Dear Bill,
Yes, yes indeed.
This kind of purification is often so, so necessary. Even prerequisite to
samadhi developing, and having it break down later to reveal awakening. We can
only hope that the purification went to completion, which is total exhaustion,
and then to the onset of laughter, which similarly exhausts one after an hour
or so. If others intervene, often, the process is shut-down. I hope that did
not happen! I was allowed to go outside, and spent hours out there in complete
freedom, far from where anyone could hear or be disturbed. My Shifu knew it
was coming, and suggested I go out, "See the Bay; dress warmly!" What a Heart.
This was the first opening, surely the most memorable and complete.
Shifu called it the old traditional thing: "A Great Cry, followed by a Great
Laugh."
It was all Yoga, for the belly, breathing, and body, and burning of all the
nerve endings. Chi, at work!
But it took another two days for the raw body to cool, and for samadhi to come
on, and then to break up suddenly, to reveal awakening. It was only then that
the teacher congratulated me, and had the sangha congratulate me. Ma I-Chang
also went through this, and we were somewhat 'cooperating-causes' for each
other. He was a Radiology Technician in a NY hospital, and I was a
Radio-Astronomer! He is my Chinese brother, since then.
--Joe
> "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> Mike and JMJM,
>
> I can tell you when I first experienced Buddha Nature (kensho) while working
> on the koan Mu I broke down and cried. I was sitting in the zendo with many
> others and started sobbing uncontrollably. Several of the attendant
> immediately assisted me and took me to another room where I could gather
> myself; and then I was quickly ushered into dokusan.
------------------------------------
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