Well, I am not an expert on Buddhism, but from what I understand it is indeed that complicated. Or, at least, it can be. The point of the "If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha" koan is that one should free oneself from received doctrine and preconceptions. Everyone must find his own route to enlightenment, and relying on doctrine is an impediment, because some other guy's path is not necessarily your path. So, Sanzo's dogmatic attachment to his idea of "non-attachment" is Ironic with a capital "I."
This question does become an important plot point; I won't go into detail though 'cause I don't want to spoil anything.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-16 03:37 pm (UTC)This question does become an important plot point; I won't go into detail though 'cause I don't want to spoil anything.