Hi ED，
If I may "bud" in here, these are basic, important yet "difficult"
questions that you are asking. By "difficult", I mean not for the brain
to understand, but for the heart to experience.
Following are some of my witness. By no means they have any value nor
are they absolute. Just for your reference.
* Buddha nature is just a set of characteristics of the universe,
also embedded in every cell of ours. You could call it the Laws
of Nature.
* As our thinking dwindles, our embedded-intuitive way of living in
every cell unfolds. We thus live a lot closer to the same nature
as the universe. We then witness that our life becomes smoother
with less up and down. That's all in the human domain.
* On the physiological side, we can physically feel that our body is
gradually integrated. Get healthier and healthier. Then we
discovered that we can actually heal others as well as feel their
physical discomfort.
* On the mental size, we gradually will experience more inspiration
with less planning. Solutions came to us without efforts. Not
only we are able to solve our own problems efficiently, we are
also able to help others wisely. Often do it without any
expectation or motivation. Just naturally so.
* Gradually, our ego drops away. We become one with others in the
energy domain.
* My master told me that my final experience will be with lights and
electricity, which I have not completely experience yet.
* These were laid out by my Teacher and witness gradually in my 10
long years. It was never boring though.
* Yet, the answer to your question, "authentic Zen Master". There
are not that many. We each were driven to meet the matching one
according to our karma.
* To embark on this journey is simple -- stick to one Master and do it.
* Do it soon. It takes time to shed our thinking.
Bon Voyage. :-)
Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can
http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com
http://www.heartchan.org
On 3/23/2011 4:19 PM, ED wrote:
Mike and Mayka,
Have your claims to realization of Buddha Nature been accredited
by authentic Zen Masters?
--ED
--- In [email protected], "ED" <seacrofter001@...> wrote:
>
Mike,
My question is simple and impersonal:
What is the benefit to himself/herself or others of a person arriving
at such a state?
--ED
--- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote:>
ED,
Haha, "So what?", indeed! I guess being on a Zen chat forum might have
something to do with talking about it tho : ) I respect that some
people are more 'Stevie Nicks' about keeping their crystal visions to
themselves, but for me, if someone asks I'll try to give as honest an
answer as I can. If I'm doing a hatchet job of answering those
questions then, I can only hope that people respect that I'm doing the
best with the tools that I have.
Mike
Mike and Mayka,
Whatever the experience you have that you refer to as
your realization of, or experiencing of, or awakening to Buddha
Nature, Buddha Mind, wisdom-insight or kensho-satori, so what?
--ED
ED,
I may be wrong here, but you still seem to think of 'Buddha Nature' in
terms of something that has qualities 'out there' that can be
experienced and known if we just follow certain steps (whether zazen,
reason or science etc) 'Buddha Nature (or whatever) is not something
that is attained, gained or even experienced (but 'experienced' is ok
if we understand there is no 'I' for an experience to happen to). In
fact, it's more about dropping/losing than adding/finding.
'Kensho'/'satori' are just rough pointers, 'tools' if you like, that
symbolise a 'state' where our sense of 'I' has been dropped and
duality has been transcended (Dogen's 'dropping of body and mind' is
the best description IMO). This 'state' is impossible to be conveyed
by words/logic although it can be hinted at. How this is done depends
on the idiosyncronies/personality of the person expressing it and so
will always be different from person to person. Thus Mayka's method of
conveying what she has 'experienced' will be different to Bill's. How
this 'experience' has been further cultivated and intergrated into
one's daily living will also have a bearing on how it is expressed.
The feeling I get on this forum is that some people have being
practicing Zen for some time, doing all the 'right' things, going to
sesshins, reading lots of material etc. but have yet to
'experience' that 'experience' that turns the conceptual world upside
down and so feel (maybe subconsciously) they have to knock (or hint
at) other people's insights as just woo-woo or delusional. Just saying.
Mike
ED;
Budha nature is beyond any form and therefore the buddha nature Bill
talks about is the same I'm referring to. The form of the words are
only like a finger pointing to the moon. Knowing how to enter into
the buddha nature doesn't mean in anyway that one is at all time into
the wave of buddha nature. This requires years of training. At times
live in a monastery. Attending retreats to have a good
boost... Living in the present moment in body and mind is not an easy
task at all times. But it doesn't mean in anyway being unable to have
taste what is buddha nature about. It's enough to practice
mindfulness and buddha nature can started to gradually unfold by
itself. This is an endless experience of awakening. It's not an
static experience.
When buddha nature is absented in me is because I allow myself be drag
down back by forgetfulness, habit energies, ego....and so goes for
everybody else.
Mayka
