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Introduction To Working With Zen Koans
With Ven Dr Douglas Myeong'il Cheolsoeng GentileThere are a lot of misconceptions about what Zen koans are - they aren't clever riddles, and they aren't designed just to frustrate. In this five-session course, I describe what they are, how they work, provide examples, and I give hints for how to work with them. Specifically, Class 1 gives analogies and examples to demonstrate the basic way they try to help us to see past our conceptual limitations. Class 2 gives two koans and possible answers, along with hints about how they show you the workings of your mind. Class 3 gives two koan questions that you can use in your daily activities to help be clearer and to get through difficult situations. Class 4 gives eight tips for how to work with and penetrate koans. Class 5 presents eight koans and gives hints about how to understand them. After taking this class, you should have a good understanding of what koans are trying to do and their value in training and clarifying the mind, as well as having several strategies and tips for how to work with them effectively.
This class demystifies koan work, providing examples, tips for working with them, and some answers.
About this course
There are a lot of misconceptions about what Zen koans are - they aren't clever riddles, and they aren't designed just to frustrate. In this five-session course, I describe what they are, how they work, provide examples, and I give hints for how to work with them. Specifically, Class 1 gives analogies and examples to demonstrate the basic way they try to help us to see past our conceptual limitations. Class 2 gives two koans and possible answers, along with hints about how they show you the workings of your mind. Class 3 gives two koan questions that you can use in your daily activities to help be clearer and to get through difficult situations. Class 4 gives eight tips for how to work with and penetrate koans. Class 5 presents eight koans and gives hints about how to understand them. After taking this class, you should have a good understanding of what koans are trying to do and their value in training and clarifying the mind, as well as having several strategies and tips for how to work with them effectively.
Meet your Teacher
Venerable Dr. Douglas Myeong'il Gentile is a Zen monk and the guiding teacher of the Ames Buddhist Mahasangha. Along with meditation, he found koan work to be the best technique for gaining clarity, wisdom, and compassion. He was fully authorized to teach koans in 2021, and works effectively with them with his students.