Question

Dear Master Kosen,
When I asked you the question about the aspect "do" of the Martial Arts, you answered me : "to defeat before attacking".
I have thought about your answer, `to defeat before fighting' and I finished considering it as a koan. I asked myself : " to defeat whom, to defeat what ?" Nevertheless, I think I found an answer and I would like you to confirm if I am right or if in the contrary I haven't understand anything.
I think that we have to win the fear of death and the attachment to life before fighting. If you manage it, the result of the fight does not matter because in the end, it will be all the same. If you die, you won't have lost anything, you accept it naturally, you are not attached to life ; if you win, you don't loose nor win anything either.
Could you teach me how to "defeat before fighting" ?

Answer from Master Kosen

If I answer to your questions, it's in all simplicity and not to obsess you. Keep my answers apart and don't bother about them anymore, they will reemerge alone at the right time.
There are some moments when you know that you are going to loose and when you know tha you must nevertheless go fighting. That is the case of millions of people who are going to slog away on a monday once again, but once again they will work for the others and not for themselves.
Practicing is important. Only through the practice can we understand deeply. The reasonings are nothing else than maps that will show you the way if you read them carefully ; but you can read the map and read it again until you know it by heart, it won't lead you anywhere if you don't use your feet. In Cuban, they call it : "Caminar", to walk.


Mondo On the same theme : Others disciplines


Sport or meditation, or both?

hello Master, according to scientific research, to do at least 3 X 45 minutes sport per week, would be an effective way of being in shape, sport acts on the neuro transmitters and would support the well being!According to you master, Which one is necessary to do, sport or meditation, or both?
...

The new age theses.

I have just read the question of one of your disciples about his absolute mastery and I visited the site of jasmuheen. I must admit that I found it somehow worrying... I know that you met this person but I am astonished to see a Zen Master adhering to the new age theses (kind of marvellous shallow and thwarting, but this is only as for me). So ...

Osho?

Hello I'm Nancy, I have been reading Osho and its message seems to me excellent, nowadays it is necessary to be able to extract these educations and to be able to read them and to try to interpret them, in my case they have been of great help and happiness for my life. My question is: Always for one or another reason I have not had a couple, I ...

About reiki

Hello Stephane, My question is about reiki. It was done to me, then I discussed with the person who had applied it to me. She said to me, about the initiation into the first or second degree, that it was a setting in touch with my guardian angel, "the ascended Masters and beings of light". That made me perplexed; I was told that you had had an ...


Zen and Yoga

Hello Master, I practise yoga, the Iyengar method, very hard and demanding, but I do not know if it is my way. But anyway, it is very clear to me that the body is the base of the spiritual progress, and I believe that Zen do not pay enough attention to this aspect. Do you believe, yourself, that Zen can guarantee a healthy body, so that it does ...


To know more about mondo

You may want to see other themes of this mondo online, or ask your own question : see Mondo online : questions to zen Master Kosen Thibaut

Subscribe to our YouTube channel


Zen meditation : retreats

Next sesshin : from 28 December 2024 to 01 January 2025 - Information and registration to this zen retreat

Winter camp 2024 : Zazen the méditation Zen, Caroux Temple near of Montpellier


When the discriminating thoughts are forgotten, it is like the white panache of the weeds shining on the snow.

Wanshi

Donate to the Sangha

Let's help the Kosen Sangha and the Yujo Nyusanji zen temple


Mondo

Questions to zen Master Kosen

Boddidharma, buddhist monk

Master Kosen

Follow his teachings in the Montpellier Zen dojo and in the great sesshins at Yujo Nyusanji zen temple


Kusens

Listen to and download last teachings (in french) of Master Kosen in Montpellier's dojo