Wind Streaming

David K. Reynolds, Ph.D.

These works are protected by the Creative Commons license.

Introduction

This book is a collection of existential puzzles inspired by Zen koans. Perhaps the solutions to these poems parallel the solutions of the originals here and there. I could not say because I am not a formal Zen student or Zen teacher. My thirty years of training, research, and clinical background is based primarily on two Japanese psychotherapies. Morita therapy is a Japanese medical practice based largely on Zen Buddhist psychology. Naikan psychotherapy is a practice based largely on Shinshu, or Pure Land, Buddhist psychology. Neither of these therapies are either more or less religious than Freudian psychoanalysis. The Westernized educational adaptation and extension of these Japanese therapies we call Constructive Living.

You don't need to be neurotic or deeply suffering to reap the benefits of exploring these puzzles. Their aim is not to cure but to clarify. The goal is to promote a more realistic perspective on the details of life. One advantage of being realistic is that less effort is invested in foolish activities, attempts to control what is inherently uncontrollable. Efforts can be directed in areas where there is actually a chance of succeeding.

How is one to use these Constructive Living creations? Of course, one possibility is to evaluate or appreciate the works as artistic creations. Another approach would consider the works as representatives of the philosophical and historical lineages of Constructive Living. Yet another possibility is to work to unlock the meanings hidden in the koans and in the poetry.

Let's take the Constructive Living interpretation of the Zen koan puzzle from The Blue Cliff Record, for example. In the chapter titled "The Coin in the River" the first Constructive Living puzzle is:

Where do fresh moments come from?

That's a mystery.

Who says so?

That's a mystery, too.

If I asked you again would you give me the same answer?
No.

You could look up the original koan from The Blue Cliff Record to see which parts were selected and modified. In that way you might be able to discover the connection between the two. Case 1 in the Clearys' translation has the Bodhidharma replying to the Emperor's theoretical questions with sharp replies.

What is the highest meaning of the holy truths?
Empty, without holiness.

Who is facing me?

I don't know.

Then the sage leaves. When the Emperor was told the identity of the renowned person he had just dismissed he considered sending someone out to invite the Bodhidharma to return. But the Emperor was told that "'Even if everyone in the whole country were to go after him, he still wouldn't return.'" (Cleary and Cleary, 1977)

I reframed these three exchanges in Constructive Living terms. There is much in Constructive Living literature about the mystery of fresh moments emerging no matter whether we have succeeded or failed in the previous moment. And Constructive Living theory holds that both the Morita and Naikan aspects of the practice lead one to the concept (and, perhaps, the experience) of no-self. Those familiar with Constructive Living will find these connections rather straightforward. The difficulty comes in the last two lines.

Why wouldn't the teacher give the same answer if asked again? Alternatively, why wouldn't that sage return even if everyone in the whole country were to go after him?

Pondering this aspect of the riddle offers insight into the workings of the real world. Understanding it will help in understanding why no one can ever offer a permanent cure for neurosis, why it is foolish to try to develop self confidence, why our lives are naturally filled with uncertainty.

You may wish to set aside quiet periods for contemplating these enigmatic verses, or they may profitably be considered while riding in a car or bus, while waiting in line, while downloading files from the Internet. Be sure to devote enough attention to the other tasks at hand, though.

Table of Contents

This Ceaseless Arriving
Inspired by the Kidogoroku

Wading Through the Rapids When the Bridge is Out
Inspired by the Mumonkan

Vapors Condensing
Inspired by the Shoyo Roku

The Hidden Springs
Inspired by the Shonan Kattoroku

References

This Ceaseless Arriving

There follow Constructive Living koans inspired by the one hundred koans of the Kidogoroku as translated in Hoffman, Yoel. Every End Exposed. Brookline, MA, Autumn Press, 1977. What sense can you make of them? A fair number of the interpretations and hints for the Zen koans offered in Hoffman's translation appear to me to be wide of the mark; don't be misled by them. Sometimes students offer what appears to be a correct verbal response to a CL koan without really understanding the koan's point. So the koans here are accompanied by CL follow up questions (underlined) to confirm the student's understanding. After the follow up questions are, in parentheses, samples of incorrect responses to the koans or follow up questions, but no reason is given why those responses are invalid.

Once more: UNDERLINED=Follow up questions

PARENTHESES=Incorrect responses

1. A swimmer decided to dive into Constructive Living but discovered that she was already really wet.
   Why is the swimmer already wet?
   Is one of us wetter than the other?
   (Wrong: Before I began to understand CL I was all wet.)
   
   
2. "I have found inconsistencies among earlier Constructive Living books and more recent ones."
   "A different person wrote them."
   "But the author is the same."
   "They are different books."
   "But the subject is the same."
   "It was, but not now."
   Why does the instructor answer as she does?
   Has the subject changed again?
   (Wrong: The instructor is trying to confuse the student.)
   
   
3. "Do you speak English?"
   "No, but someone does."
   "You're speaking English now."
   "Someone is."
   Who is speaking?
   Who is answering this koan/question?
   (Wrong: I am, it's as simple as that.)
   
   
4. When asked, "Who first discovered Constructive Living principles?" the instructor pointed down toward a throw rug.
   "You mean that they lie buried in the ground?"
   The teacher walked away across the throw rug shaking his head.
   Why did the teacher walk away as he did?
   Point to where CL principles are located.
   (Wrong: He walked away because he couldn't think of any other answer.)
   
   
5. "Which book contains the deepest Constructive Living wisdom?"
   "How would you punctuate or parse that sentence?"
   Why is the instructor's reply about punctuation or grammar instead of about the meaning or content of the question?
   Why is your answer to this question dangerous?
   (Wrong: Because it might be wrong.)
   
   
6. What is behind tomorrow? What is beneath yesterday? Whether you walk into a wall or back into a wall the wall is there. What is the wall?
   Where is the wall now?
   (Wrong: The wall is only the wall in my mind that prevents me from answering this koan.)
   
   
7. A student asked her CL instructor, "When you truly understand Constructive Living there is no need to read any more Constructive Living books, is there?"
   She ducked as a book came flying her way.
   Why did the CL instructor throw a book at her? How is her ducking the answer to her own question?
   How is your answer to this question the answer to her question?
   (Wrong: The instructor threw the book to express his feelings.)
   
   
8. He clipped out weather reports from old newspapers and never stuck his head outside the door. What did he know about the weather? Don't be deceived by newspaper reports.
   In what way are CL books like old newspaper reports?
   (Wrong: Live in the now; old news is no longer useful.)
   
   
9. "Teach me about Constructive Living."
   "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ."
   "You just spoke the alphabet; can't you tell me more?"
   "If saying those letters is of no help, what more do you want to hear?"
   What is the instructor talking about?
   Tell me about the limits of the answer you just spoke to me.
   (Wrong: All of the teaching of Constructive Living is contained in various arrangements of the letters of the alphabet.)
   
   
10. Professor Caro always carried a briefcase and walked around with holes in his shoes. In his briefcase were maps and photos and faxes. He would ask people to guess which maps and photos and faxes were in his briefcase. Then he would pull them out and hold them up for all to see. Then, one by one, he would call out the title of each item and present it to a bystander. The bystanders wondered who needs somebody else's maps, photos, and faxes.
    What is Professor Caro teaching the bystanders?
    What is the usefulness of the fax you just sent me?
    (Wrong: This koan is about unconscious thoughts and feelings brought into awareness and expressed to others.)
    
    
11. Two CL instructors are talking:
    "How are you doing?"
    "Oh, I have shinky moments and productive ones. How about you?" "I sometimes appear to understand and sometimes miss the point."
    "How about in your past? How were you doing then?"
    "Consistently inconsistent."
    "How dependable of you!"
    "How about CL people in general? How are they doing?"
    "You're putting me on!"
    What is the meaning of this conversation?
    Do you think that everyone gives the same correct answer to this koan?
    (Wrong: In general Constructive Living people do very well, of course.")
    
