In the quite scientific book "The Mind Illuminated : A Complete Meditation Guide" there is a chapter on "The dark night of the soul" explaining that if the mind is not pacified/unified enough through samatha meditation then it may not be ready for such disturbing powerful insights. Just like a bud on a tree that with time and right conditions will bloom, but if you try to force and speed up its growth you'll destroy it.
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Jundo,Oh, I agree with this, and don't want to imply otherwise.
It is just that the thrill of the highway and the whole wondrous trip should not be confused just with tires and carburetors, pistons and gas, asphalt and exit ramps alone. On the one hand, each beat of a piston and inch of blacktop embodies the entire highway and whole wondrous trip, although the winding highway and whole ride is so much more than just metal, rubber and tar.
However, I agree that such descriptions can be a doorway to truly understanding emptiness if we don't stop there.
Emptiness is moving, breathing, hot, active right down to its little parts ... where the Dharma rubber meets the Buddha road.
If Bodhidharma were heading back west, he'd drive.
Gassho, J
STLah
I have been considering this material viewpoint for a while and your commentary has brought me a new way of looking at this. Thank you. Here's a picture of me getting my kicks.
72F3E116-C6FE-40CF-9BAB-72266B45CE79_1_201_a.jpeg
Gassho
STlah
ShokiComment
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Hi Ania,
The author, John Yates (Culadasa) is again rather a combined Theravadan/Tibetan teacher emphasizing Samatha and a very stage oriented flavor of meditation, including emphasis on attainment of jhanas. Again, I don't believe this is very much like the easy letting go of Shikantaza, so I would say it is a different situation.
Gassho, Jundo
STLahALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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I think that is a very fair point that we do not try and push into enlightenment but instead rest in our awakened state as it already is, noticing the flowers are already blooming, right here, right now.Just like a bud on a tree that with time and right conditions will bloom, but if you try to force and speed up its growth you'll destroy it.
Gassho
Kokuu
-satttoday-Comment
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I used to be extremely nihilistic with a side of hopelessness and I think my brand of nihilism and hopelessness is common these days for various reasons. Existence had lost all meaning and when not trying to ignore or distract myself from the void, I’d pitifully wallow in it. The remedy was deceptively simple: “I decide whether to feel empty or to have a little trust/faith!” A very short time (4-5 months) of sitting and studying Treeleaf teachings has taught me that I decide whether the universe and existence itself is an empty void to wallow in or to trust/have faith that it is meaningful beyond meaning, beyond nihilism, beyond conceptions, and with a value that is priceless.
Gassho,
Tom
SAT/LAH
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk“Do what’s hard to do when it is the right thing to do.”- Robert SopalskyComment
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I've had Dark-Night-ish experiences in my life, where I felt crushed by the the yawning abyss of the meaninglessness of everything. What helped me: "Stop looking for meaning in meaninglessness, and start creating it."
Gassho
Kyoshin
satlahComment
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When I practiced in a Tibetan Buddhist circle, the practice was to be aware of awareness. I got tremendous bliss from this kind of meditation, but after the session I would have VERY high anxiety spikes and a bit of derealization. Also, I started to have very bizarre nightmares related to the void and nothingness, including lucid dreaming. Overall, my anxiety got worse. Since I have started to practice Shikantaza, I feel quite relaxed after it, no longer having high anxiety spikes or strange dreams.
Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaHComment
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You could say: "this is all there is"
but you could just as easily say: "there is all this."
Gassho,
Andrew,
Satlah"Priest" here is rude. Not worth the time if you want depth in discussion because past a point he just goes into shut-down mode. No wonder he limits everyone to three sentences and is the most frequent offender of his own rule. Some kind of control thing. Won't be back.Comment
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A friend of mine whose dad died recently (and couldn't visit him due to covid) went into depression, racing thoughts and anxiety that last all waking hours. He's visiting therapist and taking meds but I also asked him to do zazen (counting breaths). Any other advice for him?
Gassho,
Sam
STComment
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"Priest" here is rude. Not worth the time if you want depth in discussion because past a point he just goes into shut-down mode. No wonder he limits everyone to three sentences and is the most frequent offender of his own rule. Some kind of control thing. Won't be back.Comment
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Follow the instructions of his doctor and therapist, first and foremost. If the doctor and therapist approve of Zazen practice, then and only then should he sit Zazen. Also, something like Tonglen practice could be good, but it might be strange at first to someone with no Buddhist background at all.
That said, you could tell him that the prime lesson of Zazen is to allow what is and happens in this life, even though what is and happens frequently is not just as we might want. We flow as what is, even though we love some of it, and do not love some of it.
Gassho, Jundo
STLahALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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Hi Sam,
The last thing I want on my conscience is dishing out medical advice (this does sound like a medical problem) with a bad outcome. It's a huge responsibility and I would not want to play doctor if it can be avoided.
I have no suggestions and am very thankful that there are professionals who are willing to take this responsibility on when a patient doctor relationship is formed.
Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__Comment
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穏 On (Calm)
火 Ka (Fires)
They/She.Comment
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