Zen Is Experience, Not Philosophy

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Zen is not a philosophy. It is not a system of thought. It is the experience of living reality, here and now. You cannot capture it in concepts, though concepts may point toward it. You cannot find it in books, though books may inspire you to look. The experience of kensho is as definite and unmistakable as the experience of tasting water—you know immediately whether it is warm or cold. No one can tell you what water tastes like; you must drink it yourself.

license: fair_use

Attribution

• Attributed To
  Yamada Koun

Lineage: Sanbo-Zen

By Yamada Koun

• The Fact of Experienceproverb
• Mu Is Everythingproverb
• On Kensho Being Available to All Faithssaying
• The Gateless Barrier of Musermon

From Zen: The Authentic Gate

• On Kensho Being Available to All Faiths

Sources

• contentWikisource — English-language free library

  Zen: The Authentic Gate, on the nature of Zen

  Zen: The Authentic Gate: Zen Is Experience, Not Philosophy