The Zen of Advaita - Stephen H. Wolinsky Ph. D.

Cracking the Code ofthe Zen Koan Part II.When the Emperor askedBodhidharma, “Who are you?”Bodhidharma replied, “I don’tknow”.Another response was “NotKnowing”.Mantra: “I don’t know.”In the first response, “I don’tknow”, like the Doctrine of NO, aswe will see throughout, pervadesall of Zen. For as we take thismetaphor to another current ofunderstanding, both the “I” andthis perceivable body we assumethe “I” resides in are empty, andare abstracted representations ofa perceiver which is also subjectto the omitting process.Nisargadatta Maharaj:“In the Absolute, I do not evenknow that I am.”Why is the “I don’t know” mantraso critical?50