    
12. Trudy pulled out her copy of Playing Ball on Running Water. "Do you own this book?" she asked another instructor.
    "Of course not," he replied.
    "Haven't you any Constructive Living books?"
    "Oh, Playing Ball on Running Water."
    What are these instructors talking about?
    What does it mean to say "Sometimes I own my home"?
    (Wrong: The instructor had forgotten that he owned a copy of Playing Ball on Running Water.)
    
    
13. In 1995 U.S. dollars what is one Constructive Living instructor worth? How much time does it take to cure neurosis? When has a child received enough love from loving parents? Where is the personality to be found? Who invented time?
    What sense does it make to ask such questions and who can answer them? Why?
    What is wrong with each of the above questions? What is wrong with this question?
    (Wrong: There are no answers to some, perhaps all, of these questions because we don't yet know enough; we lack information to answer them.)
    
    
14. Of what is Reality composed? Of nothings and somethings. Of somethings of nothings and somethings of somethings. Of somethings perceiving and somethings perceived. Of nothings perceived.
    Who benefits from such an explanation of the composition of Reality?
    Who benefits from your answer to this koan?
    (Wrong: No one benefits.)
    
    
15. Like Reality, Constructive Living is a verb. Don't mistake CL instructors for nouns. What do these statements mean?
    Are you a noun?
    (Wrong: CL is about doing, so it is a verb.)
    
    
16. As students hike the hills about me I sing the Constructive Living anthem on a loudspeaker system. Is my singing helpful to their hiking? to their singing?
    Why use a loudspeaker system at all?
    (Wrong: Singing has nothing to do with hiking.)
    
    
17. John blamed Mary for their quarrels. John's therapist blamed John's parents for causing John to blame Mary for their quarrels. Whose fault is it that the therapist blames John's parents? Beware!
    Please explain how you came up with your answer.
    (Wrong: John's therapist's training is at fault here.)
    
    
18. How large is a thought? Where are thoughts located? Where does a neurotic trait go when you're not suffering from it? Does thinking about unconscious processes create unconscious processes?
    
    What is the CL purpose in asking such questions?
    (Wrong: Thoughts are located in our brains.)
    
    
19. Do you know how alive I am by watching me? Can you learn to be alive like this by observation? Can you analyze this aliveness into its components? How can you go about finding life? Where is life to be found?
    Can the dead answer these questions?
    (Wrong: Life is generated by chemical processes in cells.)
    
    
20. You can't open a computer and find a book inside. You can't quench your thirst with water words. You can't talk your way into eternity. Self help books don't, including this one. What is the CL principle here?
    Then what is the purpose of offering koans like this one?
    (Wrong: There is no purpose in offering koans like this one.)
    
    
21. "If everything is borrowed where does our borrowing come from?"
    "I have a pain in my neck, right here."
    "I'm sorry to hear that. Now how about answering my question."
    "Cutting it off probably isn't the best solution."
    "Yes, of course, but I want to know about borrowing."
    "It seems to twist right and left all right, though my throat is getting sore." So saying the instructor excused himself and exited the room, leaving the student speechless. What was the instructor really talking about?
    Is your throat sore?
    (Wrong: The instructor went to get medical help for his neck.)
    
    
22. Constructive Living is as easy as walking in the rain and as hard as walking in the rain. It is as hard as climbing uphill and as easy as coasting downhill. The toast and jam disappear with the eating. What is the CL principle here?
    Tell me about the flavor of strawberry jam.
    (Wrong: Constructive Living has both difficult and easy aspects.)
    
    
23. "What have you been doing the past few years?
    "I've been doing what needs doing."
    "Nothing more than that? No spiritual practices, for example?"
    "Excuse me, my cup needs washing."
    Why doesn't the instructor answer?
    What can you tell me about the metaphysical implications of this koan?
    (Wrong: The instructor must wash her cup before talking about spiritual practices.)
    
    
24. As his feet climbed the stairs to find the customer's item his mind was already in the storeroom above. Sometimes he stumbled on the stairs. What is the problem here?
    If I tell you that you have passed this koan what will you do next?
    (Wrong: It's a mistake to think ahead.)
    
    
25. Some theories hold that because CL was invented by humans it must contain errors. Some theories hold that because CL has roots in Japanese culture it cannot be useful in Western cultures. Where is the error in these theories?
    Is the answer you just gave me some sort of theory?
    (Wrong: Theories are useless.)
    
    
26. "Reality sends me waves of what needs doing." There is something imprecise about the previous statement. What is it? If you know the answer you are all wet.
    Did Reality give you the answer to that koan?
    (Wrong: Sometimes I don't receive the messages Reality sends to me.)
    
    
27. When you don't understand the purpose of a Constructive Living exercise why do it? Why say "thank you" for a service received when you don't feel grateful? Why eat when you are hungry? Why are these questions framed together?
    Why do you think I assigned you this koan?
    (Wrong: Constructive Living sees explanations as meaningless.)
    
    
28. Professor Chie smiled and nodded a greeting to his best student. Professor Chie smiled and nodded a greeting to his poorest student. Professor Chie smiled and nodded a greeting to his word processor. How did they earn the professor's smile and greeting? Wherein lies their value? Reflect well on this riddle.
    What is the value in assigning this koan?
    (Wrong: We must treat all people and things equally.)
    
    
29. Where does the content of this book come from? Where do the answers to this question come from? Where do these questions come from?
    Show me where you come from.
    (Wrong: Our brains.)
    
    
30. The grass in Willy's lawn grew tall. Willy stopped mowing his lawn saying that he would move soon and the new owners of his house would mow the lawn. Professor Wonty asked Willy if he planned to move to the Bahamas.
    "No," replied Willy.
    "Ah, that explains it," said the Professor.
    What did the Professor mean?
    I assigned you this koan because I'm not moving to the Bahamas either. Can you understand this statement?
    (Wrong: Professor Wonty believes Bahamians don't act this way.)
    
    
31. "Which Constructive Living book do you recommend above all the others?"
    "Many CL books are worth reading, but I suggest that you read life." "All right, nevertheless I want to know the title of the book with the core of CL."
    "You don't know how to read."
    What did the instructor mean by her last statement?
    How is the answer you gave to this koan both correct and incorrect?
    (Wrong: The instructor meant that the student doesn't yet know enough to evaluate a good CL book.)
    
    
32. "Is CL fundamentally a Buddhist way of life?"
    "Yes."
    "Is CL fundamentally a Christian way of life?"
    "Yes."
    "Is CL fundamentally a Moslem way of life?
    "Yes."
    "Aren't you contradicting yourself?"
    What do you think?
    How would the koan have been fundamentally different if the answer had been "No" to each of the questions?
    (Wrong: There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.)
    
    
33. "Where were you educated?"
    "At UCLA."
    "Really? You didn't learn what is important there!"
    "Why do you say that?"
    "Because you didn't learn the answer to my question."
    What does this last statement mean?
    Where were you educated?
    (Wrong: But the degree came from UCLA.)
    
    
34. "When I begin a game of checkers can I keep the same plan throughout the game?"
    "Of course not."
    What are the TWO reasons the plan must change? Why are the two reasons basically only one reason?
    Can I do the same thing over and over?
    (Wrong: Of course, you can make the same mistake over and over.)
    
    
35. Where do you come from? There is only one answer to this question, but there is no way of knowing whether it is the same answer every time or not. What is the answer?
    I never wrote a book or gave a lecture or asked a question. When were you last reading a koan? Beware of accepting laurels that belong to someone else.
    (Wrong: I come from a long line of Finns.)
    
    
36. Do feelings change? Will this theory about changing feelings change?
    Will your understanding of this koan about feelings and theories change?
    (Wrong: Feelings change, but this theory won't change.)
    
    
37. Inventing CL was a sin.
    Believing CL is a sin.
    Teaching CL is a sin. Yet CL is not a sin.
    Why is CL not a sin?
    Was assigning this koan a sin? Is this koan a sin?
    (Wrong: We are all sinners so everything we do is a sin.)
    
    
38. "Is CL effective with neurotics?"
    "They either get better or they get worse."
    "Which ones get better?"
    "Those like you."
    "Which ones get worse?"
    "Those like you."
    "How do they get better?"
    "Come here, I'll show you." (The student walks over to the instructor.)
    "Like that."
    What does the instructor mean?
    Show me how you can overcome neurosis in your own life.
    (Wrong: The instructor handed the student a CL book.)
    
