Suresh, Buddha Nature is continuous, however your AWARENESS of Buddha Nature may not be continuous.
To use an historical zen metaphor: Buddha Nature is the sun and illusions are clouds that can cover (occlude/hide) the sun - but the sun is always there. I embellish that metaphor by also adding that the darkness (opacity) of the clouds are due to attachments. The relative darkness (degree of opacity) of the clouds could be compared to the strength of the attachment to that particular illusion (cloud). Some clouds are darker than others. Before kensho (initial awareness of Buddha Nature) the entire sky is filled with dark clouds. Kensho occurs when these clouds part, even if only briefly, to fully reveal the sun. Usually the clouds then quickly return and continue to blot out the sun. However after kensho you realize there is a sun, and it is there whether you can clearly see it or not. Continued practice creates further breaks in these clouds. Some of the breaks remain permanently. Further practice also begins to render all the clouds less opaque and more transparent so even in the worst of times there is always some sunlight that penetrates the cloud cover. After much practice, and although there are always some clouds that remain, there is more and more clear sky. The also clouds become more and more transparent. Even then sometimes dark clouds appear seemingly out of nowhere, but dissipate or become more transparent almost as quickly as they appear. There are also times, especially during zazen (shikantaza) and at other times during every day life, that the sky is completely clear. That's been my experience of 40+ years of zen practice. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], SURESH JAGADEESAN <varamtha@...> wrote: > > Dear all, > > Tell me honestly, is buddha nature coninuous? How many of you are in > that contiuous state of buddha nature? be honest. If thoughts are > absent in oneself, how the body functions and who speak through the > body? > > -- > Thanks and best regards > J.Suresh > New No.3, Old No.7, > Chamiers road - 1st Lane, > Alwarpet, > Chennai - 600018 > Ph: 044 42030947 > Mobile: 91 9884071738 > ------------------------------------ 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/
