Joe, Thank you your kind words.I've found it a really worthwhile endeavour to go back to the roots of Buddhism and as a result my Vipassana practice has profoundly deepened my Zen practice. It gives me great joy to read that such an established practioner of Zen appreciates the value of samadhi and the jhana factors. I find my own nimitta samadhi sign (the "little soybean") is a golden thread when my breathing becomes subtle (Subtle to the point of the breath ceasing - or at least perceived to have ceased). This takes me into the first two jhanas, which enables me to sit for at least an hour in undistracted comfort (I soon learnt that the bliss in the first jhana can become a distraction until the bliss is let go of), then I am able to penetrate the arising and passing of phenomena at an almost sub-atomic level. Again, it's the insight gained- and not the jhanic state itself (Same with samadhi) - that leads to liberation. I just wish I could convince my more orthodox Zen friends of what the Buddha taught.
With Metta, Mike ________________________________ From: Joe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, 29 July 2012, 19:21 Subject: [Zen] Re: Chan and zen Mike, Wow, wonderfully said. Good to hear such sense talked here. Thank you, it is kind of you and very comforting to me that you speak so sensibly and openly and descriptively about this. Not everyone can or is willing to do so. So, it's a special pleasure, and I feel we are sangha brothers. I think, too, that samadhi practice after awakening is what allows the open and empty state of awakening to persist. It becomes not a quick-shot when we can -- and do -- support it, naturally. "Dharma-Joy" sometimes so overwhelms a person after entering, that they feel they can drop practice, or they feel that all their day is consumed by -- or must be dedicated to -- helping others. Whereas... in fact... we find that we ourselves need continuous practice, maybe of a different pitch or tuning now, but continuous. Else, our heart closes. I think in 10 or 15 seconds, samadhi can come on. I used to find this in New York City, even sitting on a park bench amidst traffic and joggers along the park on Riverside Drive, near Columbia. Everything would go golden yellow, and the soybean on the forehead would make itself felt, even during these casual sits. There was a stillness even in the movement going on all around. Absolute stillness, in motion. Fortunately I had a strong physical practice diet of running, hatha yoga, Zazen, and Buddhist Yoga (as taught by my shihfu, Sheng Yen, along with his famous self-massage), as well as a rather light vegetarian diet in those earliest days, and no nerve-wracking stimulants like coffee or black tea. Two or three long Ch'an retreats per year, and a few weekend sits in addition. The physical practices and diet help one's relaxation enormously, and the BODY really begins to "like" meditation. ;-) Samadhi is the natural result. Sitting zazen half-lotus for hours this way is so easy, and necessary (natural). We learn what Dogen meant, too, in his saying that this zazen of ours is the true EXPRESSION of our original nature. I agree that the "just this!" phrase can seem overemphasized, to a hearer. But the zen sect exists to offer the methods of practice for one to adopt, in order to experience "just this!" in the strongest and most unrelenting form... namely, our original form. It's the METHODS that need the emphasis, via teachers and sanghas, and by us. The utterances of the successful can encourage us, but ultimately our progress toward becoming full what we are needs more than a mental reminder about "just this". Without practice, the "this!" of the "just this" is simply the perpetual motion of the mind. Anyone thinking that that's the state in which to appreciate our original nature has got another thing (or 10,000 of them) coming. It would be the sad loss of a life to be stuck there. Lately, there's lots of talk about gold medals and ceremonies on the podium, and that's a kind of "just this" that the successful Athletes can point to: but, consider the practice and training that made that appreciation and accomplishment possible! That's where it's at. And all the while, practice is a "just this", too, but a "just this" that gets you closer and closer to where you really are. You know that I don't mean this to sound enigmatic! ;-) Strong practice, --Joe > mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote: > > Joe, > > > I think that the ability to enter samadhi strengthens any insight gained from > kensho/satori. Without it, awakening is fleeting because any insight is much > weaker. > > Samadhi allows us to experience the mind in its pure state for significant > periods of time, rather than just mind-moments. This can then give us a > better idea of 'where to be' when outside events threaten to over whelm us. I > notice in western Zen that the older, more Buddha-inspired, teachings are > looked down on as unnecessary/superflous and the 'Just This!' view is > over-emphasized. [snip]
