A lot of times people who argue with me about Zen express an understanding based upon a misinformed stereotype of what Zen is and what Zen Masters are like.

In addition to the lie of sitting meditation practice, people tend to think Zen Masters are these things:

• always nice

• always calm

• never making claims

• never hurting anyone

• always uttering eloquent and profound magical sayings

So a mean, riled-up Zen Master who makes claims and rude utterances and possibly hurts some people seems outright impossible to these sorts of misguided souls. And so, they stumble past the Zen Masters.

The following is one of my favorite Zen quotes because it flies in the face of these ignorant stereotypes while also getting down to business:

Master Zhenjing said to an assembly:

"Buddhism does not go along with human sentiments. Elders everywhere talk big, all saying, ‘I know how to meditate, I know the Way!’ But tell me, do they understand or not?

For no reason they sit in pits of crap fooling spirits and ghosts. When people are like this, what crime is there is killing them by the thousands and feeding them to the dogs?

There is also a kind of Chan follower who is charmed by those foxes, even with eyes open, not even realizing it themselves. They wouldn’t object even if they poured piss over their heads.

You are all individuals; why should you accept this kind of treatment? How should you be yourself?"

~ Treasury of the Eye of True Teaching #37

Zen is about “enlightenment or bust”; “true self or bust”.

People who lie about Zen, about enlightenment, and about who they are?

They are busted.

Don’t be like them; study Zen while you’re here instead.