Inconceivable zazen

Just to sit on a zafu is not zazen.  Wrongly, one is externally imitating what they believe to be the important part of zazen.  True zazen begins without form.  It is apart from physical positions, in other words.  In authentic zazen, our attention is first directed to what is physically and mentally transcendent which is wholly inconceivable; which is to say, there is no mental image that we can make that is an adequate representation.

When I do zazen, I am aware of something real like clear light that is transcendent to the senses.  When I yoke with it, my physical body is energized by it almost instantly.  As a result, the physical body is made surprisingly calm.  What this means, to be more precise, is that as I repeat zazen, I build up the power of the transcendent which, over time, is eventually able to overcome the physical body—even much of its pain.  

Whereas years before there was only my sense of the physical now, after many years of practice, there is the commanding sense of being energized by radiant, clear light that penetrates through phenomena.  This is the radiant Mind of which the Buddha speaks that is returning to itself.  But this is also absolute verity and proof of attainment.  In the words of Freidrich Schegel, “The spirit comes equipped with an eternal proof of its own exitence.”

For someone sitting in what I can only call “ordinary zazen” they are observers of the physical together with mental sensations.  Yet, to be frank, they have no cognizance of the radiant Mind which is like clear light from which physical and mental phenomena are composed and energized.  Keeping in mind that it is impossible to see the wind—yet knowing it moves the leaves—to yoke with such Mind is almost a Herculean task.  Still, it can be done.  And when it is done, this is what zazen is really concerned with, viz., that we should meditate upon the transcendent again and again reversing the former habit of bodily attachment.

Comments

[Frank]

Nice post, Paul....funny, I often ridicule others, etc...but it really sucks to come here and read some of the insulting posts...just ridiculous

[Paul Lynch, JDPSN]

In a poem by Jelladin Rumi God speaks to Moses and asks him, "Did you come as a prophet, to unite or to sever?"

Each moment, we must ask ourselves, what am I? If we seek to separate ourselves from even a blade of grass, we do not understand even one word of the Buddhadharma. Buddha taught, great love, great compassion, and the great Bodhisattva way.

Bifurcating reality is an endless proposition, making the first division leads to the ten thousand divisions. The ten thousand Dharmas return to one, but where does the one return?

May you be well, happy and peaceful. May no harm come to you, may no difficulties come to you, may you have a calm and peaceful mind. May you have patience, insight, courage and compassion in meeting the challenges of life. May you attain enlightenment and save all sentient beings from suffering.

[wisdomISking]

Uku says: "I think, still, it's all about sitting, it's all about action - when we sit, we just sit; when we eat, we just eat; when we shit"

My goodness, I especially love your follower Uku who reads your article on A, but says its a wonderful article about Z.

Mindless lemmings like this make me scream in laughter like a little schoolgirl in pigtails.

Uku sayz: "it's all about action"

Funny, .....I recall Gotama saying "its all about liberation via wisdom (pannavimutta)"- Digha2

Yeee- Haaaa, stoopid people tickle my funny bone!!

[Uku]

Continuous practice; we're practicing Zazen because it helps us to reveal our natural state and without practicing sincerely we can't maintain our natural state. Zazen is all around us, not just sitting on a zafu. I think, still, in a fundamental state, it's all about sitting, it's all about action - when we sit, we just sit; when we eat, we just eat; when we shit, we just shit. In action, there's nothing else than this present moment - we're sitting, eating, shitting right here, right now. Carrying water and chopping wood, eating rice and drinking tea. Taming the ox.

Thank you for your post.

With palms together,
Uku

[Bodhiratna]

Thanks much for this wonderful article. Some say modern day Buddhists in general and Zen Buddhists, in particular don't really meditate (they mostly practice "calming the mind" techniques before the next tsunami of Samsara arrives, LOL).

Likewise, a teacher in a Southeast Asian country I know spoke of those with "Dharma-eye". Those very few people who have introspective skill to dig deeply into the question of the Original Face. No one should expect miracle from the common lot of mankind who often think the greatest gift is a Mitsubishi 60-in plasma TV for christmas, :P

Bodhiratna