    
39. "Where did you first learn CL?" Barbara asked the student.
    "That question is impossible to answer," responded the crafty student.
    "Is it too specific? Too vague?" Barbara probed further.
    "I'm imagining the answer you expect and won't give it to you," replied the student carefully.
    "Please imagine that our conversation is over and go home."
    The student smiled and went home.
    Where did the student first learn CL?
    Where did you first learn CL?
    (Wrong: I first learned CL as a child, but I didn't call it CL then.)
    
    
40. "When it is time to work, I work; when it is time to play, I play."
    "What about those times when it is time to either work or play or do neither?"
    There was no answer.
    Was the no-answer answer correct?
    How do you decide whether an answer to a koan is correct or not?
    (Wrong: When it is time to either work or play or do neither one can do what one feels like doing.)
    
    
41. "You should study CL with all your heart, but you should study CL if you have even half a heart to do so."
    "What does it mean to study CL with only half a heart?"
    "How much of your heart went into that question?"
    "How can I answer such a question?"
    "Yes."
    What are these two CL instructors talking about?
    Was your answer to this koan a whole-hearted answer?
    (Wrong: You must be fully motivated to study CL.)
    
    
42. I've never seen a forest or a traffic jam. I can't touch vegetables or gods. I can't hear birds singing or clocks ticking. Why not? Give two reasons. Can you provide answers for koans?
    (Wrong: I can give an answer to this koan.)
    
    
43. "What does it mean to lose yourself in a task?" asked a student.
    "There is only the task."
    "When the task is completed do you find yourself again?"
    "Not again."
    Why not?
    Could you answer this koan again?
    (Wrong: Once I found the right answer I could give it over and over.)
    
    
44. There may be commentaries written about Constructive Living texts, and there may be scholarly interpretations of the commentaries. What do the original CL texts interpret?
    Can you make a CL comment on your answer to this koan?
    (Wrong: Original CL texts are divinely-inspired interpretations of Truth.)
    
    
45. "Which hand held your toothbrush as you squeezed out the toothpaste this morning?"
    "It's always my right hand."
    "You're wrong!" How did the instructor know the student was wrong?
    Will the answer you just gave to this koan always be the correct one?
    (Wrong: The instructor observed the student's behavior that morning.)
    
    
46. An instructor was giving forth a theory criticizing psychoanalysis for being harmful.
    "You shouldn't find fault with psychoanalysis," said a student. "All theories have truth."
    "Then how about my theory that psychoanalysis is harmful?" asked the instructor.
    How about the theory that the student's theory is false?
    Any answer you give to this koan escapes from the dilemma. Why?
    (Wrong: I believe that the student's theory is the correct one.)
    
    
47. For most readers the author of this book looks just like Santa Claus and the Easter bunny. Why?
    How did the correct response to this koan come to you?
    (Wrong: Unlike Santa Claus and the Easter bunny the author of this book really exists.)
    
    
48. An instructor carried her unbroken CL vacuum cleaner to her students' houses but found it wouldn't work in any of them. Even though the voltage was the same and she plugged it in as usual, the vacuum cleaner wouldn't run. Why was that so?
    Why is it meaningless to publish a list of correct answers to these koans?
    (Wrong: The vacuum cleaner wouldn't run because the students still had reservations about the effectiveness of CL in their lives.)
    
    
49. What qualifies me to write about Constructive Living or you to comment on this writing, even privately in your mind? What allows us to produce combinations of words that others before us did not?
    What gave you a response to the above koan?
    (Wrong: Everything arises from the Freudian unconscious.)
    
    
50. Constructive Living offers a roof that protects against a roofer only. It won't keep out wind, rain, snow, mosquitoes, hail, fire, or other acts of nature. What system protects against all of nature's calamities?
    Who is the roofer in the above koan?
    (Wrong: A destructive parent is the roofer in the koan.)
    
    
51. What is the minimum age to benefit from CL? What is the minimum age to become a CL instructor? What is the maximum number of CL maxims one should study in a week? How many times should one start over on a project before abandoning it?
    How many years ago did CL begin?
    (Wrong: The minimum age to benefit from CL is twelve.)
    
    
52. If you put on your running shoes you may become a runner, but you won't become a doctor merely by putting on a lab coat and hanging a stethoscope around your neck. What is the difference? What has this subject to do with certification in Constructive Living?
    How long does it take to come up with an answer to a koan?
    (Wrong: You can do anything you set your mind to do.)
    
    
53. Viv never put any other book on top of her Constructive Living books as a sign of respect to them. One day her CL instructor picked up one of Viv's CL books and sat on it. Viv was shocked. Had her instructor no respect for Constructive Living?
    What did Viv need to do next?
    (Wrong: Viv needed to put her CL books in a locked glass case where they would be protected from disrespectful people.)
    
    
54. Judy was washing dishes when Barbara, a CL instructor, entered the kitchen. Judy looked up from the dishes with envy in her eyes and said, "I wish I could be a CL instructor like you."
    "But you teach CL, too. How are the dishes coming along?" Barbara turned her eyes intently on Judy. Judy stopped washing and began to dry her hands on her apron.
    "No, no, don't stop!" the instructor cried. Judy reached into the dishwater and held a dripping dish out to Barbara.
    "No, no. You still haven't got it right," Barbara remarked. Judy marched out of the room.
    "Not bad," murmured the instructor. Then she heard the sound of a vacuum cleaner running and furniture being moved. "Even better," Barbara said more loudly.
    What is going on in this interaction from a Constructive Living perspective?
    When you gave me the correct interpretation of this koan who was teaching whom?
    (Wrong: Barbara is trying to discourage Judy from taking CL Certification Training.)
    
    
55. "Tell me what CL is about," the reporter pulled out her pad and pencil.
    The instructor wordlessly handed the reporter a book.
    "You mean I should read this book to find out what CL is about?"
    The instructor shook his head and put the book back on the shelf.
    "I don't understand; what are you trying to communicate?"
    "That's pretty good," said the instructor and walked from the room.
    The reporter went away puzzled. That's pretty good, too.
    Why did the instructor act as he did?
    Tell me what CL is about.
    (Wrong: CL is not about asking and answering questions.)
    
    
56. When Al walked into the room Fred, the CL instructor, was busily writing. Fred looked up.
    Al asked, "What can you teach me about Constructive Living without saying a word?"
    Fred returned to his writing. What CL lessons did Fred teach Al by doing so?
    What can you teach me about CL without moving a muscle?
    (Wrong: Writing is more important than talking.)
    
    
57. "I understand that Constructive Living is not talking about Constructive Living and that Reality is not the word 'Reality.' What do you think about that?" Ernest inquired.
    The instructor smiled and poured tea from the teapot into his cup. "This tea is tea whether in the teapot or in the cup," he replied. What did he mean by that remark?
    Was your verbal answer to this koan real?
    (Wrong: It's the intention behind your speech that counts."
    
    
58. Constructive Living helped me see that all are sinners.
    That makes you the greatest sinner of all. And this makes me the greatest sinner of all. Now I'm not. Or am I?
    Who does the deeper Naikan, you or I?
    (Wrong: Your Naikan is deeper than mine.)
    
    
59. We are here to get Reality's work done. It is often easier to talk about doing that work than to do it. There is Reality's work only you can do now. Why? Show me.
    Can you do Reality's work tomorrow?
    (Wrong: Talking about doing Reality's work can never be Reality's work.)
    
    
60. You can't make your bed by lying in it; your feet must touch the floor. The muslin pillowcase is filled with fluff.
    Can you show me the filling within your pillowcase?
    (Wrong: There is no filling in my pillowcase.)
    
    
61. The mirror's face is me and not-me. I am that face's servant and master, creation and creator. That face deserves my best efforts. Why?
    Is the reason you gave the same reason your children or your students deserve your best efforts?
    (Wrong: This koan is about self-esteem; I deserve my best efforts.)
    
