What does this mean? I have no idea what a koan is.and what does all this about dogs have to do with truth?

Question

Revelation Esoteric:
Or A Simple Koan for Westerners?

A Zen Master revealed me once the mystery of life.
Said he with bold demeanor more solemn than a monk,
"Dogs set loose in graveyards on gravestones they do piss,
But justly so for this is how the dead they pay respect."
And I, a vacant question mark spread broad across my face,
Retorted, "Surely, Sir, there must be more than this.
That can't be all the Truth to tell, all secret to reveal.
There must be some small detail more, disclosure still to share
That I might sway you yet confide in me this day.
Divulge me, please, your disciple that long have strived to know
The hidden meaning of the Path, what lies beneath the Veil."
And he, a smile vague upon his lips, a sparkle in his eye,
A pace but hastened more, remanded me this way,
"I pray you not persistent call me 'Sir.'
Now here is what else I have to set you on your way.
And sternly do I caution you please ask no more today:
Dogs that loose their masters set their masters free, and
Those that keep them on the leash can never masters be."

Answer 1

A koan is an unanswerable riddle. The most famous koan is, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" Its sole purpose is to get you to think, open your mind, and be more random and creative. There are no answers on purpose.

Here's what Wikipedia says about it, then I'll answer your other question. "A kōan (公案; Japanese: kōan, Chinese: gōng-àn) is a story, dialog, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. A famous koan is, "Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" (oral tradition, attributed to Hakuin Ekaku, 1686-1769, considered a reviver of the koan tradition in Japan).

"Koans originate in the sayings and doings of sages and legendary figures, usually those authorized to teach in a lineage that regards Bodhidharma (c. 5th-6th century) as its ancestor. Koans are said to reflect the enlightened or awakened state of such persons, and sometimes said to confound the habit of discursive thought or shock the mind into awareness. Zen teachers often recite and comment on koans, and some Zen practitioners concentrate on koans during meditation. Teachers may probe such students about their koan practice using "checking questions" to validate an experience of insight (kensho) or awakening. Responses by students have included actions or gestures, "capping phrases" (jakugo), and verses inspired by the koan.

"As used by teachers, monks, and students in training, koan can refer to a story selected from sutras and historical records, a perplexing element of the story, a concise but critical word or phrase (話頭 huà-tóu) extracted from the story, or to the story appended by poetry and commentary authored by later Zen teachers, sometimes layering commentary upon commentary. Less formally, the term koan sometimes refers to any experience that accompanies awakening or spiritual insight.

"English-speaking non-Zen practitioners sometimes use koan to refer to an unanswerable question or a meaningless statement. However, in Zen practice, a koan is not meaningless, and teachers often do expect students to present an appropriate and timely response when asked about a koan. Even so, a koan is not a riddle or a puzzle.[1] Appropriate responses to a koan may vary according to circumstances; different teachers may demand different responses to a given koan, and not all teachers assume that a fixed answer is correct in every circumstance.

"The word koan corresponds to the Chinese characters 公案 which can be rendered in various ways: gōng'àn (Chinese pinyin); kung-an (Chinese Wade-Giles); gong'an (Korean); công-án (Vietnamese); kōan (Japanese Hepburn); often transliterated koan). Of these, "koan" is the most common in English. Just as Japanese Zen, Chinese Ch'an, Korean Son, and Vietnamese Thien, and Western Zen all share many features in common, likewise koans play similar roles in each, although significant cultural differences exist."

What's being said here is dogs are going to piss wherever they piss. They don't know that they're pissing on gravestones; they're just relieving their bladders or marking their territory. And yet any attention paid to a grave is some form of reverence, be it real or irreverence/vandalism. The deeper point here is that no matter how famous we are, no matter what we do in life, we all die, and then some dog can come and piss on our gravestones... and it doesn't matter. We're dead and moved on; the only thing that remains is a human husk.

The last quotation is rather clever. Everyone knows the image of a person walking a dog. But sometimes, can you tell who is walking who? Lots of dogs want to test their limits and take their owners for a good "pull".

So let you be the master, and let the dog equal life and life experiences. Are we always in control of life, or does life sometimes pull us in unexpected directions? You know the answer already, and you always did. :)

Make sure not to quote any of what I said directly! Paraphrase into your own words. Teachers (like me) are able to put in a few phrases and find the source online.

Just remember when you are talking about or studying koans or most Asian literature, they use specific, concrete, detailed examples, but almost everything is code that means "life" -- life experiences, the life cycle, living as a human being, etc.

Hope this helps. Cheers, K

Answer 2

type
revelation esoteric or
a simple koan for westerners