” The master replied “And you will never understand.” Is this Master’s response an insult or a lamp?
When the Zen master is asked “What is Zen?” there is no answer yet this is the answer! Any other answer to describe the “mental state” of Zen, the attainment of liberation or any other verbal description, would betray the essence of the practice itself. In fact, I even have difficulty in writing this article in a manner which does not betray the essence of the true nature.
The (non) duality of the “answerless answer” is at the heart of Zen. There is no answer yet an answer. There is no mind, yet a mind. When “is” and “is not” are reconciled or merged the answer becomes irrelevant.
Contrary to the appearance of the contradiction Zen is complete. It can not be any other way. There is no part that is not mind; but since all is mind there is no mind. See it in an instant. No subject, no object … just Thusness…