If Zen is: "Just THIS.", what is the reason or motivation or objective
or justification or drive for doing zazen?
--ED
--- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote:
>
Lol!
The history of that page is he wrote a book in which one chapter was
his 'Enlighenment' experience, rather typical such chapter based on my
readings of Three Pillers of Zen and other "White Guy Goes to Japan
and Gets Enlightened" type books. Then that chapter was anthologized
into Best Buddhist Writins of 20xx and prefaced with the description
that it is a description of kensho. Mr. Warner took offense to the
current usage of the word kensho as used in current Western zen, which
some people seem to mistake for a goal or a certification.
He is particularly opposed to the idea that something can happen which
permanently makes life happy and carefree. The most profound
enlightenment, but still the student may die before the teacher. Life
is life, just as we see it. There is no solution, no answer, and
kensho, while a natural consequence of the right conditions, is simply
showing what passes before a thousand times a day.
Here's some more current writing:
>The goal (or even "a goal") of zazen is not to clear your mind of
thoughts.
There is no goal of zazen.
>This is the hardest part of zazen practice; that there is no goal or
point to
it. You just sit and experience
> what you experience while sitting. That's it.
>If you think a lot, then that is the content of your experience. If you
transcend all thought and zone
>out into pure white light or whatever, then that is the content of your
experience. Neither one
>is better or worse than the other. Our habit of defining certain
experiences as
better or
>worse than others is the problem.
>Of course it's best not to use your zazen as a time to sit and ponder
stuff.
You are
>encouraged to let your thoughts go as soon as they appear. But that's
not the
same
>as trying to clear your mind of thoughts. Attempting to clear your mind
of
thoughts
>is just another type of goal-oriented intentional activity.
Goal-oriented
intentional
>activity is always problematic because it separates you from the real
>moment of the present.
Siska,
The excerpt in the link I read didn't seem to be mainstream anything.
In this article he basically wrote the following about 'kensho':
- He hadn't had one
- He had never talked to anyone who claimed to have had one
- He sarcastically described it as a 'download of knowledge from the
cosmos' and that it would 'solve all your problems' - both of which
are untrue.
I'd bascially sum up my opinion of him as: Warner-Schrwarner.
...Bill!
--- In [email protected]
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/post?postID=_GsCAe2VLJeKL72-NS2\
TxANPbHwZaZbJLomATFv7GVbxO2pLsKL6rCUQ5ROuoMfIFzAT3GmyiaHPZEJBzVgU> ,
siska_cen@... wrote:
>> Hi Chris,
>
> > The difference between sitting daily and sitting for a long period
of time
is sub...
