Siska,
This is what all zen teaching is about - getting to that state of 'no
mind'. Japanese Zen Buddhism has terms for this state. The first
'glimpse' of 'no mind' or 'no self' or 'Buddha Mind' is called
'kensho'. It comes unexpectedly and lasts only a brief time. This may
be the experiences you described in your post below.
As you continue zen practice you may experience some very intense
versions of this called 'satori'. After kensho and satori your
continued zen practice will deepen and lengthen this state, and
eventually integrate it into your everyday life (or perhaps its more
accurate to say you will integrate your everyday life into Buddha
Mind. Eventually you can even re-integrate intellectualizations in
Buddha Mind.
How do you do this?, you asked. As I said above, this is what zen
teaching is about. The direct answer to your question is zazen. More
indirect methods are koan study, chanting, bowing, washing dishes,
mowing the lawn...anything done with your full attention and focus
can be your zen practice and can lead to this state.
...Bill!
From: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of Siska
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 1:02 PM
To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Zen, Self, I, Me and Mine
Hi Bill,
Thanks for taking time to explain.
> When someone has 'awakened' they are opened up to direct
experience. This is done by shutting down your discriminating,
rational mind which is usually always busy filtering, augmenting,
categorizing, judging, etc... experiences.
My experience so far has been the rational mind can be absence,
especially during sitting or other time, but this mostly happens
unexpected, out of sudden. I have no idea it can be shut down at
will. How do you do that? Will I be able to do that if I do zen
meditation?
siska
--- On Thu, 28/10/10, billsm...@hhs1963.org
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org> <billsm...@hhs1963.org
<mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>> wrote:
From: billsm...@hhs1963.org <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>
<billsm...@hhs1963.org <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Zen, Self, I, Me and Mine
To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, 28 October, 2010, 7:31
Siska,
I purposefully did not jump right in and answer your question about
Buddha. I knew there'd be plenty of others who would respond to that.
But, your comments in the attached post prompt me to respond.
Buddha does mean 'the awakened one' in Sanskrit - at least that's
what I've been told. It's also a title when used in someone's name -
like Siddhartha Gautama Buddha.
When someone has 'awakened' they are opened up to direct experience.
This is done by shutting down your discriminating, rational mind
which is usually always busy filtering, augmenting, categorizing,
judging, etc... experiences. The 'awakening' part would be akin to
someone who has been living in a dream (samsara, a world of
illusions) but has now awakened.
...Bill!
From: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of
siska_...@yahoo.com <mailto:siska_cen%40yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 12:03 PM
To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen, Self, I, Me and Mine
Hi Ed, Bill,
I just remember reading somewhere, long time ago that Buddha
literally means the awakened one. If I google the term for
definition, I'd probably find something like this too (among others),
which means that Buddha is the one who is awakened instead of direct
experience.
So I think I'm going to skip all the definitions and allow this mind
to perceive whatever is when reading your posts. Sound like a lot
more fun :-)
siska
________________________________________
From: <billsm...@hhs1963.org <mailto:BillSmart%40HHS1963.org>>
Sender: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:25:33 +0700
To: <Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>>
ReplyTo: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [Zen] Zen, Self, I, Me and Mine
Ed,
‘One’ does not experience Buddha.
The term ‘Buddha’ and ‘direct experience’ are the same thing. Buddha is
direct experience.
‘One’ (self) is not present.
…Bill!
From: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
[mailto:Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf
Of ED
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 1:03 AM
To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen, Self, I, Me and Mine
Whatever one experiences 'Buddha' to be.
--ED
--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com>, <billsm...@...> wrote:
>
> Ed,
>
> Your question: "What on earth is not an illusion?" is what zen is all
about!
>
> All thoughts and concepts of the discriminating mind (the rational mind
that
> creates dualisms such as self/other, subject/object and makes judgments
such
> as good/bad, right/wrong) are illusions.
>
> Only direct experience is not illusory. 'Direct' means before the
> experience goes through the discriminating mind and gets processed
there
> (filtered, augmented, named, categorized, assigned a value,
etc...). Zen
> Buddhism calls this 'Buddha Mind' or 'Buddha Nature'. Joshu called
it 'Mu'
> and 'The Oak Tree in the Garden'. Ummon called it 'A Dried Shit-Stick'.
> Gutei just held up his index finger. I call it 'Just THIS!'.
>
> So I now ask you: What is Buddha?
>
> ...Bill!
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