Monks behaving badly

Shouting, burning books, cutting off fingers, falling off a 10' pole, no doubt about it, these are the punk rockers of Buddhism.

Koans are a part of formal training in Zen Buddhism and although several collections have been published it it critical to understand:

• Koan study is a part of Zen monastic training and is done under the guidance of a roshi or "venerable teacher".
• The student would thus be expected to have a foundation of Buddhist training including sutras, precepts, and an established meditative practice.

Koan can be translated a public record or public case and on the surface Koans read very much like fables or short stories.

There are several collections of Koans and a partial listing includes:

• The Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand)
• The Mumonkan (The Gateless Gate)
• The Shoyo Roku (The Book of Serenity)
• The Hekiganroku (Records of Blue Rock Temple or Blue Cliff Record>)

Exploring Koans

Although some Koans may seem easier to understand then others, reading a Koan is akin to hitting a brick wall. How to pass through the 'Gateless gate'?

First, some Koans are a bit easier then others and if you are new to Koans I highly suggest you start with the Collection of Stone and Sand.

To be continued ...