Samadhi

[will]

Harry HAHA :lol:

[Jundo]

Hi Guys,

On the following subject, this just in from the head office ...

In his writings, Master Dogen talked about different kinds of samadhis. There is the absolute samadhi of “falling away of body and mind.” Then there is the working samadhi where you have single-pointedness of mind but you don’t lose track of your surroundings. You are openly aware of the circumstances around you and your mind is very centered and focused. ...

Dogen also spoke about self-fulfilling samadhi, other-fulfilling samadhi and the samadhi of self-enlightenment. Self-fulfilling samadhi is samadhi concerned with the self-enjoyment of the dharmakaya, the body of reality, without relating itself to other sentient beings. Dogen might be speaking here of the arhat. Other-fulfilling samadhi refers to the samadhi concerned with the enjoyment and fulfillment of others through the accommodation of the dharmakaya to the needs and states of sentient beings in their myriad forms. This is the samadhi of compassion.

Jundo said ...

Frankly, I am not sure if Dogen categorized or distinguished Samadhi specifically like this, with these specific categories (I have put the question to Nishijima for his input. I will let you know his opinion on the subject). But, yes, Samadhi is like the ocean: Sometimes it forms itself to whatever land it contacts, sometimes it is just the ocean, sometimes it is individual drops of liquid, the ocean and drops together, sometimes it is deep or shallow ...
We just sit with it all.

Gassho, Jundo

Nishijima Roshi responded ...


On your questions my answers are as follows.

1) I think that it is very important for us to grasp the true meaning of "falling away of body and mind," and the words "falling away of
body and mind" never do suggest losing body and mind, but the words suggest that because of the balanced autonomic nervous
system, we feel that the function of body and mind seems to be as if plus/minus=0.

2) About the explanation of the working samadhi, I haven't met such an explanation in Master Dogen's quotation at all, and so I
suppose that such a kind of explanation might have come from some kinds of unreliable persons' opinion.

3) I think also that self-fulfilling samadhi, other-fulfilling samadhi and the samadhi of self-enlightenment can never be found in
Master Dogen's opinion, and so I think that those strange interpretations can never belong to Master Dogen's thoughts at all.

With best wishes Gudo Wafu Nishijima

And there you have it.

Gassho, J

[Jun]

I've noticed that as far as Gudõ Rõshi is concerned if something doesn't come from Dõgen it is "unreliable."

:roll:

[Jundo]

Hi Guys,

Jun, yes, for Nishijima ... if it ain't Dogen, it ain't Kosher. But there is a reason for that: Maybe of all the Zen Teachers I can think of, Dogen professed a philosophy so simple and direct that (I think) it is the Heart of the Matter ... 'Just Sit'.

One thing to know about Dogen is that ... for all his complexity ... he basically just came down to the same point again and again ... namely, 'Just Sit Zazen'. So, want to see X Samadhi? ... Forget about X Samadhi, 'Just Sit Zazen'. Want to see Y Samadhi? ... Forget about Y Samadhi, 'Just Sit Zazen' What comes will come ... 'Just Sit Zazen. What does not come, does not come ... 'Just Sit Zazen'.

So, with Dogen's view of non-attaining, goalless sitting, and 'Just Sit', it is very hard to imagine him professing any categories of Samadhi like that (even though Dogen will be the first to tell you that Zazen and Samadhi come in many flavors).

And Nishijima is basically a "One Answer" Teacher too, although there are actually a handful of answers in his vocabulary. In the end, Nishijima also comes down to "Just Sit" and forget everything else.

Gassho, Jundo

[Gregor]

I find Nishijima Roshi's consistency and directness on this issue of "just sit Zazen", to be refreshingly honest and sincere.

[BruceS]

I find Nishijima Roshi's consistency and directness on this issue of "just sit Zazen", to be refreshingly honest and sincere.

I do too. One answer teachers really make you think for yourself. I remember my first year physics teacher. We reached a point of study where whenever you went to his office to ask a question, he listened then smiled and said, "F=MA now go away"! Really used to piss us students off sometimes, but now I appreciate it. :lol: