The classic texts of Buddhism say that the first step to real liberation.
Most of us prefer to avoid thinking. However, thoughts about the inevitability of death make us worm their way into our brains, so to speak.
Our ideas of death (or "after death") have a tendency to excite, fear. These concepts are often vague ideas of destruction completely cease to exist. Idea of the destruction can certainly undermine our hopes and ambitions boring.
However, under an honest look at the Grim Reaper himself as the most effective way to get us to be on your way to true freedom.
Zen Master Hakuin credited his awareness of death is certainly setting him on the path to enlightenment. Reflecting the torments of hell as a child filled him with fear and prompted a vigorous search for liberation.
Quest childhood Zen Master Dogen was also inspired by a profound awareness of death, still searching decided that the smoke of incense at the funeral of his mother when he was only eight years, he, the monastic life in force.
As a teacher Dogen often said that knowledge was the start of the futility of the practice.
With few exceptions, teachers, contemporaries say little on the hood, scythe-monaco transportation.
It seems that students' motivation to wake upthe smiling face of death is out of fashion.
Perhaps it is because of the Reaper deter potential donors.
Some teachers, like the owners of funeral directors, are sensitive to people's desire to avoid certain topics.
While financial concerns may be a factor, there is more than that. Evidence that some of our teachers have not solved the problem for themselves.
For example, "book by a Zen teacher presents a folk story of a Zen master, was thatasked the condition after death.
The "master" said, "Why do you ask?" The interrogator said: "You're a Zen master. Because" The master said: "Yes, but I'm not a dead Zen master."
Obviously this is an acknowledgment of her right now. It is said, as if the master is to be noted that the problems are solved after death after death.
At first this sounds like standard Zen wisdom.
Looking a bit 'deeper, but it's unlikely.
FromOf course, any of the Zen master worthy of insisting that each of us personally to resolve this problem - but also insist that they are resolved as we live.
We really do not ask what a Zen master Reaper happens after death, unless they suffered from fear of the Grim.
This means that "lives" Zen masters do not know, could easily be misconstrued as suggesting the Zen does not help Subversion can be a need, it would Teaching. He said: "I can not answer for you" is very different to say "can not be solved, because I'm alive."
One of the great Zen koan illuminate this question, this is "Zengen living or dead." The case is:
Once, at a funeral, a monaco named Zengen advantage of the coffin and asked his teacher, Dogo, "dead or alive?
" Dogo said, "life, I will not say dead, I do not say .." Zengen said: "Why did not you say?" Dogo said, "I do not mean I will not say."
Later, when the twowent home, Zeng said, "dead or alive, if not me, I beat you?". Dogo said, "You can beat me, but I will not say." Zengen hit him.
Later, after Dogo died, Sekisô Zengen this incident, another teacher. Sekisô said, "life, I will not say dead, I do not say .." Zengen again asked: "Why did not you say?" Sekisô said: "I'm not saying I do not want to say."
At these words Zengen finally saw the Grim Reaper costume.
Zengen later came toHall to bring a hoe. He went back and forth, as if searching for something. Sekisô asked, "What are you doing?" Zengen said: "In search of our late teacher relics (pieces of bone, found after the cremation, etc.)". Sekisô said: "vast and boundless, filling countless waves roaring in the sky What relic." Zengen said: "This is only where there are problems."
Without doubt, this koan has some intellectual satisfaction on the issue of death. But it is not its function. L 'classical Buddhist doctrine of "non-self" (without death) is intellectually and philosophically shown very clearly elsewhere in Buddhist literature.
Zen koan do not deal with philosophical concepts. Obviously Zengen would be deeply familiar with Buddhist teachings to have the non-self. Monaco was a Buddhist after all.
Koan practitioners offer a "gap" through a conceptual understanding of reality. It may be better to say that the gap Koansbetween theory and truth that is beyond mere conceptualization. (This particular koan also offers a kind of "self-referentiality" gives us a clue "as they apply only effort" (in our meditation).
Neither say Dogo Sekisô or "I can not say" or "I do not know." Both say: "I do not say."
Although the Dogo Sekisô him or the "answer" would not allow him (or us) to see the Grim Reaper sickle, made from papier mache. (This is one reason why books of koan"" Do not provide guidance for students or a real threat, "giving away" from anything.)
Before the solution of the problem was Zengen so desperate for the "response" was ready to apply physical violence to his master. Then, after his personal resolution, was so convinced that the audacity to enter the meditation room with a hoe and the challenge was.
What happened? What was the agent of change so important? One thing is certain, it was not easyLearn some bit of new knowledge.
We, as Zengen can easily understand the Buddhist teachings on the issue. According to Buddhism, we have always been free from birth and death, our true nature is the source from which all created things linger, and return, including the Grim Reaper himself. But, as the Zen saying says: "The knowledge of water does not quench our thirst, and said the word" fire "does not burn your mouth." Buddhist teachings on emptiness, dependent origination, BuddhaNature, and so on, are necessary guidelines for practice, but are of little value in and of itself.