    
62. Student:"I am making a decision about accepting CL's lifeway or not."
    Julie:"Too late."
    Student:"But I'm considering the issue from many angles."
    Julie:"Too late."
    Student:"But how can I choose if I don't analyze the issue from many angles?"
    Julie:"Too soon."
    Student:"I don't understand."
    Julie:"Right on time."
    What is the instructor, Julie, telling the student?
    Is it true that until you have the right answer to a koan you are wrong about it?
    (Wrong: The CL instructor is communicating that the student is not yet ready to do Constructive Living.)
    
    
63. We talk in CL about aiming to become our students in order to give them proper assignments. But we cannot actually become our students, can we? Just as anthropologists can never truly "go native" because their backgrounds differ from those of the native cultures, we cannot help but see through the lens of our training and experience. What is the CL purpose and method of aiming for this impossibility?
    If our students are Reality and we are Reality, why can't we become our students?
    (Wrong: "Aiming to become our students" is just a meaningless figure of speech.)
    
    
64. "The more I learn about Constructive Living, the more I realize I don't know about it," said the student.
    "It's important to recognize what you don't know. But how do you know what you don't yet know about Constructive Living?" asked Gregg, the CL instructor.
    What was Gregg talking about?
    If the more you learn about a subject the more you realize how much you don't understand then why study the subject at all?
    (Wrong: This dilemma disappears once you learn all there is to know about Constructive Living.)
    
    
65. "When will I be one hundred percent free of my neurotic suffering?" wondered a student.
    "What percentage of your neurotic suffering have you overcome so far?"
    "If I say 20 percent you'll merely say I have 80 per cent to go."
    "Maybe your percentage has increased quite recently."
    Why did the instructor make this last statement?
    How long will it take for you to double your understanding of Constructive Living?
    (Wrong: I'll double my understanding in exactly twice as much time as it took to learn this much.)
    
    
66. "Hi, Simpleton!" Bill called to Steve as Steve entered the small cottage on the hill.
    "Here's the mail I was asked to deliver to you." Steve handed over the letters. "Are you coming down to the dining hall for lunch now?"
    Bill spun his chair toward the computer and turned it on.
    Steve went out.
    It was raining.
    What is the CL point of this koan?
    You are so clever to have solved this puzzle. How does it feel to have achieved another success?
    (Wrong: Bill couldn't get Steve angry by calling him a "Simpleton.")
    
    
67. "I know your reputation for extraordinary depth of understanding of Constructive Living. Are you as deep a person as I have been led to believe?" asked the visitor.
    "How could we check that query out from front and back?" replied Dr. Cann.
    What does Dr. Cann mean by "front and back" and how would one go about checking out the query?
    How do koans check out the front and back of your understanding of Constructive Living?
    (Wrong: "Front and back" means Dr. Cann's social facade and real self.)
    
    
68. "Why do you suppose I grasp Constructive Living so slowly?" Ernest wanted to know.
    "Some people make sense of Constructive Living principles the first time they hear them. Others must hear them again and again before making the connection with their experience. Still others never understand, no matter how many times they hear the principles," Godfrey remarked to Ernest.
    "I think I see what you're saying," Ernest replied.
    "Do you? What do you think about this?" Godfrey asked as he tossed a stapler across the room to Ernest.
    Though looking at Godfrey all the while Ernest didn't react quickly enough to catch the stapler.
    "Why did you do that?" he wanted to know.
    "Some people catch on quicker than others," muttered Godfrey.
    What did Godfrey mean?
    Quickly now, why did I assign you this koan?
    (Wrong: Hmmm, there are a lot of possible reasons for assigning me this koan. Perhaps you think I am like Ernest somehow, or like Godfrey.)
    
    
69. "All you've got is this," the instructor swept his arm in a broad arc.
    "But I've been told that I have great potential," objected the student.
    "You have no potential at all, just this," said the instructor as he pointed at the student.
    What did the instructor mean?
    With all your potential what might you become?
    (Wrong: The instructor was trying to keep the student from being conceited about his own potential.)
    
    
70. "When my mother was dying, when she needed the foundation of Constructive Living so urgently, where was it?"
    "It was in the hospital room."
    "After my mother died, when I needed the grounding of Constructive Living so desperately, where was it?"
    "It was at your bedside and in your kitchen, only you didn't notice it."
    Where else was it?
    What support does Constructive Living offer?
    (Wrong: If I pay attention and notice more, Constructive Living will save me.)
    
    
71. "Whosoever shall find his inner child shall empower himself to find total release from repression and full healing of the unconscious." "Whosoever achieves self-esteem and a feeling of well-being shall achieve all deeds imaginably possible." These words were posted on the door of a Constructive Living office next to a large happy face symbol.
    A puzzled student entered the office and inquired about the new material posted on the door.
    "If you understand the true meaning of those words it is possible for you to master Constructive Living," declared the instructor, "but first let's do some CL exercises."
    What is the true meaning of the words on the door?
    What is the usefulness of words on a door?
    (Wrong: One can achieve happiness through self empowerment.)
    
    
72. "Mastery of Constructive Living gives one no supernatural powers. Yet those who live the principles go trackless in the world," John explained.
    "You mean that they clean up their clutter as they go?" the student wanted to know.
    "They do so, but more than that they leave no trace."
    "Then how do you know they exist?"
    "I don't."
    "Why not?"
    "What?"
    "I said, 'Why not?'"
    "There are traces."
    What did John mean by going trackless?
    What did John mean by saying there are traces?
    (Wrong: Trackless means carrying back your coffee cup back to the kitchen sink when finished with it and other similar behaviors.)
    
    
73. In New York some people call Constructive Living a form of psychotherapy. In California some people call Constructive Living a form of education. In Japan some people call Constructive Living a form of ikikata (lifeway). What is Constructive Living really?
    Is the answer you just gave correct or not?
    (Wrong: Constructive Living is a form of education.)
    
    
74. "Sorry I'm so upset today. The traffic was terrible, and I allowed myself to become angry."
    "Then there are two of you?" inquired Julie.
    "No, I guess I should say more accurately that anger consumed me." "There are still two of you."
    What did Julie mean? What difference does it make how you express it?
    How did the answer to this koan occur to you?
    (Wrong: I just thought of it; it came to me.)
    
    
75. A student said to Paul, "Constructive Living principles are so useful; they make so much sense to me. Why do I keep forgetting them?"
    "What difference does it make if you remember them?" Paul replied.
    What did Paul mean?
    What difference does it make if you come up with an answer to this koan?
    (Wrong: If I remember the principles I'll act on them.)
    
    
76. "Where do neurotic symptoms go after they have been outgrown?"
    "To the same place past regrets go when we are focused on the present."
    "Where is that?"
    "Five hundred meters north of the North Pole."
    What prompts us to transform ourselves?
    (Wrong: Our environment prompts us to transform ourselves.)
    
    
77. "What holds me back from achieving success? Is it my childhood experience, my lack of motivation, my racial background, my unconscious need to fail, my neurotic symptoms, my desires themselves?"
    "You sense some sort of anchor dragging, holding you back?"
    "Yes. What is it?"
    "There is no anchor."
    Why does the instructor deny the existence of an anchor?
    Does your shinky nature make answering this koan more difficult?
    (Wrong: The instructor wants the student to think positively. If we ignore our limitations we can achieve anything.)
    
    
78. "My therapist always wants to talk about my tears."
    "Tears are just tears."
    "My therapist wants me to discover the meaning behind my tears."
    "Tears are still just tears."
    "Is there no meaning to them?"
    "The meaning you can talk about is not the meaning behind them."
    "To think so is to hold most psychotherapies meaningless."
    "So you say."
    What do you say about this issue?
    Is there meaning in Constructive Living?
    (Wrong: I agree that most therapies are meaningless.)
    
    
79. "If I could just accept my fear of public speaking I'd be all right."
    "When will you speak in public next?"
    "Next month. If I were to study CL diligently would I be able to overcome my fear and speak from confidence?"
    "Are you studying diligently now?
    "Yes." "Are you listening carefully to what I am saying?"
    "Yes."
    "If I were to promise you everything will be all right what would you say?"
    "I wouldn't believe you."
    "You haven't been listening carefully."
    Why did the instructor say the student hadn't been listening carefully?
    What if I were to say your answer to this koan is the best I'd ever heard?
    (Wrong: If the student were listening carefully she would believe the instructor.)
    
