Adyashanti - A very old Zen koan

From an retreat in Netherlands 2013 with Adyashanti.
Adyashanti, author of Falling into Grace, True Meditation, and The End of Your World, is an American-born spiritual teacher devoted to serving the awakening of all beings. His teachings are an open invitation to stop, inquire, and recognize what is true and liberating at the core of all existence.
Asked to teach in 1996 by his Zen teacher of 14 years, Adyashanti offers teachings that are free of any tradition or ideology. "The Truth I point to is not confined within any religious point of view, belief system, or doctrine, but is open to all and found within all." Based in California, Adyashanti lives with his wife, Mukti, Associate Teacher of Open Gate Sangha. He teaches throughout North America and Europe, offering satsangs, weekend intensives, silent retreats, and a live internet radio broadcast.
"Adyashanti" means primordial peace.
For more please go to his website
www.adyashanti.org

[@wendee2022]

thank you Adya. I listened to this talk very, very early in the morning upon waking, it initiated a profound shift for me. Eternal gratitude for your never ending giving.

[@calipygia]

"Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it." --Mattthew 10:39

[@aurelienyonrac]

Am i falling or are the walls going up ? Am i going down very slowly or is the hole very deep asked Alice? Am i getting crushed by gravity, Or am I accelerating like in an elevator or a car? Life can't die. So running away from the shadow of death is futile. And yet we run 🏃 away from the chance of god catching us. All my addictions are me running away. Until i don't And i let fear catch me as i pass through it into the unknown. May i be curious about that

[@AngelOne11]

A zen master sent a woman with her dying son to find a cure for her son. He told her to find the house in the village where their relative didn't die and then ask them for a bean. This will save your son's life, he said. She went looking all over didn't find any house without a relative that died. She returns to the monk with her son dead in her arm. She said you lied to me. There is no house without someone that died. He replied, Exactly! At that time she surrendered and accepted her son's death. Very powerful!

[@davestillings562]

I think the Buddha said this?

[@mhikl4484]

Better to meditate on a Koan and come to your own conclusions. Simply, there comes a time when self-study is the best teacher-but that comes after accepting the calm within you. Then is the time to join in the knowledge of others. Namaste and care, mhikl

[@connerlilley3057]

Same philosophy I use with music to a certain extent it’s only enjoyable if you do it your way in a fashion that pleases and teaches you at your own pace. No pressure just pleasure

[@williamelliott3778]

you say "let go" as you let go. But its a letting go of everything until you realize true nature--and then you save your life by knowing one thing, the one thing that does not die. As Jesus said, "he who gives up his life will save it, and he who tries to save his life will lose it."

[@prahslra]

To quote Tim Rice’s lyric from his opera “Jesus Christ Superstar”: ‘To conquer death you only have to die.’

[@connerlilley3057]

God I love Jesus Christ superstar so much.

[@heldenkline2552]

"Catch meeeee!"

[@racerxtoday]

Thanks Helden, I literally laughed out loud.

[@JohnDoe69986]

Woah I was listening with the phone down and I was thinking say "catch me" and then I pick up my phone and look at the comments to see other solutions and boom here it is.

[@bovineintervention6001]

Nice job, you killed the zen master too

[@biancazeroway650]

I thought "If I was the one stuck to the branch, I would notice the tree, look at the sky for the last time, take a deep breath to feel the air for one last time, listen to the birds chirping, then closed my eyes and feel the wind touching my body while I fall to my death smiling, grateful to have been alive"

[@jjkehrley]

I experienced this feeling only once, when I attempted to take my own life by overdosing on my muscle relaxers. I passed into sleep knowing that I wouldn't wake up again. It obviously didn't come to pass, bu it was the most at peace I've ever been.

[@ruchi_teomura1]

hope you're doing better now and not letting your problems get in the way of your emotional health. :)

[@jjkehrley]

@@ruchi_teomura1 Thankyou. I'm working on it. One day at a time.

[@youarewhatyourelookingfor4496]

Similar story. I’d finally after 40 years and 1 drunken attempt made a decision completely sober to end my life. It was the most peaceful I’ve ever been. The world had other plans. It was a lovely day though.

[@jjkehrley]

@You are what you’re looking for Hope you're doing better now. I'm glad I didn't succeed. My ex wife's father successfully committed suicide when she was in her early teens, and of course it destroyed her for a long time. I nearly did the same thing to my kids.

[@youarewhatyourelookingfor4496]

@@jjkehrley I’m much better now. And I’m glad you didn’t 62. That’s quite a burden to leave on the people we leave behind. And truth be told, we might not like where we end up and it might be permanent unlike this which is temporary. All of our troubles and woes and difficulties are temporary. There’s always a way out and get ourselves into. I’m glad you made it.

[@nilanjandas9210]

no resistance to existence.

[@etc.4903]

The zen master asked the question to confuse him so that he would let go and fall into his arms and would save him.

[@MissMaria1988]

Its now we are dead. Let go and one realize its all ever lasting no-thingness :) namaste

[@herken86uk]

Thank You... ahhh

[@wolfjuly]

Thank you, very good explanation, inspiring and helpful!

[@gailbancer1571]

To live and transition Consciously is bittersweet.

[@dustinwert1910]

Thank you- 💚

[@NomadicNirvana420]

He should say "who's life?" On the way down Who you think you are will die, who you are will not Remember the master who was dying, and his students said not to... He said "where can I go?"

[@anatureperson5551]

Giving someone the answer to a koan is very unZen. The point of koan is to get "it" yourself. If someone gives you the answer you will never break through the barrier of getting "it" yourself. See pg. 55 from the book Zen Comments on the Mumokan.

