Hi again JMJM, Yes, these visuals are most certainly emanating thru the mind. However, it'd be wrong to classify them as visualisations in the sense of intentionaly creating an image as a focus of meditation. Rather, they are unbidden and 'appear' at certain stages of absorbation. One doesn't focus on these visuals either, but remains mindful on the breath (or whatever) until they disappear (remembering that all phenomena are impermanent) and one enters into samadhi or the higher jhanas.
Mike ________________________________ From: Jue Miao Jing Ming - 覺妙精明 <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, 13 April, 2011 14:47:51 Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Does Zen contain spirituality? Hi Mike and Steve, Reading Bill's input, I need to also mention that we also teach that forms are from the mind and not from the heart, no matter how pretty or wonderful they may appear, even Buddha like. :-) We don't use visualization technique. Nothing to be imagined or visualized. Any kind of shape or form is from the mind and not a synchronization of the heart. JM Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com http://www.heartchan.org On 4/12/2011 5:16 PM, Jue Miao Jing Ming - 覺妙精明 wrote: Hi Steve and Mike, My name popped up. I am not sure what's the question. Let me just ramble a little about the journey of Chan Meditation. > > * Yes, it does require a tour guide, because it is > completely >formless and a teacher can serve as a conduit of wisdom and >energy. >It saves a lot of detour and the student usually progresses faster >next to a teacher. That's why Chan is also called the "Secret >Inner >Witness", when it past to Tibet, I was told by Anthony, that it >turned into Tantric. > > * Why cultivate chi? The purpose are two fold. One is to > divert >the thinking to focus on the chakra and chi channels and the other >is to unify our physical body. Thus awareness rises from our >heart, >that's the center of both physical and mental. > * Are these diagnostic marks? I would rather call the > various >stages of practice sign posts. At the beginning, we sense some >heat >or vibration of some of our chakras, toe, finger tips, etc. >(Bill, >I can write up a self-chi experiment if you wish. it takes only >two >minutes to try it.:-) ) Then we are able to >sense/direct the chi along certain paths. Then all chakras can be >connected via all the chi channels. Then our entire body feels >like >one chakra or one channel. At this stage, it does take several >years, we have unified our body into one and we seldom get ill. > > * Alone the journey, our awareness(sensory abilities) are > enhanced, >our attitude and preferences diminishes. Recognize oneness in >many >things. I mean recognize the cause and effect, interdependence >and >relativity of everything. No longer need to hold any concept, or >words, as our base. Our base of practice broadens. Because our >hearts are open and we feel the sadness of the delusional beings. >Sometimes we don't know who they are. It just comes to us to >remind >us. > * I often tell my students, no matter how foreign your > feelings >are. Please do not be afraid. It is part of you. Anything >happens >in this universe is normal. Nothing is dangerous or supernatural, >which are human terms. > Mike, on your way back to Australia, pass by Taiwan. I can make arrangement with many English speaking teachers of ours and let you quickly experience the chi power of many of our meditation centers. Many of them are college professors. > >Let me know if this answers any of your questions. Let me know if there >is anything else. > >Thank you for the opportunity to share. >JM > >Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com >http://www.heartchan.org > >On 4/12/2011 4:42 PM, mike brown wrote: > >>Steve, >> >>Yes, I tend to think of this more as a diagnostic marker than >>anything else. That's a good idea about Shingon, but the >>irony >>is that I'd probably be better off in the UK or Australia to >>learn about it (due to the language barrier). Ah well, 'move >>on >>Bikkhus', as the Buddha would say. >> >>Mike >> >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ From: SteveW <[email protected]> >>To: [email protected] >>Sent: Wed, 13 April, 2011 8:23:40 >>Subject: [Zen] Re: Does Zen contain spirituality? >> >> >> >> >>--- In [email protected], mike brown >><uerusuboyo@...> wrote: >>> >>> Steve, >>> >>> Unfortunately, I'm in Japan and the teacher didn't >>>speak English. I'm just >>> >>> looking now at a few Vipassana sites that seem to >>> be >>>explaining the process >>> >>> quite well. After 10 years of Zen, all this "energy >>>centres" stuff is quite an >>> >>> adventure! Kinda like being in a 'psychic >>> fairground' >>>as one person put it. >>> >>> My intuition, as well as what I've been able to >>> discern >>>so far, is that it's >>> >>> just a stage (albeit an important one) and not >>>something to become attached to. >>> >>> If JMJM has some advice it would be received warmly. >>> >>> Mike >>> >>> Hi Mike. I have Tantric fiends who are really into >>> this >>>stuff. As you doubtless know, this is the focus of >>>Tantra, both Buddhist and Hindu. I am not surprised >>>that >>>there are physical correspondances to mental states >>>as >>>everything is entangled. The question is whether >>>these >>>phenomena are to be regarded as diagnostic markers, >>>as >>>distractions, or as something that should be >>>deliberately cultivated. >>I have read that kundalini can be quite dangerous to >>one's mental, emotional and physical health if the >>process is unsupervised by an experienced guide. In >>Japan, as you know, Tantric Buddhism is called >>Shingon. >>Maybe you can find some Shingon teacher who speaks >>enough English to help. >>Steve >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >>