    
80. Turn on television and fresh reality enters your room. But you can't hide in a television set from your creditors. Do you think that television programs are unreal?
    Attend a therapy session and fresh reality enters your life. But you can't hide in therapy from your business partner. Do you think that therapy is unreal?
    Speak carefully and fresh reality appears before you. But you can't hide in words from your obsession. Do you think that words are unreal?
    Answering this koan brings fresh information into your mind. But you can't hide in this koan from my eyes. Do you think your answer has merit?
    (Wrong: Television, therapy sessions, and words are unreal.)
    
    
81. Whenever a student entered for an individual session Professor Jozu would ask, "Who is the instructor here?" Students were perplexed by the question until one day Sarah answered, "Your fly is unzipped." Then she stood up. "Where are you going?" asked the professor. "My notes are in the car. I'll get them," she replied and went out. "She knows that her notes are useless," Professor Jozu muttered to himself.
    Who is the instructor here?
    Are your notes useless?
    (Wrong: You are the instructor. My notes are useless.)
    
    
82. Professor Akira told his students:
    "Switch on the light. Where is the clock? Now switch off the light. Where is the clock? The clock has moved. Where is it now?"
    Why did Professor Akira say such a puzzling thing?
    As we talk about Professor Akira is the room dark or lighted?
    (Wrong: The professor moved the clock while the room was dark.)
    
    
83. Typing connects fingers to keyboard. Typing also connects nothings that are somethings to somethings that are nothings. Typing, writing, and speaking are bridges. You can't type a word abstractly.
    Between what islands are typing, writing, and speaking bridges?
    What do you think about this topic? (Wrong: Typing, writing, and speaking are bridges between people.)
    
    
84. "I don't do what doesn't need doing," said the student.
    "That's half of it," replied Vivian, the instructor.
    "You know nothing I don't already know," boasted the student.
    "May I offer you the other half?" offered Vivian.
    "Plenty of people don't do what I don't do," continued the student.
    "They were born with that option."
    The student pulled her glasses from her pocket, put them on, glanced about her, grinned, and walked from the room.
    "Not bad," Vivian remarked to herself.
    What did the student see with her glasses on?
    What is the difference, if any, between not doing what doesn't need doing and doing what needs doing?"
    (Wrong: There is no difference between the two. Also wrong: There is a difference between the two.)
    
    
85. A student, standing, asks "How can I get at the essence of Constructive Living?"
    "Sit down, please," the instructor replies.
    "All right, now, how can I comprehend Constructive Living's essence?"
    "You are sitting on it, at this very moment," was the reply.
    Explain to me the essence of this koan.
    (Wrong: The sofa on which the student is sitting is the essence of Constructive Living; it is real.)
    
    
86. A tape recorder can't become a Constructive Living instructor. A violin can't play music.
    However, an open window can become a Constructive Living instructor, and corn flakes can teach.
    Are the above statements true?
    What is the difference between a tape recorder and an open window?
    (Wrong: Constructive Living instructors have to be human.)
    
    
87. A wanted poster on the Post Office wall reads, "This man is wanted for murder."
    Next to it is a poster that reads, "This man saved lives; he is a hero."
    Both posters have photos showing the same face.
    Humans can be killers or rescuers. So can posters.
    Why?
    Is this koan a killer or a rescuer?
    (Wrong: This koan is a rescuer.)
    
    
88. "Often I know what needs doing, but I can't get myself to do it," complained Connie.
    "Who else can do everything for you?" asked her instructor.
    "Well, nobody else can do those things for me, of course," Connie replied.
    "You raised the issue, there is your answer," said the instructor.
    What did the instructor mean when he said "...there is your answer"?
    How do you get yourself to come up with an answer to this koan?
    (Wrong: The instructor meant that nobody else can do Connie's tasks for her so she must do them herself.)
    
    
89. "Is there an ideal personality type for becoming a Constructive Living instructor?" Gary wanted to know.
    "Where are you going with those car keys?" Mihoko wanted to know.
    "I'm about to drive to Ikebukuro, but first I want to know if there is an ideal personality type for becoming a CL instructor."
    "Did you have lunch yet?" Mihoko inquired.
    "Yes, but--"
    "I just showed you," Mihoko answered and walked away.
    What did Mihoko show Gary?
    Show me your personality.
    (Wrong: One's personality displays itself in actions.)
    
90. Constructive Living couldn't possibly work with non-Japanese.
    I'll live to be 136 years old if the UFO's don't get me first.
    I fear that no one will ever love me deeply.
    How are the above statements vanquished with deep breathing and a shoe shine?
    If I do the deep breathing and shoe shine can you guarantee that my anxiety will go away?
    (Wrong: Deep breathing is necessary for meditation, the meditation clears the mind and vanquishes the statements.)
    
    
91. "I have overcome my shyness through CL. But what if the shyness returns? Will CL work for me again? I worry about that question."
    "Did you overcome it? Did you really overcome it?"
    "If I worry I just worry. Worry, worry."
    "That's the spirit! That's the spirit!"
    Why do the student and the instructor repeat themselves?
    When the student asks, "Why do I worry? Why do I worry?" how do you answer.
    (Wrong: The student and instructor repeat themselves to make their statements easy to hear.)
    
    
92. I find it useful to read a variety of CL books and study with a number of CL instructors.
    There is only one book and one instructor.
    Why does the instructor say there is only one book and one instructor?
    Show me the book and the instructor.
    (Wrong: All CL books have the same general content and all CL instructors teach the same general material.)
    
    
93. When you overcome your neurotic tendencies whom do you overcome? When you win the game of life whom do you defeat? When you succeed at your work who benefits?
    With whom are you in competition?
    How does your answer compare with that of a more experienced CL person?
    (Wrong: My answer is better than that of a more experienced CL person. Also wrong: My answer is worse than that of a more experienced CL person. Also wrong: Until I hear that person's answer I can't evaluate which is better.)
    
    
94. A CL instructor and her student are playing catch.
    "My suffering is especially severe," the student complains.
    "Here, catch this one," the instructor throws the ball.
    The student catches it.
    "You are on the right track. The ball is special, too," so the instructor teaches the student.
    What does the instructor mean when saying that the student is on the right track?
    Is your answer to this koan especially perceptive?
    (Wrong: The student correctly perceives his suffering to be special so the student is on the right track.)
    
    
95. Two instructors, Mihoko and Haruyo, are talking together.
    "What will we do if CL really were to start to become popular?" Mihoko wonders.
    "If you asked that question to DKR instead of to me how would he answer?" responds Haruyo.
    "What kind of person is DKR anyway?" asks Mihoko.
    "It's hard to say."
    "Ouch! This coffee is hot!"
    What kind of playing is going on here?
    If you were to give a different answer to this koan could it possibly be right?
    (Wrong: No other answer could be right. Also wrong: Another answer could be right.)
    
    
96. Ann became a certified Constructive Living instructor, but she never instructed other students. It was enough for her to use CL principles in her own life. But she can't use CL principles in her own life. Why?
    Why can't you use CL principles in your life?
    (Wrong: Because they are so difficult.)
    
    
97. Where is the understanding of Reality located? Where is the understanding of CL principles embedded?
    If you understand the answers to these questions then you understand where the answers to all questions are located. Why?
    (Wrong: Answers to all questions can be found in CL books.)
    
    
98. "Do you think the action element or the reciprocity element of Constructive Living is the more important?" a new student asked.
    Dan, the instructor, laughed.
    "Why are you laughing?" the student asked.
    "What a question!" roared Dan, laughing even more.
    What was Dan teaching the student?
    Was Dan sitting at his word processor as he laughed? (Wrong: Dan was laughing because the new student came up with such deep and difficult questions early in her study of CL.)
    
    
99. A student asked his CL instructor, Lynn, her opinion of why his in-laws treated him so badly.
    Lynn simply replied, "Is that so."
    The student asked again for Lynn's opinion on the matter.
    Lynn advised him to stand on his head and then decide whether he wanted to ask the question again.
    The student stood on his head and asked again.
    Lynn ignored him and walked away.
    Would you answer the student's question differently?
    Why do you think the student was so persistent?
    (Wrong: Because he sincerely wanted an answer. Also wrong: Because he didn't sincerely want an answer.)
    
