The content is more important than the container
Just now I am in Shaolin Temple Europe in the office of the abbot. Here there is an extensive library of Buddhist books, many of which have Chan (Zen) as their theme, I looked at a few.
I noticed that all the books are about sutras, precepts and history, but the essence of Buddha's teaching, "enlightenment", is not, or hardly, covered.
Page by page, the places are listed where Buddha had stayed, where he was born, where he taught, where he stayed. Also his successor Bodhidharma is discussed in detail historically, his successors, up to Hui Neng, are considered in all details historically. The transmission of the (Chan) Buddhist "teaching" to Japanese, Korean and other Buddhist monks is treated in detail in terms of content.
In a book about Chan (Zen) it is described on almost 300 pages who Buddha was, views about his life are compared, but about the central topic "enlightenment" there are only a few lines. Allegedly, the historical Buddha, in deep meditation, achieved the redeeming knowledge of the middle way, and defined the four noble truths. The statement can only come from an author who has not experienced "enlightenment", but treats the subject of "Buddhism" like a historian, and also does not take "awakening" seriously.
The reason probably also lies in the fact that everybody copies from everybody.
Buddha's way to "enlightenment" as the core statement of Buddhism, however, cannot be treated separately from his life.
Buddha reached "awakening" after he had failed completely. He meditated for 6 years to achieve something that was unknown to him in the early days. His various meditations were aimed at the knowledge of the essence of all things, however, at that time, even the historical Buddha was like a blind man talking about color.
When he had completely given up the search, failed and empty, all desires, imagination and valuations fell away from him, only then Buddha experienced the "awakening".
"Enlightenment" is not a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual one.
As with Buddha, meditation can certainly accompany your path, but "enlightenment" presupposes the cognitive component of realization, namely letting go of everything, becoming completely empty.
If now the most different authors write about Buddha, Bodhidharma and Chan, without having attained realization themselves, this is WRONG. Thus seekers are led into the completely wrong direction. Buddha is not only a historical personality whose life can be considered chronologically, but a spiritual teacher whose teaching constitutes his life.
Without having experienced "enlightenment", there should be no texts on Buddhism.
If after the first snowfall someone paves the way others will follow the path!
WHO KNOWS NOTHING, MUST BELIEVE EVERYTHING
- MARIE FREIFRAU EBNER VON ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN STORYTELLER - 1830 TO 1916
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