"If you believe in God, you're mistaken. If you don't believe in God, you're mistaken. Agnostics, it goes without saying, are mistaken. Now, do you believe in God?"
I cannot figure out what it is trying to say.
I think the quote is by Robert Allen.
2007-10-16 07:04:56 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Zen often presents its students with unanswerable questions upon which the student is instructed to meditate. In the process of meditating upon the question, the "chattering monkey" of the mind may be quieted and a moment of enlightenment may follow.
2007-10-16 07:09:55 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Let God deal with his own mistakes.
This is like the one about a dog having Buddha nature.
The answer MU! does not mean *nothing* or *no* as much as it means "Un-ask the question".
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A hint, The agnostics understand that the question of God existing or not can never be answered, yet it occupies their minds.
A monk asked Dongshan Shouchu, "What is Buddha?" Dongshan said, "Three pounds of flax".
The words are only the map, they are not the territory.
Zen practise strives to escape representational thinking and deal with the world as it is.
So What is God once you lose the word tail "God"
This is a great mystery.
I can give you the map of the country or I can try to let you see the country, but if I paint you the picture of the country it is still not the country.
I doubt if what I put as words will help but I try. The question is not about God.
The first answer says it sounds like he is saying that everybody is wasting their time.
I like that answer. It is very, very good.
2007-10-16 07:30:25 · answer #2 · answered by Y!A-FOOL 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To believe in God means nothing - Satan believes in God.
If you don't believe in God - that is mistake because the evidence for his existence is all around you. Agnostics fall into both categories unable to make a decision on either premise.
This a sample of the supposed deep wisdom of Zen Buddhism. It's rubbish.
2007-10-16 07:13:59 · answer #3 · answered by cheir 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some Zen Buddhists use koans, questions that have not any rational solutions, as aids to achieving enlightenment. the belief is that one can't relatively understand the which skill of life or the guy's dating to the universe by utilising attempting to parent it out intellectually. particularly, one has to attain an intuitive non secular bounce forward. by utilising meditating on questions that don't yield to rational inquiry, Zen practitioners objective to launch their minds, to flee the bounds of hassle-free theory and attain a clean point of non secular expertise.
2016-10-07 01:09:37 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has there been established a definite "you" to hold any belief or be mistaken? God is as real as you and I, which is neither real nor unreal. As soon as there is an assumption of a "you", "you" are mistaken.
Nagarjuna (circa 14th century)the Buddhist logician makes it clear that taking a definite position on any subject leads to absurdity (and that his statement is not in itself a position).
2007-10-16 07:12:39 · answer #5 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It appears to be supporting the duality of life theory proposed by Lao Tsu.
Basically if you overly commit to either side of the existence of God, you are wrong, and if you claim you cannot know for sure you are wrong.
So that means the wise man knows that making a stance about the existence of God cannot be supported, and not seeking him, leads to frustration.
I like it, don't necessarily agree, but do like the harmony it tries to achieve..
2007-10-16 07:12:38 · answer #6 · answered by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe that no matter what choice you make, you're wrong in the eyes of someone on this earth.
Or mathematically I guess:
Belief in God = Mistake
Non-Belief in God = Mistake
Agnosticism = Mistake
therefore,
Belief In God = Non-Belief in God = Agnosticism = Mistake
2007-10-16 07:09:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A typical Zen conundrum---a rhetorical question designed to shock the conscious mind into suspension, because Nirvana cannot be attained through reason. Or what you will.
2007-10-16 07:17:42 · answer #8 · answered by Michael M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it means that since you cannot know or prove a belief, unbelief or doubt in God for sure, the only thing you can do for sure is just be, and in just being you are living God.
i think i may have discovered something here.
2007-10-16 07:13:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Worldly wisdom from a worldly man.
Agnostics are saying they don't know. Unless you have proof of God, you are not mistaken, unless you are lying to yourself.
But lying is not mistaken, it's lying.
2007-10-16 07:10:04 · answer #10 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