    
100. Student: I never met Morita, Yoshimoto, or Reynolds, so I can't really evaluate the worth of Constructive Living.
     Instructor: In a darkened room it is wise to walk carefully.
     Student: However, because I never met them I can't criticize them either.
     Instructor: Don't mistake a modem for the Internet.
     Student: I've been thinking about buying a CL book and reading it, but, given that I don't know these people, perhaps it's not a good idea to do so.
     Instructor: In a pitch black room where is the light switch? Don't ask me!
     What did the instructor mean by saying that it is wise to walk carefully in a darkened room?
     Why did the instructor advise the student that when looking for a light switch "Don't ask me"?
     (Wrong: Because the instructor doesn't know where the light switch is.)
     
     

Wading Through the Rapids When the Bridge is Out:
A Constructive Living Interpretation of the Mumonkan

The title of this chapter is adapted from the commentary on case number forty-four of the Mumonkan, another collection of Zen koans. Again, I have borrowed these koans for use in Constructive Living. As noted above, In Constructive Living we may construe the koans somewhat differently from the interpretations of most Zen teachers, accepting one correct verbal response to each koan. We in Constructive Living are, after all, not aiming for enlightenment, merely a realistic outlook on the world.

The reader may wish to go to the original koans or to translations with commentaries for comparison. The puzzles below are in the same order as that of the original, compiled koans. Two such compilations include Shibayama, Zenkei. Zen Comments on the Mumonkan. (Kudo, Sumiko, transl.) New York, New American Library, 1974 and Sekida, Katsuki, transl. Two Zen Classics. New York, Weatherhill, 1977.

Of course, no answers to these puzzles are provided here. The value and pleasure of this endeavor lie in the working out of the correct responses by oneself (to the extent that any activity can be undertaken by oneself). For assistance in solving the puzzles or making sense of them the reader may wish to turn to the books Constructive Living, Playing Ball on Running Water, Even in Summer the Ice Doesn't Melt, Water Bears No Scars, Pools of Lodging for the Moon, A Thousand Waves, Flowing Bridges, Quiet Waters, and others. However, the best strategy for solving the puzzles is to keep one's senses open to Reality. The solutions are right before your eyes.

The Door without a Knob

How can you go out of your room through a door without a knob? The room isn't locked. There is no key. Only a door without hinges. Yet it isn't a window. How do you open it?

You can get through the door. If you head for the door and not the wall, that is. Butting your head against the wall produces headaches. No exit there. Can you see the door's frame? Can you see the bounding walls of your room?

No one can prevent you from exiting your room. You need not prepare yourself to walk through the door. You need not decide to walk out or motivate yourself to walk out or convince yourself of the need to walk out or otherwise make your mind ready to walk out. Do not be deceived.

Many will train you in their styles of walking toward the door. But you know already how to walk. Many will teach you to draw a map of your room. But you know your room intimately. You know already how to walk toward the door. Now go through it!

Do the Id, Ego, and Superego Exist?

A student asked the teacher, "Do the id, ego, and superego really exist?"

"You tell me," the teacher answered.

Commentary

If the student answers with a "Yes" then which part of the student is answering--the id, the ego, or the superego?

If the student answers with a "No" then how do you explain the question and the answer?

If the student has no answer then how are the student and the teacher the same? How are they different? Does that similarity and difference really exist?

Pass through the door and join those strolling in freedom. Share the eyes and ears of those who are unbounded.

"But is my answer right or wrong?" asks the student.

"Whatever you say," replies the teacher.

Why Do I Do What I Do?

A graduate student came up to Professor Toi after his morning lecture. "I attended your class today although I am not a student of this department. I began as a student of sociology but another student asked me 'Why do you study sociology?' I gave the student the usual answers such as 'It interests me,' 'I like the professors,' 'It is easy for me to get good grades in sociology,' and so forth. But the more I talked the more I began to doubt the answers I was so blithely putting forth. There were other subjects that interested me, other professors I liked, other courses with easy grades. So I changed my major to psychology. I am doomed to study psychology for the rest of my life, and I seem to be no nearer to understanding myself than before. Tell me, do psychologists' minds obey the laws of psychology even as we invent our understandings of those laws?"

Professor Toi answered, "The psychologist doesn't ignore the laws of psychology."

The graduate student achieved a deep insight into his own psychological functioning upon hearing these words. Shortly thereafter he changed his major and left psychology.

Another student of Professor Toi's heard this story and asked the Professor what would have happened if the graduate student had found the real reason why he studied sociology?

The Professor began to pull from his drawer an extensive bibliography, but the student threw a book at him and ran away. Professor Toi gave the student an A+ for that quiz.

Cross-eyed Vision

Whenever students asked Professor Hara what were the unstated assumptions of his theory of human behavior he would cross his eyes and shout, "Look!"

Professor Hara's graduate student had seen the Professor shock people with his answer so many times that when the student was asked by a fellow about the Professor's unstated assumptions, the graduate answered by crossing his eyes and shouting, "Look!" But the Professor overheard him and poked him in the eyes with two fingers.

The student started to run screaming from the room. The Professor shouted to him, "Look!" and crossed his eyes. The student crashed into a wall then ran through the door laughing.

Before the Professor died he told his students, "Every time I cross my eyes I see something new."

One Good Turn Deserves Another

A physics major asked the Professor, "How can I control my feelings in order to be happy all the time?"

The Professor answered, "Why are you already happy all the time?"

"Huh?" said the student.

Words and Experience

A student said to the Professor, "You keep telling us that experiential knowledge is essential for understanding reality. You tell us that we must act on reality and check its response to our actions. You tell us to distrust words and intellectual knowledge. Yet you use words all the time. You teach us with words. How can you answer this paradox without contradicting yourself? If you reply with words you validate the importance of the very abstractions you denounce. If you remain silent you fail to teach me your answer and I'll transfer to another class. How will you answer my question?"

How would you answer the student's question?

The Clock Face

"Close your eyes. Don't look. Is there a clock in this classroom?" The instructor was testing his students.

One graduate student smiled.

"All right, open your eyes."

The students looked around. The graduate student smiled. I didn't say he smiled again.

"You can give the lecture next week," the instructor said.

Sweeping up the Shavings

"I have just been transferred to your class," the student told the Professor.

"Are your pencils sharp?"

"Of course," replied the student.

"Then sweep up the shavings," advised the Professor.

"But my pencils are already sharp," observed the puzzled student.

"Sweep up the shavings," repeated the Professor.

Worry Stew

During the Professor's office hours a troubled freshman came seeking counsel. The freshman had worries which he believed interfered with studying.

The Professor suggested that the student worry wholeheartedly. The student was to worry while walking, to worry while taking notes in class, and to worry while studying. The student was to hold on to the worrying without ever letting go throughout the day. But the student was not to let the worrying or the worrying about worrying or the worrying about worrying about worrying stop him from walking to class, writing notes in class, sitting at the desk in the library, and so forth. Whenever there were no concrete worries to trouble him, the student was to worry without any content to the worrying. The student was to become a fish swimming in a sea of worries.

What was the result?

You'll Never Become a Graduate Student

What do you mean when you say that neurotic students never become cured students? What do you mean when you say I'll never become a graduate student? Surely, I can see graduate students all around the campus here. I'll never become like them? What do you mean?

You've answered your own question.

But I have the ability. I study hard. Why won't I go on to graduate school?

Because you won't become a graduate student.

Mending the Social Fabric

"I'm having trouble in my social life. What can you do for me?" the undergraduate sat before the counselor in the Student Counseling Center.

"Are you there?" called the counselor in a loud voice.

"Huh?" responded the student.

"Are you there?" called the counselor once again.

"I'm here," said the undergraduate with a puzzled frown.

"Your social life is going well."

A Fitting Reply

During a review session for the upcoming midterm exam the teaching assistant asked a particularly difficult question. John raised his hand and answered the question.

"You must study harder, I'm afraid," the teaching assistant told John.

