Bill!,
No, I don't think so.
Awakening is awakening.
Upon arrival, it matters not how one arrived. One is simply not attached, not
able to attach, and simply simplified, and one with all our original Human
inheritance (full compliment of faculties).
There is no residue of how one practiced previously.
Granted, the practices, and the emphases of the two schools appear to differ,
beforehand.
But Awakening is just the same for everyone. How can we be sure?: Well, there
is only one nature. When that nature is completely embodied, joined,
inhabited, then, no figments from the past have any liveliness. All is dead
but the present, just THIS.
This is my experience, with several teachers, working the two different ways
(streams) that are currently popular (Obaku Zen is rare).
How long awakening lasts, after any given instance, is also not a matter of
which School one practices in, but depends instead on one's overall
preparation, one's overall practice, and one's state of health. Additionally,
on one's state of practice immediately after awakening (one must continue, and
change practice in substantive ways, following one's entering the door of
Ch'an, say).
In Zen practice, one is a Yogi. The better the Yogi, the more sweeping the
awakening, and the longer it will continue.
Awakening is awakening. It depends on the "Yogi", not on the school of
practice. That is my claim. Rinzai, Soto, phooey. They are vehicles. They
are not the nature. Thus, awakening is uniform.
But, different Yogis will have lesser or greater awakenings, depending on state
of health, general overall preparation and practice, etc.
There is only one nature. Zen schools have nothing to do with that.
Soto or Rinzai are immaterial to it.
Hail!
--Joe
> "Bill!" <BillSmart@...> wrote:
>
> Merle and Joe,
>
> Awakening can be like a a soft Spring rain or like a flash of lightening.
>
> Here is how the difference between awakening using Soto teaching techniques
> (focuses on shikantaza) and Rinzai teaching techniques (focuses on koans):
>
> Awakening using Soto's shikantaza is like strolling around in a light mist
> and then at the end of the day suddenly realizing you're soaking wet.
>
> Awakening using Rinzai's koan study is like being unexpectedly pushed into a
> swimming pool. You are suddenly soaking wet but when you surface you just
> float there sputtering not really knowing what just happened to you.
>
> ...Bill!
>
> Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > joe..so awakening is not a spring storm from what i gather here..
> > .how can you make that clear assumption?..
> > can not it be a spring storm?...
> > you have made clarification here
> > however i am yet to be convinced...
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