before he wrote kōans, the guru was depressed.
even on a sunny day, his sky was full of clouds. when he stared into his reflection in the lake, he did not like what he saw.
but then a small scrap of paper floated over his face.
he bent down and scooped out of the water. he unfolded and read it. it read, “the guru did not believe the kōan he found in the lake.”
the guru did not understand. he read it again. and he still did not understand. he folded it and put it in his pocket. he walked home, and as he walked, he thought about the kōan.
and when he thought about the kōan, he wasn’t sad.
in fact, he felt quite happy.
and the next day, he woke up, and he went to his school, and he sat down behind his desk, and he wrote a new kōan. and every day since then, he has written a kōan. except weekends.
how do you meditate?
the guru said, “click meditate beneath any kōan. beginners should select 2:22, but more advanced students may try 11:11. a bell will sound, and a timer will count down. read each word of the kōan, individually and as slowly as you can. if you reach the end, start again, but read more slowly. do this until the bell rings again.”
outside the guru’s meditation hall, there was a sign that read, “daily meditation hones the mind. it improves the will. it helps you control hunger and thirst and fatigue. it is fun to do, and it makes you happy. why don’t you start meditating today?”
beneath it, a student had tacked a hand-written message. it read, “my favorite kōan to meditate on is this one.”