After hearing a wonderful lesson regarding biblical paradox, I couldn't help but notice the similarities to a zen koan . Both seem to challenge the student, seeming to be inaccessible to rational understanding.
The article explains that the master warns against over emphasizing the interpretation of the koan. He explains that consideration is designed to encourage a dynamic awakening, which may be evolving or shifting from one moment to the next. Instead, interpretation is static in time.
A classic zen koan asks "when two hands are clapping there is a sound, what is the sound of one hand clapping?"
Likewise, the biblical paradox inquires, "How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?"
Searching further, I found detractors to this comparison. This author comments that the zen koan, "delivers us from rationality", while the biblical paradox, "presumes rationality." I'm not sure I agree that the examination of faith requires obedience to the law of non-contradiction and rational thought.
In fact, perhaps the awakening lays in the consideration of contradictions.
Either way, thank you to the teacher for provoking thought.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Koan = Paradox?
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2 comments:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
Thank you Michael for sharing with us your lesson on "paradox." We are so lucky that both you & Nancy help us to see the good in everything. Life & love is truly fantastic. - Denise
Thank YOU, Mark and Denise! We're honored you shared the lesson--and the weekend--with us.
I had to break out my _Zen Flesh, Zen Bones_ book to relook some of the koans of _The Gateless Gate_. Fascinating stuff. (The link omits about 10 of them...not sure why.) BTW, remind me to share with you my favorite Zen story from that book!
I'm not sure I'd say it in just the same way the commentator did, but there does seem a difference between the Zen koan and Biblical paradox. Maybe it's that koans are MEANT to be confounding and impossible, and the Bible's paradoxes aren't constructed by God to be that way (I don't think), but in some cases our minds are too small to see how such things can be (like how Jesus can be God and man simultaneously).
But other paradoxes simply fly in the face of my "mannish" understanding--which throughout time has exalted power, wealth, and beauty. God uses the most ironic means to his ends (He incarnated the Son into a poor baby refugee!).
Check out what Paul writes here (taken from the Biblical paradoxes link you gave):
1 CORINTHIANS 1:27-28 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God had chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are....
Utterly fascinating!
Love you guys,
Michael
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