During the next day's review session Marty raised his hand and gave the same answer to the same question.

"Well thought out, Marty," the teaching assistant praised the student.

One question, two answers. All the same. Or so it seems. Why was one response rejected and the other accepted?

An Unusual Monologue

Every morning before his first class Professor Heibon spoke into a tape recorder. He was overheard to say, "Professor Heibon, pay attention today." "All right," he answered himself. "Don't get distracted from purposes," he went on. "No, I won't."

What the students didn't know was that Professor Heibon played the tape back every evening at home. Why?

A Holy Day

Professor Futsu was engrossed in his research. He forgot that Monday was a holiday and no classes would be held. He walked into the empty classroom prepared to teach. One of his teaching assistants was taking advantage of the quiet empty classroom to study. The teaching assistance laughed at professor Futsu and explained that the day was a holiday.

"Thank you," was all the Professor said, and he left.

The next day the Professor lectured as usual. Yet, in the teaching assistant's eyes, a new and finer Professor was lecturing.

A Graded Exercise

After class one day a group of very bright students were arguing in the hallway. Half of them were holding for psychodynamic explanations of human behavior. Half of them were holding for behavioristic explanations of human behavior. Professor Kimben walked out of the classroom and heard their debate.

"I am about to give one of you here in the hallway a grade of 'A' for the whole semester. If any of you can tell me without doubt on the basis of your psychological theory who that person will be I'll give that person an 'A' also."

The students looked at one another. Nearly all of them expected to get the highest grade in the class. No one could answer without some doubt. Their psychological theories seemed not so useful in predicting Professor Kimben's future action.

The Professor proceeded down the hall.

During office hours the next day the Professor told his teaching assistant of the incident. The teaching assistant apologized as he reached for the Professor's grade book. The Professor slapped his hand away smiling. "If you had been in the hallway you would have received an 'A' grade."

East is East, and West is West

"What did you do last summer?" the Professor asked a new student at the beginning of the semester.

"I studied for my entrance exams," the student replied.

"That's all you did?"
"Yes."

"I'll let you into the class anyway," the Professor remarked.

All night the student was obsessed with the Professor's words. The next day the student asked why the Professor admitted her into the class "anyway." Had she said something wrong?

The Professor laughed and threw a blackboard eraser at her. She ducked.

"Much better," chuckled the Professor.

Homesite or Home sight

The following announcement was posted on the bulletin board:

"You are free to study and free to refrain from studying. If you don't study you will fail. You are free to fail. But, given these restrictions and your desire to pass the course, are you really free?"

Lee does homework assignments regularly. Is Lee free or bound? Is Lee diligent or compulsive?

Someone has argued that 'freedom is discipline.' Is there meaning in that argument? Whose freedom? Whose discipline?

Unannounced Quiz

"Today we'll have an unannounced quiz," said Professor Mata.

Most of the students groaned. One foreign student wordlessly took out a clean sheet of paper and put his books on the floor.

The very next day Professor Mata gave another unannounced quiz. Again the foreign student took out a clean sheet of paper and put his books on the floor.

Few students showed up for the next class. Once more, Professor Mata announced a surprise quiz. Again, the foreign student took out a clean sheet of paper and put his books on the floor.

Professor Mata gave the foreign student the highest grade even before looking at the answers written on the paper.

What is Psychology?

"What is psychology?" Professor S. Koi asked his top student, his eyes twinkling.

"Your eyes!" replied the student immediately.

"Huh?" The sound erupted from another student who overheard the exchange.

"Exactly!" said Professor S. Koi and his top student simultaneously.

Some beginning students wanted to argue whether the answers were right or wrong. Questions and answers cannot be taken out of context. They ARE context.

Mastering the Course Material

One student seemed obsessed with mastering the course material taught in Life 101. He went to the Professor during office hours to find out the most effective way to study.

"You don't need to study," he was told.

"Of course I need to study. I haven't good control of the course material yet," objected the student.

"Then study."

"How?"

"You don't need to study."

"But you just told me to study."

"Then study."

"How?"

"You don't need to study."

"I give up. We're going around in circles."

"What a variety of study methods there are!"

Losing Track of the Current Textbook Page

"Passing this course has nothing to do with getting good grades on the examinations," Doctor Icho announced on the first day of class.

"Then how do we demonstrate our knowledge of the course material?" asked one student reasonably.

"With and without pen and pencil, with and without your desk, with and without questions and answers. There is no examination sheet of the proper size to measure your proficiency."

"But how can you give us a grade?" the student persisted.

"You are failing and passing at this point," Dr. Icho assessed.

What did he mean by that?

Neon Truths

"What is anthropology?" a sophomore asked.

"Bullshit!" exclaimed the Professor.

"Wow! I didn't expect an answer like that. Are you serious?" continued the student.

"Bullshit!" again the Professor exclaimed.

"Are you going to give me the same answer to all my questions?"

"No."

"Then--"

"Bullshit!" the Professor interrupted.

"But you said--"

"One question at a time," the Professor interrupted again.

Extra-curricular Activity

Seiko wondered whether to join the Constructive Living Club which met on a regular basis on campus. She went to visit the faculty advisor.

"You got your degree at UCLA, didn't you?" Seiko inquired.

"Yes."

"Did UCLA offer a certificate in Constructive Living, too?"

"No."

"Does Constructive Living offer a license to practice psychotherapy?"

"No."

"Well, at least the Constructive Living Club offers psycho- spiritual development on a personal level."

"No."

"But, I thought it would give me a leg up on life."

"Your expectations are off the mark. This Club offers nothing you talk about seeking." And the advisor walked away.

Cascade of Words

Sam followed his faculty advisor right into graduate school. Sam wanted a doctor's degree just like that of his professor. On the first day of graduate school Professor Stone offered Sam a certificate for his doctorate immediately.

"You may have this doctor's degree right now, if you wish," said Professor Stone.

Sam realized that the degree without the work and understanding was not what he wanted. He refused the certificate and asked for instruction instead.

"Teach me the course material," he pleaded, leaning forward on the desk.

As Professor Stone reached across the desk to shake hands his arm brushed against a large dictionary. It began to topple. Sam caught the book before it fell.

"Where was the course material just now?" Professor Stone asked. Sam began to tremble. "Was it proper or improper to keep the book from falling? Should we debate the issue while the book falls? How did you know that what needed doing was to catch the book?"

"I'm beginning to catch on," proclaimed Sam. "I never thought of our discipline in that light. Thank you very much. Is there any advanced text I should read now?"

"No," replied his mentor. "You are your own best text because you are real. You are reality, and reality is your constant teacher."

Examination Blues

Bo was confused. Even though he studied hard, whatever he wrote for an exam was marked incorrect by Professor Bloodworthy. When he turned in an exam with a blank sheet it, too, was marked incorrect. So he wondered how he could turn in an acceptable exam paper. Bo went to see the Professor during office hours and presented his dilemma.

"'I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.' Or an examination answer lovely as a tree, either," mused Professor Bloodworthy.
"But the blank examination was wrong, too," complained Bo.

"Of course," said the Professor. "When you write an exam paper write an exam paper; when you quote a poem quote a poem. And when you see the results of exam or poem see the results."

"But--"

Professor Bloodworthy held his finger to his lips and ushered Bo out the office door.

What is the lesson here?

Pop Quiz

"Today we'll have a surprise quiz. We'll conduct the quiz orally. Peter, tell us the main theme of this course."

Peter rose from his desk and said, "In this terrific course I've learned so much I just can't put it all into words!" He sat down.

Peter gave a cunning response. He didn't mention a main theme at all. Or did he?

Clearing the Board

When the class was over Professor Lawless, without a word, pointed to the blackboard. Two students simultaneously rose from their seats and erased the blackboard. "Something gained; something lost," said the good Professor.

Was he talking about the blackboard? About the two students? About his wordless request? About a more general principle? What is gained, and what is lost when we engage in constructive activity (such as erasing a blackboard)? What is gained and what is lost whether or not we engage in constructive activity?

Interview After Class

"You have written many books and articles about Constructive Living. Could there be anything left to write about it?"

"Yes and no."

"What is left to write about?"

