About a zen question, where is buddha?

Question

A younger monk asked an older monk "where is buddha?"

The older monk sticked out a finger, said "here", then the older monk asked him back "where is buddha?"

The younger monk sticked out one of his finger too, said "here", the older monk was furious, he cut off his finger.

Several months later, the older monk asked the younger monk again "where is buddah?" the younger monk wanted to stick out his finger again, but found he lost it, it was empty.

Suddenly, he was enlightened....later he became a famous master.

Question: What was he enlightened?....Does it mean Buddha is nowhere to be found, yet he's everywhere too?..everything is buddha?

Answer 1

Like all zen koans, it doesn't have an answer. The act of pondering it is the point, not figuring it out.

If you could express in words or any simple way what enlightenment is, Buddhists would do so instead of expressing it in enigmatic riddles about cutting fingers off.

And just for the Christians who think I pick on them, this explanation, like all Buddhist nugget of wisdom, is just their way of doing the "if you have to ask you don't have the faith to know" thing. It just doesn't sound as sarcastic when I write about it because the subject itself is unfamiliar to most.

Answer 2

Enlightenment is.

It can't be explained only experienced. You need to focus and think deeply (meditate) about the lesson and you too will understand.

Before you get angry at me for not answering your question.....the answer is truly in the above response.

@ whois1957: It is not a matter of faith but rather perspective.

Answer 3

When you think you know, you are not enlightened. When you know you don't, you are enlightened.

That's my interpretation of the koan.

Answer 4

his fat dead butt is a statue at the local chinese restaurant