The adept in seeking enlightenment or kenshō, always mistakes the real absolute for a conceived absolute (one by way of mentation). In other words, the adepts is mistaking a conceived ‘copy’ for the real thing. Frustrated, eventually, the adept gives up their search and becomes a Buddhist scholar (just kidding).
The adept’s very thoughts with which he seeks kenshō are neither the absolute nor unconditioned which makes the search seem almost too difficult if not absurd. Still, the adept is not alienated from the unconditioned. Kenshō is always possible but unlikely for those of little faith and even less courage to continue.
Looking within, the very source of our conditioned thoughts with which we seek kenshō, is unconditioned. It has many names from pure Mind to Buddha-nature. Yet, we can’t get behind it to be aware of it. All we’re aware of and seem to know is our thinking which is not unconditioned—short of kenshō. The fact remains, only the conditioned arises and is manifest appearing in front of us. Defining the ‘conditioned’, the Buddha said, “an arising is manifest, a passing away is manifest and an otherwise-ness (contrast) in the persisting is manifest” (AN I.152). If we have done a lot of meditation—yep, that’s self-evident. We are never other than in the presence of the conditioned which is fungible with saṃsāra.
Yet, not only Siddhartha but a few Zen masters managed to attain kenshō. Unexpectedly and suddenly, they beheld (i.e., intuited) the unconditioned. To be sure, it was beyond the pale of the six senses and the five aggregates.
So, how did they do it? They had faith in three things. The first, is the faith that deep within them lies the very source of the conditioned which is absolutely unconditioned. The second, is to recognize the conditioned which includes even the most subtle thoughts; never rely on the conditioned. The third, only when one has thoroughly gone to their wits’ end as far as seeking the unconditioned with the conditioned is there the right moment for kenshō.
Comments