"Whatever is left unwritten."

"Can you give me a straight answer?"

"Can you ask me a straight question?"

Turning off the Lights

The Professor and his leading graduate student were discussing scholarly topics until well into the evening. As the student started to leave the Professor's office she noticed that the hallway was quite dark. The Professor switched on the lights in the corridor, but as the student stepped into the hallway the Professor switched off the lights again. The student was so startled that she dropped her textbooks. As she stooped and groped around to pick them up a smile lit up her face. She realized that in the hallway textbooks wouldn't serve as flashlights.

Where is Culture?

Over lunch in the faculty lounge several anthropologists were engaged in a debate. One of them held that culture lies in the minds of the members of a society. One of them argued that culture lies in the minds of anthropologists who study the members of a society. One of them argued that culture lies in the real world outside of people's minds.

Sitting at an adjoining table a strange faculty member overheard the conversation.

"Have you considered that culture lies only in your minds now?" he proffered.

He might have been right, but he just as well could have been sitting at the same table with them.

What is Neurosis?

"What is neurosis?" the freshman asked.

"Your very question is neurotic," replied the senior.

"I don't understand."

"Much better," was the senior's response.

Neither student would qualify for an advanced degree. Their conversation sails on the breeze like a paper airplane. But the wind blows in a desirable direction.

Constructive Living

"How can I understand Constructive Living?"

"Go ahead and read this text."

"All right." The student sat down and began reading the text in order to understand Constructive Living.

"Unfortunate, and such a studious fellow, too," said Patricia, the teaching assistant, half to herself.

The student overheard the teaching assistant's words. He went to Ron, another teaching assistant, to discover the meaning of Patricia's utterance.

Ron told the student to wait while he went to check with Patricia directly. When he returned he said to the student, "I talked with Patricia. Unfortunate, and you are such a studious fellow, too."

The Writing on the Wall

Professor Megane was writing on the blackboard as a student from another college approached him. The student asked, "Can you explain to me the principles of Constructive Living without speaking and without silence?"
The professor continued writing on the blackboard without even turning around.

The student gasped, "I see now!" And he thanked the professor for the lesson.

A student sitting nearby overheard the exchange. The second student asked the professor what lesson had been taught. Professor Megane remarked that when students are properly prepared for a lesson it is quite easy to teach it to them.

Where is my Mind?

A very clever student came to see Professor Marukiri with the question "Where is my mind?"

The professor reached up with the eraser of his pencil to scratch his head and dropped the pencil on the floor. The student reached down to pick up the pencil.

"There is your mind!" shouted the professor, pointing in the direction of the pencil.

"Where?" wondered the student, puzzled.

"There it is," exclaimed the professor, but he was no longer pointing toward the pencil.

"But where?" again asked the student.

"Ah, now it is gone altogether," observed Professor Marukiri with a touch of sorrow.

Then What is my Mind?

"All right," continued the student. "I don't understand what you mean about where my mind is, but at least teach me what my mind is."
"The mind you are talking about is not your mind," Professor Marukiri explained. "Furthermore, you cannot understand your mind with reason or intellect as you wish to do."

"But I am a psychology major," retorted the student. "I study the mind or psyche with my reason every day."

"There are words called 'mind' and 'psyche' which can be turned over and analyzed by reason and intellect. However, they are not your mind." And, thus, the professor let the cat out of the bag, observing that cat and bag are separate.

Will the Real Me Make Itself Known?

I am no longer ten years old, but I can remember what it was like to be ten.

Can you?

I haven't yet died, but I shall live on in the minds of my loved ones.

Will you?

Yesterday I went shopping for a lawnmower.

Did you?

Tomorrow I'll keep my appointment with the doctor.

Will you?

But I am me, aren't I?

Which 'me' are you talking about?

This me.

No doubt about it. Look, here you are again!

A Dilemma of Progress

"Sometimes I notice how well I am doing, keeping up with the homework assignments and understanding the lessons. Then I get confused because that self-consciousness seems to interfere with my doing the homework assignments and understanding the lessons. Should I try to ignore this tendency to observe my own progress? Or should I watch myself watching myself watch myself?"
"Good question. Here, have a seat. Okay, now get up. Good! Now go back to your homework."

Eating One's Words

"What do you think are the implications of the introduction of Constructive Living into the West at this time in human history?"

"I'm hungry."

"Yes, but--"

"Let's go eat."

A Tale of a Tail

There is an extension student who gets himself to buy books and tapes about Constructive Living. He gets himself to attend lectures and seminars and workshops about Constructive Living. He gets himself to study the materials about Constructive Living. Furthermore, he has a good intellectual understanding of Constructive Living. Why doesn't he get himself to do his homework and put Constructive Living into practice in his daily life?

It may help you to close your eyes and ponder this difficult problem.

No Sand Bars on these Rapids

"After all," quoted the janitor, "'Effort is good fortune.'"

"Aren't those Morita's words?" asked the departmental administrative assistant.

"Yes, certainly."

"Snared you there," pounced the administrative assistant.

"But I don't see anything wrong with what the janitor said," remarked a nearby secretary. "I think he quoted Morita correctly."

What was the janitor's error? Expand your explanation to other behaviors beyond the act of speaking.

Obliteration

The Professor held up a blackboard eraser before the class. "The word eraser comes from the Latin word radere meaning to scratch or to scrape." The Professor wrote the Latin word on the board. "That word is clearly inappropriate for this object--it is soft, not abrasive. It rubs or polishes away chalk rather than scratching it out."

He continued, "Let us consider a more appropriate term for this object, a term more on the level of such psychological terms as 'dysfunctional,' 'addictive personality,' and 'narcissism.'"

An outstanding student rose from her desk, took the eraser from the Professor's hand, and erased the Latin term from the blackboard.

"Why, thank you," the Professor smiled. "That's enough of a lesson for today. Class dismissed."

Fixing Your Mind

After psychology class a student came up to Dr. Furugi. His problem was not an academic one, but a personal matter.

"I am troubled and confused. My mind isn't at peace. I don't feel comfortable with others. I don't feel good about myself. Help me."

"The problem is in your unconscious. Please hand it over. I have a temporary poultice in this drawer that will be effective."

After a pause, "But I don't know how to give you my unconscious to work on."

"All right, then. I'll settle for your confusion, your tormented mind, or your nervousness. Quick! Present them for treatment!"

After a longer pause, "But I can't!"

"Is that so? Never mind. I gave you the cure already."

Alternatives

Jim took harmful drugs and slept through most of his classes. His family and girlfriend explained to him the wisdom of giving up drugs. They presented quite clear, rational, and understandable arguments for living a healthy life and staying awake during class. He listened and agreed with them. But he didn't stop taking drugs.
One day a close friend who had recently given up drugs came to sit by Jim on the lawn in front of the gymnasium. The friend said nothing. He just sat and looked at Jim, and tears fell from his eyes. From that day Jim gave up drugs.

Why was this friend, with no counseling experience and no exceptional reasoning abilities, so effective? Were the words of Jim's family and girlfriend wasted?

Looking Down a Well

If you say Constructive Living is Japanese you are wrong. If you say Constructive Living is not Japanese you are wrong. Well, what is it? Japanese or not? Or is it not {Japanese-or-not}? Or, perhaps, not not {Japanese-or-not})? Or maybe...

Making Sense of the Scenery

Professor Ishii took his students on a geologic expedition. The professor could show a great deal to those who had prepared for the trip. Those who went unprepared spent their time in the bus poring over maps and charts and texts.

Possessed

Professor Chie picked up an armload of textbooks.

"I have written these books, but they aren't mine," she told the class. "To whom do they belong?"

Where to Next?

Shawn felt anxious as the day of graduation approached. Lynn was concerned about what to do with that newly-achieved doctorate. Stacey was licensed and certified and restive. The newly-appointed Chairperson for the Department of Behavioral Science and the newly- hired Chancellor of the University were in the same boat. Now that they had arrived, achieved their life's ambition, where was there to go?

Momentary Psychology

"You study psychology, but you can learn more by studying yourselves. When you understand yourself you understand life and death. When you understand life and death you understand this moment. When you understand this m