What happens when we assume Kokoro is an adversary and the goal is to test our wits against Kokoro? What happens when Kokoro suddenly disappears—ninja style—and there is no Kokoro?
# 1—Competing with Kokoro.
In our world of adversaries and competition, we are trained in a winner takes all mentality, little realizing that every move in a negotiation is a gate to cultivate character. A Leopard can indeed change its spots. Testing our wits against Kokoro is thus a wonderful opportunity to discover something deeply valuable and unexpected. What is that?
A Case
The famous koan of Bodhidharma‘s meeting with Emperor Wu highlights the fundamental difference between worldly merit (gaining, winning, spending, etc.) and insight. Bodhidharma, a legendary Buddhist monk, met with Emperor Wu of Liang, a devout Buddhist who had funded numerous temples and monasteries. When the Emperor asked Bodhidharma about the merit he had gained from these actions, Bodhidharma famously replied, “No merit.” The Emperor, taken aback, then asked, “What is the highest meaning of the holy truths?” Bodhidharma’s response, “Vast emptiness, nothing holy,” further confounded the Emperor. Finally, when asked, “Who is this standing before me?”, Bodhidharma simply replied, “I don’t know.” These exchanges illustrate the Zen perspective that true enlightenment transcends conventional notions of merit and even the self.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
No Merit:
The Emperor believed his temple-building and patronage of Buddhism had accrued merit. However, Bodhidharma countered that such actions, being worldly, did not contribute to spiritual realization. True merit, according to Zen, lies in the understanding of one’s own Buddha-nature, not in external acts.
Vast Emptiness, Nothing Holy:
This statement challenges the concept of inherent holiness or sacredness in the world. It points towards the Buddhist understanding of emptiness (sunyata), where things lack inherent, fixed existence and are constantly changing.
“I don’t know”:
This seemingly simple answer is a powerful statement about the limitations of language and conceptual understanding in grasping ultimate truth. It suggests that true wisdom transcends intellectual knowing and arises from direct experience and insight.
Source: Pacific Zen Institute
Tests and Examples:
- Ask Kokoro any challenge question of the first variety. Bodhidharma’s response, or variations of it, are sufficient.
- Examples: Kokoro Negotiations