ED, The steps and descriptions below look good to me.
The only eensy-weensy thing I'd add is that although itially these states are associated with sitting, they can be attained and held in other postures, while moving (like washing dishes) and even while thiniking and talking - even though these last two (thinking and talking) seem contradictory to the discriptions/definitions below...Bill! --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "ED" <seacrofter...@...> wrote: > > > > Mel, Bill and All - > > Thank you for your responses. I have a need to be very clear on these > issues. Therefore please consider the following, and tell us whether we > are all on the same wavelength: > > (1) > > One sits in a right posture etc. and starts doing zazen. > > (2) > > At first, one counts breaths, then one's awareness is placed on the > breath without counting and so on. These are calm-abiding concentration > practices, called samatha, which enhance sustained voluntary attention, > and culminate in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly for > hours on end. (See Wikipedia) > > (3) > > Having calmed and stabilized the mind with samatha, one then switches to > shikantaza i.e. resting in a state of brightly alert attention that is > free of thoughts, directed to no object, and attached to no particular > content. (See Wikipedia) > > (4) > > After intense practice of shikantaza over a (long) period of time, on > attains glimses of the experience of no-self, which when authenticated > by a authentic teacher may be referred to as kensho. > > (5) ... > > A salaam aleikum, > > - ED > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > ED, > > > > In domestic arts (washing dishes/taking out the garbage) shikantaza is > my favoite...Bill! > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com> , > "ED" <seacrofter001@> wrote: > > > Hello Mel, > > Hello ED > > > In the martial arts (and in sports), which type of meditation is more > > common > > > > (1) Awareness meditation (vipassana or shikantaza or something else) > > My understanding of 'shikantaza' is just plain zazen. I just sit on a > chair, > keep spine straight, eyes half-closed, and breath normally...and let the > 'clouds' of thought just pass by. Just breath, nothing else > > I don't know the other term > > Everything empty. In a bar-room I was in, the drunken fellow moved and I > moved > with him. We ended up on the ground and I ended up on top. He was > shouting and > abusing..doing a lot of talking. But, I couldn't really hear, or > understand. > But, I could hear noise and see movement. Move in harmony with opponent, > not > against him the way Sumo bouts begin. Open eyes, open ears. I survived. > Pride > wasn't important. Just breath > > > (2) Concentration meditation (samatha or somethhing else) ? > > For my own personal purposes, I don't concentrate on anything...unless > you call > breathing as concentration on breathing itself...which I think > complicates > things more than needed to be > > For my own purposes, I don't really make use of the old and ancient > terms. > Modern English seems far easier for me, but that's just me > > in peace > Mel > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: zen_forum-dig...@yahoogroups.com zen_forum-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zen_forum-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
