Hi Ed, I still cannot figure out clearly what kensho actually is, but from the descriptions, it looks like kensho is very similar to nyana (insight) experience as in Mahasi tradition in Theravada.
Daniel, looking forward to your opinion (or correction). Siska -----Original Message----- From: "ED" <[email protected]> Sender: [email protected] Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 13:45:08 To: <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: [Zen] Zen, zen and Theravada Buddhism Hello All, Definitions: Zen = Zen Buddhism; zen = Zen minus the Buddhism The Noble Eightfold Path is sometimes divided into three basic categories as follows: I. Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajna, Pali: panna) 1. Right understanding 2. Right intention II. Ethical conduct (Sanskrit and Pali: sila) 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood III. Concentration (Sanskrit and Pali: samadhi) 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration o Theravada Buddhism embraces all three categories of the Noble Eightfold Path. o Zen accepts all three categories, but tends to de-emphasize I and II, in my obsevation/knowledge/belief. o zen accepts category III only, or possibly only steps 7. and 8. of category III. ------- Zenists (and zenists) seek to achieve, or, without seeking, achieve in kensho-satori, glimpses of: a sense of no-self or no I/me/mine; a sense of an absolute nondual reality; a sense of nothing arising or perishing; a sense of freedom from all bonds; and a sense of seeing directly and deeply into the nature of things, without discriminating or discursive thinking. The experience of the ineffable mind-space decribed above has been labeled 'realizing Buddha Nature". I say 'glimpses of a sense of'' because we have to take the practitioner at his/her word, or the Zen Teacher at his/her word for this accomplishment or non-accomplishment of a student of Zen experiencing the above state. And, it doesn't really matter because, no tangible benefits are promised to ensue from these experiences. Do non-experiencers of kensho-satori observe any tangible, positive transformation in Zenists who have experienced kensho-satori? We do not know. ------ Of the dozens and dozens of zen/Zen centers in the US, perhaps only one advocates 'zen'. Possibly for now we ought to only focus on comparing Theravada Buddhism with *Zen*, and leave out zen. Daniel, kindly tell us if through Theravada Buddhist practices, experiences of mind-states similar to the ones in kensho-satori tend to arise. Thanks, ED
