Ha ha. That's a great koan. How could you answer this question in a way that a sage would know that you understood? If you answer yes or no, it will be clear that you don't understand.
It's like a man hanging from a high treelimb by his teeth with his hands tied behind his back, and he gets asked this question by a serious seeker who passes by underneath. If he keeps his mouth closed, he fails to offer any help, but if he opens his mouth, he falls to his death. How can he offer help and also stay alive?
The koan can be asked another way, too, that points to a slightly different issue, to wit: "Ramana said that the body and mind do not exist, but ZD said that they do. Who is correct?" If you answer either Ramana or ZD, you fall into hell. Ha ha.
Lots of fun for people who enjoy this sort of thing. In short, how do you escape a double bind? You're da*med if you do and da*med if you don't, and the mind can't get you out of this mess.
It's like a man hanging from a high treelimb by his teeth with his hands tied behind his back, and he gets asked this question by a serious seeker who passes by underneath. If he keeps his mouth closed, he fails to offer any help, but if he opens his mouth, he falls to his death. How can he offer help and also stay alive?
The koan can be asked another way, too, that points to a slightly different issue, to wit: "Ramana said that the body and mind do not exist, but ZD said that they do. Who is correct?" If you answer either Ramana or ZD, you fall into hell. Ha ha.
Lots of fun for people who enjoy this sort of thing. In short, how do you escape a double bind? You're da*med if you do and da*med if you don't, and the mind can't get you out of this mess.
