Guest guest Posted January 25, 2003 Report Share Posted January 25, 2003 Certainly, the way we die, has become in Zen, another test of enlightenment. Zen literature is full with death poems, and anecdotes of death predictions and dignified last moments punctuated by wise words. So the death of Ganto ( Yen Tou), the great Tang Zen master, has become a doubt laden, disturbing koan for many practitioners. Ganto was murdered by two bandits while walking along a country road. He screamed so loud while being stabbed to death that his screams where heard in all the neighboring farms. Today, Ganto's teachings are almost forgotten, and only the way he died is remembered. Would an enlightened person scream when being killed? Did Ganto panic? Did he refuse to accept his death? What other meaning than fear could his scream have? Was he screaming out of pity for those two bandits that were killing a poor monk just for the pleasure of killing? Was he screaming to show us an enlightened man is still human? Or could it be that screaming just happened and Ganto, not caring for his reputation let be? Pete Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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