The Deep Philosophy Within Zen Humour

Abstract

The more people succumb to dualistic thinking in confronting the polarities in life, the more they become entrapped in conflict. But if we are able to see these polarities as finding guideposts for finding a way through conflict—each element of them as an essential part of a larger truth, we can achieve meaningful intervention. There is a deeper ‘middle path’ open to each of us. This point about dualism and thinking through categories is seen in the deeper Zen humour. The Zen Master was surrounded by his followers and they wanted him to something deep and he said, ‘There is a river’. Then a younger follower asked further question and the Master said ‘All right there is no river’. This is collapsing of categories. There is also a philosopher who came to visit the Master and the Master had a pot of tea and a cup with a saucer and asked him to pour the tea but it was all overflowing, and the Master said your head is full of overflowing theories, be simple. There are more anecdotes in the present work, their humour was very deep. The tragic and the comic should not be converted into absolute categories.