Zen Koan Practice — Case 4: Seeking Liberation

In this track we jump straight into a Zen koan with no lead-in, so the mind can stay open and free. A 14-year-old seeker asks for the dharma door of liberation and is met with a direct question: who has confined you? You’ll be invited to pause and reflect after the koan, then we explore why the koan points to freedom as already present. The reflection centers on the question: in this moment, what part of you is not free?

Transcript

Our method here is to simply jump right into the koan without any previous commentary.

Therefore,

Our mind can become very free.

We don't have any other type of consideration.

We simply hear the story of the koan.

Case four,

Zhaoxing seeking liberation.

At the age of 14,

Zhaoxing bowed to Shengcan,

Requesting acceptance of the disciple.

He said,

I wish you to be compassionate and teach me the Dharma door of liberation.

Shengcan asked,

Who has confined you?

Zhaoxing answered,

Nobody sets bounds on me.

Shengcan said,

In that case,

Why do you still seek for liberation?

Hearing this,

Zhaoxing was enlightened.

Pause here for reflection.

This koan seems very simple,

Yet is very profound.

Both people here have an extensive background,

Even though 14,

Even though 14,

Zhaoxing has already an extensive understanding of Buddhist philosophy,

As of course does Shengcan.

So while this dialogue seems fairly simple,

There is a lot of Buddhist philosophy behind it,

Which we will not get into here.

The question is of liberation.

The question is,

Help me become liberated.

The answer is,

Are you not already free?

When hearing this question,

When hearing this answer,

Spoken directly to our deepest,

Truest mind within ourselves,

Hearing,

Are you not already free,

Can elicit a sense of feeling,

An experience of true self,

Of enlightenment.

What hinders you?

How are you not already liberated?

In this moment,

What part of you is not free?

In this moment,

You are actually completely free.

This is why Daoxin became enlightened.