If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him

How paradoxical to attempt the slaying of a man who wished harm on no one, and yet, it is very much in alignment with what I understand about Buddhism. Bear with me here; I'm not an expert.

In the Kalama Sutta Buddha says, "Do not accept anything because it comes from the mouth of a respected person. Rather, observe closely and if it is to the benefit of all, accept and abide by it." Buddhism is a spiritual path that most in the Judeo Christian faith find difficult to understand. Buddhism really doesn't follow any belief structure as stringent as that of Christianity or Islam.

The Buddha taught that you were supposed to free yourself from the shackles of what you have been led to believe is true and accept that which you understand from empirical knowledge. Buddhism is built upon observation and the rebuttal of faith in tradition. The Judeo-Christian sects are built upon blind faith in the face of observed events. You would never catch a Buddhist handling a poisonous snake to prove his piety.

Zen Master Lin Chi spoke thus, "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet a Patriarch, kill the Patriarch." Lin Chi isn't condoning murder, he is using a metaphor to explain the nature of Buddhism. Don't believe what some one says, no matter how holy they are, just because they say it. Listen to their words and then explore them yourself.... Kill Buddha.

Dae Kwang "Kill the Buddha" 1997, Providence Zen Center, http://www.kwanumzen.com/pzc/newsletter/v09n10-1997-October-DKZM-KillTheBuddha.html

Slowing his pace a bit, Will observed their work, noting the raw power required to lift out the piles of dirt and rock. The men paid him no attention, and continued to haul the dirt from the channel. He watched as the bulldozer they controlled dug, lifted, and emptied over and over at their command. But then he saw it: BUDA... It had haunted his nights of meditation, and crept in upon him now in the bright of day. The behemoth, the bulldozer, had emblazoned on its side the name, BUDA, and here he was on the road, meeting the strange beast. One thought seared through him--I must kill it! He paused, started to turn, and then, a moment of clarity--he returned to his path. Not the Buddha, not the Buddha...