Zen Practice – Enlightenment can only be attained through the contemplation of God!

After sometime, differences in zen practice begin to appear among the zen monks. Zen monks live with their question to attain the Logos. Logos means "true speech" by which a zen monk intensifies meditative concentration.

The question is given by the zen master. Logos is a religious faith, not a philosophical proposition. That it why it is practiced on the basis of faith, not analysis.

The Logos is a means, not a goal, toward Enlightenment. Any means can be justified when the goal is attained, and any Logos can be justified as long as it leads to Enlightenment. Any discourse with good and bad qualities of the logos is delusion.

A good zen monk does not pull the Logos, he is pulled by the logos.

Zen Practice - Contemplation of God

A novice at Zen practice, especially if he happens to be intellectual, tends to be analytical about his question. Enlightenment can only be attained through the contemplation of absolute emptiness, God, that is severed from the relation of being and non-being. If a zen monk tries to understand this principle of Zen intellectually, the more he tries, the more his effort will be in vain. He will be totally struck in his own mind and body.

However, as you spend years in zen meditation you will realize that, unknown to yourself, your intellectualism and tendency to analyze will have been replaced with an empty mind and the Logos. Finally you will have become a zen monk in a true sense. Every temple posts the following admonition above its entrance door.

Any knowledge gained outside this gate is useless inside of it.

Liberation and Suffering

The question to the Logos turns a zen monk either into an idiot or a genius. The idiot is released from pain because of his idiotic qualities. The genius suffers because of his genius. Great stupidity leads to great wisdom, and great suffering leads to great liberation.

The zen practice of a monk can be judged depending on whether he pulls the logos or he is pulled by it. A zen monk pulled by it is calm. A zen monk pulling it is unstable.

Half of our members at the Honora zen monastery practice well while the rest have trouble.

Meditate like a mountain

As long as you endure the initial pain and remain in the meditation hall, the time will come when you will be able to enjoy the zen practice. Every monk experiences these phases. Some zen monks avoid the hardship of the meditation hall because they can't overcome the discomforts of the early stage.

Commitment

When I had a herniated disc and suffering from severe pain for months all day long, I sat one hour and doing two hours of walking meditation. I was doing walking meditation in the early morning and late evening without fail despite the snow and cold wind. I was keeping my regular zen practice time just like other monks. It would have been impossible if I wouldn't be pulled by the Logos.