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Our thoughts change constantly. Our physical body changes constantly. The entire world changes constantly. This is all part of what we call impermanence. And impermanence…

One day a Zen master asked a junior monk, "Can you grasp the intangible?" Monk replied, "Yes." "How?" The junior monk then waved his hands in the air with a grasping gesture. The Master told him,"You don't know how." Monk asked, "Well, how do you do it then?" The Zen master grasped the monk's nose and squeeze it hard. In pain the monk cried out, "Let it go, that hurts!" Master said, "That's how you grasp the intangible."

Nothing beyond your mind. With the right understanding and introspection, you can determine whether your thoughts and emotions are harmful. You will realize whether your approach has been in error. When the right understanding prevails throughout your life, you will gradually move toward a state of peace. And you will experience lasting happiness and joy. ¶ by Zen Master Miao Tsan

To me the teaching of reliance on meaning instead of word is not just a warning against literal interpretation of Buddha's teaching - that would be substituting our words for Buddha's words. Given our deluded state of mind, I actually prefer staying with the Buddha's words. So what gives something meaning? It seems that meaning emerges only when concepts finally meets reality and become alive. In other words, we finally…