Zen is not a belief system. Zen disturbs the dreaming mind. Nov 12, 1984

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explains that enlightenment is not a goal. “A goal is like the horizon. You can never reach it.”

The immediate is the ultimate. You have to be aware and wake up to this moment. This moment is eternity.

Human beings do a lot of unconscious abstracting. Lola explains.The teacher asks, “Do I have a staff or do I not have a staff?” The monk tries to answer in different ways. Finally he is so frustrated he gives up and leaves. He wanders for 12 years and finally returns to the teacher. He repeats the question to the teacher who responds with, “Is that what I said? How silly of me.”

Zen is not a belief system. The purpose of Zen is to disturb the dreaming mind. It is a method to awaken. The puzzles in Zen are intended to create such a strain in you that you cannot ignore.

Lola recounts the tale of t ...