How shall you define Zen?

I just drank some tea; it was bitter

Zen is that which ever eludes definitions.

not that

But that's a definition of it

By by definition it also eludes that definition.

With your mom

A specific change in state of consciousness characterised by a transpersonal sense of selfhood.

An old zen master uses to say,
" people say there is a mind. I say there is no mind, but never mind. Heh heh heh"

That joke only works in English.

Btw where does this meme come from that the definition of "Zen" is a mystery? I don't remember that from any Zen texts. It's just the name of a school of Buddhism derived from the Chinese phonetic translation of the Indian term Jhanna, which means concentration meditation.

Zen riddles are usually about Buddha nature, or the ultimate teaching of the patriarchs, or about one's "original face". I don't remember the term Zen itself being an object of analysis in traditional Zen.

>a transpersonal sense of selfhood.

This is waaaay wrong.

>I don't remember the term Zen itself being an object of analysis in traditional Zen.

It isn't

Not an argument.

Zen as a practical system is about breaking down the usual sense of egoic self by delivering experiences that undermine this perspective.

"I hated my life so I shaped my mind in the way to give me the impression that I transcended it. Ultimately, reality is just perceptions, so I did, in a way."

Zen cannot be defined with language because language is inherently incapable of containing and transmitting true meaning or truth. That is why Zen Buddhism often focuses on an instantaneous transmission of knowledge from teacher to student as triggered by a spontaneous action in a specific context.

*whaps you with a paper fan* -- as so.

Do you think you're cultured because you listen to "muh slightly obscure Japanese modern classical composer"? Do you think that it impresses people when you name drop a composer with a tingue of foreignness and obscurity? Do you think it makes you unique and interesting? Yoshimatsu isn't even a great composer, but I guarantee you have "chosen" to like him and to name drop him, acting like he's one of your favorite composers because of the "cool unique" identity that you get. "WHOOAAA look at THAT guy!! His favorite composer isn't Beethoven, or mozart, it's FUCKING TAKASHI YOSHIMATSU whoAAAAOA this guy is SO FUCKING WELL VERSED IN MUSIC that he knows a SUPER DUPER FOREIGN composer HOLY SHIT WHAT A FUCKING MUSICAL GENIUS." Fucking kill yourself you stupid shit.

bingo

>I hated my life so I shaped my mind in the way to give me the impression that I transcended it
Maybe a edgy weeb basement dweller's understanding of zen.

The Zen that can be said is not the true Zen.

Oh shit wait that was the Dao.

Zen riddles seem to be lessons about the different perspectives one must take and gets at a tactile sense of the abstract. When approaching lifes questions in a zen way it gives these questions wierd multidimensional shapes with a certain texture or topography.

LMAOOOooo like WOooo guys I'm SO into asian buddhism! I WILL BE ENLIGHTENED one day and YOU WILL ALL be like WOW this guy is enlightened..
I WILL BE MASTER OF THE MIND and become UNPHASED by anything happening in life!!!!!!
Even if my friends were like WOW how did u do it?? I would invite them to drink tea with me then be FILLING their CUP and KEPT on POURING! they will WATCH the overflow and be like "IT'S OVERFULL, STOP!"

At THIS moment I will SILENTLY rotate my head toward THEIR direction and SAY this with very CALM demeanor:
"Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations." then KEEP on pouring.
IMAGINE the look on theri face when im the fukkin ZEN master, they are not even READY to be enlightened like I am!! For I am ... 5 years AHEAD. Heh.. If you want to know more.. JUST CONTACT MY USERNAME on the subreddit /r/zen, I know the answers to everything, i am in pure bliss state :) Now excuse me I will watch this little children anime cause i'm into cute ltitle girls LOL im not pedophile ofc not hehe..

Here's another joke:
禅牛は何を言いますか?
無

Zen in this case represents Zen practice, user.

japs ruined 禅(chán)

lol, liked this one

That one only works if you're bilingual.

Fucking LOL