I saw this quote on my social media feeds. Made me sit up:

In Zen, we don’t find the answers. We lose the questions.

What a beautiful way to describe Zen practice. I’m guessing that’s the intended outcome of Zen koans too. Ever heard of the famous Zen koan “What’s the sound of one hand clapping?” It’s a question that perhaps we are meant to lose, because trying to find the answer is the process, not the outcome.

I had always loved collecting questions. I believe that asking a beautiful question is more important for our self growth than finding the right answer. Because an answer is fixed in a specific space and time when the learning moment occured, and gets outdated immediately upon conception. A question, however, is a springboard for better answers, which quickly evolves into more beautiful questions upon contact with reality. I was under the impression that self growth is just finding question after question, and one’s spiritual journey involves diving ever deeper from one inquiry to another… But it seems, I am mistaken. 

Ultimately, you lose even the questions. 

It’s mind-blowing and mind-boggling. In a space where there are no answers to latch on to, and no questions to guide the path, how does one abide? 

Or perhaps, just perhaps, this is my koan?