Anthony, I don't know, but I've had them too. Several times when I was sitting I 'felt' like I was engulfed by a golden light and it extended to everyone sitting around me. The best I could describe it was being engulfed by a large blob of honey. It was very soothing and felt very good. I've had a similar experience with a very warm feeling in my hara, and other strange experiences like this.
When I related experiences like this to my roshi he just told me they were not important and to 'just sit'. He said they were not unlike a twitching in my foot or an itch on my cheek. Just distractions. No big deal. Just sit. He liked to say 'just sit' a lot. >From his response I'd say they are illusions if I'd have to classify them as >something. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > > Bill, > Â > Are those visions illusions, or part of 'just this'? > Â > Anthony > > > ________________________________ > From: Joe <desert_woodworker@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, 3 July 2012, 23:06 > Subject: [Zen] Re: moments > > > Â > That special vision can be maintained, through a lot of zazen. It's easy to > bring it on, and to keep it. > > It's only "special" because usually, if it comes on at all, it comes on only > sporadically. > > Regular and lengthy zazen will definitely open that vision to all the hours > of the day. Rising up from your cushion will not scare it away. In fact, the > only thing that can cover it up again is to abandon zazen (so don't do that). > ;-) > > This is not a special state, or a specially-induced state. It is the natural > state of our vision. It is a part of our full human inheritance, which zazen > can UNCOVER for us again. I think children have it while their age remains in > the single digits. I remember it well, myself, in my childhood. In fact, I > remember it very well. > > We can discuss more details about this if you would like. > > I would think that zazen would be a blessing for visual artists. (It's such a > loss that so many of them are never introduced properly to zazen). > > BTW, the zendo in Greenwich Village is attended by tons of artists; they are > very lucky. I think Bonnie is still the Roshi there. > > Zazen; zazen. Don't let any iconoclast here or elsewhere tell you it's not > "needed". I promise you there is "gold" there, Merle. I am a Vulcan, and > cannot lie. ;-) > > YOU be the Judge, Your Honor. > > I'm not even talking about the eventual dawning of the samadhi-state. That > may or may not come, but probably will. We can talk some day about the "Great > Golden Ocean-Seal Samadhi". But not now. > > --Joe > > PS These states come *before* Awakening, but they are still there afterwards, > so don't worry. ;-) > > > Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote: > > > > years ago when i was 20..i had a golden light experience.. > ------------------------------------ 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: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