[@mitchellaitcheson7976]

Perhaps you should stop reading so many books ;)

[@anatureperson5551]

I read books for proper direction. I doubt Adaya has read many Zen books.

[@mitchellaitcheson7976]

That's because the true direction doesn't come from books. You can't experience words. They are meaningless in this pursuit. It doesn't matter how he used the Koan. He used it in this case to demonstrate a point - the Buddhists (who believe such things) are wrong about enlightenment taking years of dedicated practice. It is a simple realization. And it can happen through simple contemplation. Books are just a distraction - as is too much 'knowledge'.

[@mitchellaitcheson7976]

***** And yes. He studied Zen for many many years. It was his "in" to the contemplative path. He's probably read more books about it than you. Not to mention he practiced under Zen teachers.

[@anatureperson5551]

He didn't learn much then. He failed to understand the koan he talks about in this videol

[@oldsachem]

Is it possible to love the condemned before they die? What good is it? Is it not the duty of the enlightened to love the damned, when, after all, we're all doomed to die?

[@destonlee2838]

"Let's do this!"

[@Prasannakumar-yk7bf]

lovely!

[@MegaMementoMori]

I would use the sign language with my tied hands, telling the master that I will make a generous donation to his temple/school if he saves me. Another idea... it is Japan, so I might shout "Kage Bunshin no jutsu" and make a tower from my shadow clones.

[@noonespecial24]

"I'm glad this is a dream!"

[@WayneRiesterer]

If I were in this situation, hanging onto a branch way up in the air by my teeth, the world would be a better place without me.

[@biancazeroway650]

No world is better without you. There is always someone out there whose life you would have made beautiful if you would have lived outside of your fears.

[@danjrael1]

who is it that lives? who is it that die? when it is realized that there is no self, then you are free.

[@MelissaBliss]

Trampoline Adya Trampoline~~~~~~**^^**

[@eliray8128]

will be reborn

[@aurelienyonrac]

For starters, people in stories can't die nor can they live. No more than puppets can outsmart the puppeteer. Just like a knife and a fork are nit useful or dangerous. Your relationship makes it so. Arjuna, all those warriors are already dear said Shiva. So do what must be done. Also this is why the guy in the painting never gets the apple. It's a painting. You move by looking at an other painting in the Museum of believe and identification

[@kiyannareynard1850]

KATZ!

[@panzer6629]

How old is the koan? I've been looking for its origin im rather fascinated by this one.

[@keybuckley]

Ladder. Air-bag. Trampoline.Bouncycastle

[@MajorCulturalDivide]

Huh? Knowing I'm gonna go splat is not fear?

[@cheshire1]

Why is it the _one_ true thing that can save your life? What it means to live can be interpreted in many ways. Does the zen master not think this? Isn't this a key feature of koans themselves?

[@cheshire1]

I think we can never be certain of anything. Including the fact that he will die. Why do you think there is no way to strive to save his life, while simultaneously avoiding fear, hesitation and doubt?

[@jtkdmd6266]

Let go.... and the net will appear.

[@AErikReynolds]

🌹

[@ILikeBSG]

“I am”

[@BorisNoiseChannel]

I'd think I'd say: _"catch me"_? on my way down? (or maybe not .. a well)

[@rowdy.rockers]

Nothing you can say will save you only knowing in silence.

[@AllAllah777]

If only

[@fuldagermany]

Or scream "Help," on the way down.

[@jamesrcoleii]

don't let go

[@poisonpotato1]

I would say “Catch Me”

[@dommccaffry3802]

Two seconds of nirvana ? Doesn't sound great to me

[@biancazeroway650]

One millisecond of Nirvana is more than enough, because Nirvana is not a period, it is a single moment in time, it is a transition, rather than a period of time.

[@lukehamilton3518]

We're ALL up a tree with our hands behind our back. But when you know it's all illusory the situation becomes hilarious! Immorality can be found in our willingness to come to an end. Get with the groove honey. It's all just a pixies playground.

[@Ahimsaabbott]

Nothing!!!! Is the word, everyone dies!!

[@Ahimsaabbott]

In a sense, if the koan is to be taken literally. If his actions are to do nothing he will die. If he says nothing 'he will die'.

[@mralexander99]

Zen Koans are not riddles

[@Ahimsaabbott]

O my apologies just listen to the koan at beginning.

[@celsius418]

The only word that could save your life is the word that allows you to accept your death. “Goodbye”

[@Plexii000]

If you spend the rest of your life trying to find way to live longer, did you even live?

[@christopherclewlow6634]

A trancoline

[@CaptainFutureman]

But you have solved it intellectually and so the koan is meaningless. Now why would anyone ever bother to take a second look?

[@JaapGrootveld]

He is God...... to lose his life

[@emiledorsey196]

The one true thing that can save your life is nothing... So say nothing...

[@TheOneArmadillo]

listen at 0.75 speed and then at 1.25

[@SaiKiran-fd3gq]

"Call for a helicopter"

[@frenzzyleggs]

1:00 your welcome

[@chris_2208]

Only the name of Jesus can save us from the second/spiritual death. That is the answer for that question.

[@connerlilley3057]

Doesn’t sound like something that even Jesus would agree with.

[@nahanng7791]

The answer is everything was his imagination.

[@kobe51]

Put the bong down.

[@davidelliott1123]

Sounds to me like Homicide

[@korpse6rinder]

You say nothing.

[@danielderamus9573]

Nothing. The man can say nothing

[@therealviceroy]

But then nothing can save him.