Koan
The man in the tree
A man hangs from a branch by his teeth, his hands and feet touching nothing. Someone below asks him the meaning of Zen. If he stays silent, he fails the questioner. If he answers, he falls. What should he do?
Xiangyan, The Gateless Gate, case 5
How to sit with it
Think of a bind you are in where every option looks wrong. Sit with the bind itself for a while before you choose.
Read it once more, slowly. Then sit for two minutes and let it stay in the background. There is nothing to solve. New to this? Read what a koan is.
