When The Zen Dust Settles: Zen Koans Of A Retired Zen Master

By Rainer Loveiam

A humorous and hilarious exploration of anti-traditional Zen koans, but not limited to it.
You unexpectedly find yourself in an upside-down position where ordinary concepts of the world of Zen no longer apply. Funny, satirical, cynical, captivating, always inspiring and not to be taken too seriously. You need an open mind to step into the obscure world of a retired Zen Master. There are no secrets, no hidden Zen meanings, no puzzles, no “talking around the bush” but only straightforward truthful dialogues between a Zen Master and his students/devotees. Nothing learnt in Zen before has prepared you for this unique Zen journey. If you have a good sense of humor or like to start one, this book is the perfect travel companion as each koan can lighten or deepen your time in a crowded airport or lead to abrupt laughter in the middle of a bathroom visit.

Also published by Rainer Loveiam in 2011 “The Flower Is Meditating – Contemplations Of A Sick Mind On The Way To Enlightenment”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rainer Loveiam
• Release date: Aug 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465995339

Rainer Loveiam

Rainer Loveiam has been an enthusiastic explorer of the human mind and a world traveler all of his life. Leaving Germany at a young age during the “student’s revolution” he found answers to many of life’s questions and challenges in other cultures and countries and never stopped to ask more questions. While exploring the limits and deeper meaning of life and spirituality he studied Eastern and Western Psychology, Anthroposophy, Yoga, Tantra, Meditation, Tai Chi, Taoism, Occultism, Holistic Health, Sustainable Farming and effective natural techniques to obtain Optimum Health. Seeking the ultimate experience he found it to be present in daily living, in the present moment – on the job, in the family or in the daily encounter with self-observation. Suffering accompanies life as a mother is nursing her young child every day. Experiencing the divine presence suffering becomes a vehicle for Transformation and Enlightenment.Born and raised in postwar Germany, Rainer has experienced the results of war and how a new society was formed out of a world in ruins. In today’s world where conflict in societies and families is rampant and difficult to resolve mankind needs to look inside to find the answers that can lead to a free world in which people can think for themselves and act accordingly to create peace for everyone incl. the underprivileged and disenchanted.Rainer Loveiam has worked and lived the last 8 years in Thailand, guiding groups and individuals through the self-help process of reaching Optimum Health. It is man’s birthright to be healthy, prosperous and happy. Anything less will not do during this lifetime. Working on “The Flower Is Meditating” began in 2010 when Rainer was visiting Bali. Bali has a unique spiritual atmosphere which can lead to a breakthrough in awareness/consciousness and a lessening of the barriers that exist between us as individuals and the demands and pressures of our time.You can contact Rainer at [e-mail] and he will send you details about his upcoming rejuvenation retreats/programs in Thailand and other destinations.

Book preview

When The Zen Dust Settles

Zen Koans Of A Retired Zen Master

RAINER LOVEIAM

Published by Rainer Loveiam at Smashwords.com

Copyright 2011 Rainer Loveiam

Discover other titles by Rainer Loveiam at Smashwords.com

"The Flower Is Meditating

Contemplations Of A Sick Mind On The Way To Enlightenment"

Dedication

To my children Vonne Ssu-Brit, Vajra Soham Johannes and Owen Ananda

And their mothers

Contents

Foreword

The wise man

A familiar Zen Question

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

It happened one day

The terror of thought

Succession

All enlightened

All my own

Story of a dog

Visiting teacher

About the Author

Foreword:

Zen koans no longer have to be arcane meditation objects – only mastered by a few trained Zen minds. Your life is already a koan – a deep question whose answer you are already living. You cannot learn from a book how to understand koans. They have been studied over the centuries by Zen masters and their students alike. What was valid then, may no longer be applicable in a world that lives on short memories and fast internet connections. As issues are evolving and our needs adjust to the changing times the process of transformation may as well continue with a fresh perspective.

The koans presented here are different from any koan you have ever read. They don’t claim to be traditional koans (and as such they are not material for traditional koan scholars). The koans you find in this book were written for the untrained non-traditional mind. They are snappy, hilarious and often provocative allowing plenty of space for intuition and contemplation – often resulting in spontaneous laughter. These koans show the radically reversed relationship between a Zen master and his students and other devotees – from John Lennon to Arnold Schwarzenegger, from the prostitute to the stock broker, from the simple farmer and ex-wife to the sophisticated animal. Even Zen masters can show signs of stress and doubt which are so rampant in our modern world.

Take one koan at a time and follow it with a pause. There is always a lot in a koan – of any kind. What is the meaning, if any? Sometimes there is no meaning, no explanation, no deep wisdom but only a curious place in the wilderness of thoughts. If you prefer the traditional koans, this is not the place for you, you will look for your stick and smash this book to pieces. You may believe that presenting koans in this way may be a sacrilege, but don’t get carried away, in this world there is a place for every religion and style of presentation, as dangerous as many of them are. In comparison these Zen koans are quite innocent and only serve one purpose – to bring attention to the challenges of a retired Zen master whose words are not meant to make fun of anything but to enlighten.

If you have a good sense of humor and an open mind, this book is the perfect travel companion as each koan can lighten or deepen your time in a crowded airport or lead to abrupt laughter in the middle of a bathroom visit. You may even want to put these koans under your pillow to sleep on at night. To your surprise you may wake up in the morning not remembering who you are and wondering why your life has suddenly changed. This may be the result of too many koans read the day before or poorly digested by sleep. If you have such an experience don’t report it to the authorities but live with it for a day and see how you like it. A new perspective may not be as uncomfortable as first thought. But feel free to return any koan to the author when it is not enhancing your life’s experience. The author will instantly send you a refund in the form of a new unpublished koan. That sounds like a good deal to me. No questions asked.

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