Cognition

Mind is not Buddha

Cognition is not the path.

~Zen Master Nam Choen

Where are you going?

Buddha is your mind

And the Way goes nowhere.

Don't look for anything but this.

If you point your cart north

When you want to go south,

How will you arrive?

~Zen Master Ryokan

Mullah's Tigers?

One day, a student of Mullah Nasrudin went to visit him. He happened to sneak up from behind, intending to surprise Mullah, when he noticed that he was sprinkling bread crumbs around the perimeter of the garden.
"Mullah, what on earth are you doing?"
"Oh, this? It's my technique for keeping the tigers away."
"But Mullah", the student replied, "there are no tigers for miles around here!"
"Effective, isn't it?" said Mullah.

Sink into This World

So much suffering in Nirvana castles
So joyous to sink into this world.

When in old clothes you call yourself Buddha,
What do you call yourself in silk?

Wooden man went out with shoes at night,
Stone woman came back with hat in morning.

You, for the first time, can perceive when you
Pick up the moon three times as it floats on the pond.

~Zen Master Seung Sahn, Bone of Space.