On attaining enlightenment

[Kaishin]

Thanks, Jundo, as always for your very balanced perspective.

[Ishin]

Thanks for posting this Kirk Are we really surprised that someone has Americanized Enlightenment? That's what we do best in this country. It's all about marketing.

Thanks for everyone's comments, I found them most helpful in my understanding.

I am only at white-belt level, so I will only just add that if someone doesn't start levitating soon, I am outta here!

Gassho
C

[Sekishi]

I think this is the guy who started it all

http://integrateddaniel.info/book

I don't have any opinion if this is what Brad was referring to (although Daniel certainly claims to be an arahat). However, I did read and practise with Daniel's book a number of years ago (before settling into Shikantaza). It was immensely helpful in its way, and certainly changed my relationship with the sense-bases and sense-objects (hyper-focused awareness of sensory input leads to certain insights about the nature of perception itself).

I certainly have nothing negative to say about Daniel or the sincere community that is organized around his book. However, in the end, it was not the path for me.

Gassho,
Sekishi

[Sekishi]

The Sickest Buddhist by Arj Barker

I personally have not run into this attitude / stereotype, but I have heard some stories from friends after going to retreat...

The instructor told us to do a 45 minute meditation.
I nailed it in 10.
I'm the illest Buddhist you've ever seen.
All the ladies wanna meditate with me.
I look so serene when I bust a lotus,
But I don't have an ego so I wouldn't even notice.

Etc.

Note: NSFW, offensive, and probably should not be watched by anyone pursuing "right speech"...

Gassho (with shades),
Sekishi

[Myosha]

Hey Sekishi,

Sick vid. Favorite lyric: " I'm so effen present, I'm ahead of my time. "

Thank you,


Gassho,
Myosha

[Jishin]

Great find Sekishi.

Gassho, Jishin

[Ishin]

That WAS buddhaful!
Gassho
C

[Mp]

Awesome Sekishi! =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Shinzan]

That was mind-blowing....... in a good way. Tally ho!

[Ed]

Places to go, goals to acheive?
Too old and tired;
Home already, don't wanna move.

[Shawnzen]

Hello.

I will probably go over the three sentence rule again, but I only write on here when I feel that the reply is genuine and worthwhile. Nevertheless, I offer an apology.

I read/studied and practiced Daniel Ingram's MCTB, at the request of a Theravada Buddhist therapist (just a regular guy--you wouldn't know he was a Buddhist unless he told you) whom I used to see when I was younger and a bit depressed.

I would say that I benefitted from the tips in the book, but the thing that I don't like about his book (and about many spiritual traditions in general) is the over-emphasis on concepts, and "stages of enlightenment." The whole book, like many other spiritual traditions and teachings, falls into the trap of "enlightenment ideals" and over-emphasis on seeking and striving to attain something that you don't currently have.

What I find so freeing about Shikantaza is that it is both non-seeking and seeking at the same time. On the one hand, we sit and we know that there is nothing to attain. On the other hand, we keep returning to the practice because deep down we know that we actually are attaining an ever-deeping state of "enlightened-being" each time we return to the zafu/zabuton.

I find it so enriching that I can simply sit and let go of everything, and yet my mind benefits from the knowledge that, rather than just "letting everything go and giving up the search," I am doing a valuable and worthwhile practice every day that definitely is changing my life in very positive ways. And yet, I also don't feel trapped and suffocated by the over-emphasis on "steps, stages, and attainments" that you often find in more Theravada-styled Buddhisms.

I would say that what I benefitted most from in reading Daniel's MCTB was actually its introduction to me of "Shamatha" which is simply concentration practice, usually on something like the breath. Rather than seeking to understand or percieve something particular, and reach stages of enlightenment, as in Vippasana, you are simply developing undistracted concentration. I feel that it was a nice way to both silence my mind and to help me see beyond my thoughts by using concentration to "un-stick" myself from my thinking process. However, after all these different, goal-oriented practices that I did, I can see the deep value of the goal/goalless/goalness/goallessness of Shikantaza. The simplicity and "sobriety" of it is striking and beautiful to me, as opposed to the sometimes overly complicated practices and ideals of certain Theravada and Tibetan-influenced schools of thought.

Way over three sentences. Again, I apologize.

Gassho. Sat today.

Shawn