Ed,
Here are some replies from this practitioner. I am not an expert, nor a good
scholar.
On whether samadhi is none other than the non-dual state, I'd say with my old
shifu that it is the state of One Mind. It is not the state of No-Mind. At
the point of no mind, there is no samadhi, only clarity and spontaneity (and
absolutely dreamless-sleep, for many weeks, when we sleep, I might add).
Now, to your next point, intricately and inextricably linked with the previous
point, and I am a little unsure of myself, here!:
As to whether samadhi is a more mature state of satori, I'd remind us all that
samadhi seems to precede awakening in most or all cases. We know that there is
sitting-samadhi as well as walking-around samadhi, when samadhi is
well-developed. Activity will not scare it away.
But it seems to require samadhi to break up for us to awaken, and suddenly to
have no mind.
And it seems to require samadhi-practice after awakening to maintain an open
heart and an empty spontaneous mind (no-mind). Now, samadhi is more a result
than a method, but samadhi can come on in seconds of sitting down, when we have
been practicing well, and may have had and awakening recently.
Also -- and here's where I am pretty unsure of myself -- masters report, or
have recorded in their biographies written by disciples or successors, that
they have had several, or many, awakenings in their practice careers (lives).
Some are "bigger" or "deeper" than others. Everything, including awakening(s),
depends on causes and conditions. I think that teachers will confirm that it's
possible to awaken further even after a first or subsequent awakening. And I
think that samadhi practice is crucial to any awakening, a first one or a ninth
one.
I think Master Xu Yun of the previous century (1840-1959) is said to have had
some nine major ("great") awakenings during his long monastic life (120
years?), and numerous other smaller awakenings. His autobiography is available
for reading: EMPTY CLOUD: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE CHINESE ZEN MASTER XU YUN
(1988); tranls., by Charles Luk (Lu Kuan Yu); Element Books.
Charles Luk also has additional more general books. Another favorite is
especially his SECRETS OF CHINESE MEDITATION.
--Joe
> "ED" <seacrofter001@...> wrote:
>
> Is samadhi none other than the non-dual state?
> Is samadhi a more mature state of satori?
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