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Audio | view transcript

No Dependence on Words and Letters

by Sangharakshita

Some things we know from experience, some things we apprehend only at second-hand. In confusing these two, we miss the essence of Zen.

N.B. Poor original recording.

Talk given in 1965.

This talk is part of the series The Essence of Zen.

Tracks (click play to listen)

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	1.	The Zen school specialises in meditation; “a special transmission outside the scriptures” (6:04)
	2.	”No dependence on words and letters”; dependence on words or, at least, sounds; What does it mean 'to know'? (8:16)
	3.	Living more intensely, more in the present, closer to reality; knowledge as almost entirely second hand (6:46)
	4.	Dependence on purely spiritual matters; knowledge of Buddhism (5:09)
	5.	What stands in the way of real knowledge? Confusion between second hand and real knowledge (7:27)
	6.	Learning to appreciate silence (3:44)
	7.	Nothing has been said: the Lankavatara and Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutras (5:11)
	8.	Using words to become free of words (2:34)