What is the difference in understanding between Zen and other religions regarding communication and transfer of ideas?

Question: OUR BELOVED MASTER, TOZAN SAID: THE TEACHING OF THUSNESS HAS BEEN INTIMATELY COMMUNICATED BY BUDDHAS AND PATRIARCHS. NOW YOU HAVE IT, SO KEEP IT WELL. FILLING A SILVER BOWL WITH SNOW, HIDING A HERON IN THE MOONLIGHT -- WHEN YOU ARRAY THEM, THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. WHEN YOU MIX THEM, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. THE MEANING IS NOT IN THE WORDS, YET IT RESPONDS TO THE INQUIRING IMPULSE. IF YOU ARE EXCITED, IT BECOMES A PITFALL; IF YOU MISS IT, YOU FALL INTO RETROSPECTIVE HESITATION. TURNING AWAY AND TOUCHING ARE BOTH WRONG, FOR IT IS LIKE A MASS OF FIRE. JUST TO DEPICT IT IN LITERARY FORM IS TO RELEGATE IT TO DEFILEMENT. IT IS BRIGHT JUST AS MIDNIGHT. IT DOESN'T APPEAR AT DAWN. IT ACTS AS A GUIDE FOR BEINGS -- ITS USE REMOVES ALL PAIN. ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT FABRICATED, IT IS NOT WITHOUT SPEECH.

Our beloved master, when he was with kyozan, ryusen was the monk in charge of food. One day a strange monk came and asked for a meal, at which ryusen gave him part of his own. Kyozan knew of this but called ryusen to him and asked, "that enlightened monk who came just now -- did he give you any food?" ryusen said, "he denied himself and passed on his alms." kyozan commented: "you made a great profit."

And do you know why people offer coconuts? There was a time some five thousand years back, when men's actual heads were offered -- living men, young, in robust health, that was the condition. But because it was a great ritual and whoever offered themselves became immensely loved by the society. And particularly, the idea of meeting God... But slowly slowly, people started thinking that this is very stupid: nobody has returned, nobody has even written a postcard saying, "We have arrived," or any kind of news. And it looks so inhuman. The coconut is a substitute, because it has a little beard, two eyes, hairs. If you go into the implications of your religious rituals you will find strange things hidden behind them. You will find the statues of the elephant god, Ganesha. You can make any stone a statue just by painting the stone red, and soon people…

Osho, you have spoken many times about zen masters, and today you said that j. Krishnamurti is zen and zen means no teaching. Can you explain this point?

The disciple accepts the Master so that he can come closer to him. In saying yes to the Master he becomes attuned to the Master. The word "attunement" is beautiful; it means "at-onement". He becomes one with the Master. In that oneness something that cannot be given through words is transpired through the being -- something like bringing an unlit candle close to a lit candle. There is a certain point when the unlit candle comes within that limit -- suddenly the flame from the lit candle jumps into the unlit candle. The lit candle loses nothing at all, but the unlit candle gains infinitely. Now the reverse process is happening: when the disciple comes to the Master he gives his ego and thinks he is losing much -- and the Master gets nothing. When the Master gives something he gives infinitely, he gives his light. but he loses nothing;…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, HYAKUJO HAD A UNIQUE WAY OF GUIDING MONKS. FROM MORNING TILL NIGHT HE KEPT ON SAYING, "WORK FOR ME IN THE FIELD, AND I WILL TEACH FOR YOU." HE THUS MADE HIS DISCIPLES WORK IN THE FIELD ALL THE TIME; BUT HE DID NOT SEEM TO BE PREPARED TO GIVE ANY LECTURES OR SERMONS. FINALLY, THE MONKS, NOT ABLE TO STAND IT ANY LONGER, WENT TO THE MASTER AND ASKED: "WOULD YOU PLEASE BE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US AN EDIFYING SERMON?" THE MASTER'S UNWAVERING REPLY WAS: "WORK FOR ME IN THE FIELD, AND I WILL TEACH FOR YOU." SEVERAL DAYS PASSED, AND THE IMPATIENT MONKS WENT TO THE MASTER AGAIN AND URGED: "PLEASE GIVE US A SERMON." THIS TIME, HE QUITE READILY AGREED TO DO SO. AFTER A WHILE ALL THE MONKS GATHERED TOGETHER IN THE HALL.

Question: Maneesha has asked: OUR BELOVED MASTER, LANGUAGE IS USUALLY ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION OR TRANSFER OF IDEAS; AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF MOST RELIGIONS SEEMS TO BE THAT ONE DOES NOT NEED TO BE GIVEN SOMETHING. HOWEVER, ZEN IS DIFFERENT IN THAT IT APPEARS TO BE SAYING ONE ONLY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ONE ALREADY HAS. IS THIS WHY YOU HAVE CALLED ZEN "THE LANGUAGE OF EXISTENCE"? "Well," says Kowalski, looking down at the napkin on his lap. "Yup, mine is raisin' too!" Now, Nivedano... (Drumbeat) (Gibberish) Nivedano... (Drumbeat) Be silent. Close your eyes. Feel your body to be completely frozen. Gather all your energy inwards. Look, almost like an arrow, searching deep for your center of being, because your center of being is also the center of the universe. One who knows it becomes a buddha. Deeper and deeper... This moment is precious.