The idea of ‘
killing the
Buddha’ comes from a
famous
Zen line, the context
of which is easy to imagine:
After years on his
cushion, a
monk has what he believes is
a breakthrough: an
experience of
nirvana, the
Buddhamind, the
big pay-off.
Reporting the
experience to
his
master, however, he is
informed that what he has
experienced is par for the
course,
nothing special,
maybe even
damaging to his
pursuit. And then he is given
dismaying
advice: If you
meet the
Buddha, he is told,
kill him.
Why kill the Buddha?
Because the Buddha you
meet is not the true Buddha,
but an expression of your
longing. If this Buddha is not
killed he will only stand in
your way.
From the Manifesto of http://www.killingthebuddha.com/ better known as the radical (in just about every sense) theological e-zine 'killing the buddha.'