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View Full Version : Zen - not a state of mind



Tiny
30th April 2010, 02:32 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUpLOB2EIDU

And I think the man is quite right. Zen is really a state of no-mind.

Tutor
30th April 2010, 09:58 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUpLOB2EIDU

And I think the man is quite right. Zen is really a state of no-mind.

"not my will, but god's will be done."

does god's will bear conditions and changes therefrom? no, for what is god is changeless.

contemplatively...,the same thing, or no-thing, from two different angles, and it is why both usually end up complimenting one another for any monastic or lay-monastic (contemplative).

what is commonly misunderstood however is the effect that one single human, Ghandi, had upon both of these two human elements of zen buddhism and christian monastics. Ghandi changed the turn of world events, revealing how uitlize the no-mind state to effect a world driven by mind/s at the expense of human rights.

this directly affected many up and coming leaders from many world angles. such as: Martin Luther King, Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh and others. many of which met and grew in spiritual friendship and mutual global support.

the realization was for these spiritual forerunners, that what is the state of no-mind if in fact the world at large yet suffers all around us. should not from a state of no-mind one in turn with that state affect that which is soley mind.

Ghandi himself pulled this off right in front of status quos nose in India, freeing many through passive resistance (inaction activism) from the totalitarian rule of Great Britain.

therefore, the question of no-mind or even mind is moot. for the question ever presents itself as , what is human empowerment and how does this empowerment respondingly actuate itself within a action=reaction world of minds all vying for control by power of authority.

of course, that spins one into, 'what is authority'.

it is a good youtube video, but if ya asked me, i'd tell ya that the guy has a very long way to go, because while he may have went up, he forgot that everything that goes up must come back down.

how can one speak of zazen with mind's words to folks who with their minds listen intently, translating with minds, and in that are drawn to, and from that overall display, really be giving yourself or anyone else in that, what it is???

this is sonething one experiences, sets themself amongst those who without worded dictates, turn one inward, even against their own wills which continuously seek to reengage with what is outlying.

and in that this engagement with the outlying persists, it is good, because one begins to realize that there is no outying to speak of, for, as it is, only the mind's spinning wheels are seeking to reengage, fighting for a focus.

it is as said, "if your right eye offends thee pluck it out, if it is your right hand then cut it off".
but it doesnt mean to actually dismember the body, for it too is upheld by conscious mind. it means for one to within them self to come by surrender to a state of rest where all wheels cease spinning in their fight for the focus.

what then lies beyond this state of rest? it certainly isnt 'nothing', though it is the absense of all which with your mind would focus upon.

with that 'sight' one may, as Ghandi pulled off, empower them self in a way that the world does not understand, because the world knows only power by forceful action/reaction.

taking this to it's root, we may understand it from a taoist non-pov. that the bodies natural bouyancy is established, but a mind seeking control will drown anyone forgetful of that truth, they caught in the water way.

peace to ya,

tim

Tiny
1st May 2010, 07:16 AM
Dear Tutor,

thank you for your post.

I tried to follow as much as I could.

What suprised me was that in my meditations I was by whomever taught exactly what Zen teaches without even dealing with Zen. It's a package of knowledge that came to me and which I only later figured actually coincides with a lot of what Zen teaches.
Besides I really believe that people who think they can be taught Zen by another or by a book are deluding themselves. It can be taught by telepathy (feeling) but even then there is still a lot of space open for misinterpretation.
But at all costs should the adebt avoid the spoken or written word for the word is deceptive and it erodes (corrupts) all true knowledge over time.

I don't look upon people like Jeff Shore as teachers, moreso at the core I believe they are simply trying to express themselves opportunistically with an audience.


kind regards,

Paul

star
1st May 2010, 10:07 AM
I enjoy Zazen, "just sitting".

What made it difficult for me was the philosphy. It only needs a short, few sentences to understand how to practice it, really.
Also, just sitting in the half-lotus while practicing will allow energy to move without the need to interfer. In Zazen your just letting yourself get out of the way of what happens when you relax and watch your breath without thoughts. "my opinion"