Buddhism has always recognized that true liberation can only come through a personal awakening.Authentic freedom to say the Zen masters, can be achieved only through direct personal experience.
The path of true enlightenment and the practice can be maintained only by a genuine aspiration.
The meditation on death, is to awaken one of the most powerful suction-binding.
Thinking about the inevitability of death is not only has the potential to inspire a genuine search for enlightenment, it gives us a realistic perspective on life, and can alsorepresent a sort of reference point for our spiritual progress to be measured.
Here is a standard technique for meditation on death (think of how to experience a kind of template and customize). Let's start with the settlement in what is our primary method of meditation.
Once completed, we will do our best to make judgments as to lie to ourselves and to view shortly before his death. Breathe normally, we see the light go out of our eyes. Rest for a while 'here, we see our calm life without you Body.
Next, we gradually begin to see our bodies decompose.
We see the color gray, then black and yellow spotted fade slowly spread about them.
We see the skin begins to sag and swell.
We see different liquid, watery or thick, black, green, yellow filter and escape from his dead body and the consolidation or into the ground around it.
We look to see the insects and worms that nest and breed to begin in our bodies.
We can be aware of the stench of decay, resulting from our decomposition of the body.
When you made famous by agitation, we should rest for a while 'and are aware of their thoughts and feelings that are caused in us.
If our observation is calm and objective view our skeleton slowly out of the soft tissues of the body. As the image of their skeleton is formed in the mind's eye, we would become aware of our skeleton at this time.
Our skeleton is now, inevitably his own idea Future.
Now we also see how our skeleton begins to fall apart.
We see our skeleton gradually transformed into a pile, and then a handful of bones.
We will continue the bones become fragile and break into smaller pieces to see.
Training for the display of this inevitable process, we continue until we see the teeth to dust.
When we look in depth to be comfortable in our death, we follow a procedure similar to meditation on the death of our loved ones.
When we see clearly that to change everything we love will die, our thoughts, words and actions.
Our thoughts and feelings about our loved ones to be friendly and less discretionary.
Our time together will be more valuable, and increases our gratitude for them.
We can also do this meditation technique, this in our lives that we harbor anger or resentment.
While aware of his death, we realize that all love to lose.
We are aware of the peoplewho love them, fail because of their suffering and death. progressively, anger, revenge, or feel the injury or injustice that caused scattered.
Often, this practice quickly a sense of forgiveness towards them.
As already mentioned, the application of this technique can also contact us with a kind of barometer of our progress on the road.
Observe how the thoughts and feelings aroused by this method gradually over a period of time, transformswe can estimate the gap between our knowledge and implementation.
The quality and number of fear or doubt arises in this process is directly proportional to the gap between our understanding and implementation.
Maintaining a keen awareness of the safety of our death gives us a realistic assessment of the preciousness of human life. Certainly we understand the wish to die alone, no one to pass through the gate for us, we can inspire seriously and personallySolve the great question of life and death.
Ensuring the continued approach of death puts things in perspective.
Some of the things that seem to be useful or important to dramatically lose their importance in the reflection of the scythe of death.
Things that previously seemed low, even worthless, to take a new light. The ardent desire for that new car or bigger house suddenly disappears.
True joy and wonder for the "little things" can lift. L 'strong tree we build with our child, the cup of coffee that we share with our spouse, or the sudden realization that the sun rises in the east and west seem to suddenly cause for celebration.
Both Sekisô Dogo and said: "Life does not say dead, I do not say .." When asked why Zengen said that "I'm not saying I do not want to say."
It might seem that Zengen not "get it" when Dogo said and did "get it" when Sekisô said, but misses the point. The words of the Dogo andSekisô are no different, what else about these two non-teaching?
After Zengen solved the problem for himself what he meant was that he was looking for his deceased master relics? And why did Sekisô suggest that the relics of the heavens and the earth full?
I'm not saying I will not say.
Why will not you say?
Starts to become intimate with our true nature of intimacy with the smiling face of death.
If you do not look in his dark eyes took no time aswe can manage, if we take a boat trip to take with them?
When the Zen master, is right, if you really see the Grim Reaper in the eye, we'll be the light that shines from the eyes of Buddha.
A Buddhist scripture says. "If I do not see why you're not my non-watch to see if it does not look bad it was not true-not-see, if not quite see-does not need to be an object, it could not?"
'Call him face to face with us for a while 'we can get that even death breathes down carry.
With practice, you will learn to reach, taking its dark hood, the facility down and study his bony face.
The investigation of form and the Grim Reaper are empty, we find some features certainly known.
No comments:
Post a Comment