Tommy

No problem. But, that did sound a bit harsh?? If it was meant to be in jest or humor then I got to say I missed it. Sorry.

It is difficult to hear the intonation of a statement communicated thru text or typing. So, can not tell if it was in humor or just rough times. I just wanted everyone to be kind. Oh, happy Halloween.

Wow, what a severe attitude towards someone you may or may not know. It doesn't mean one is humble but rather that the opinion is humble. The opinion isn't one of a statement that is the be all and end all but humble as to suggest another opinion. IMHO.. LOL.

Welcome to the forum, I have recently joined the forum. Nice bunch (like bananas) of people. If you have any questions or just want to talk then you have got the right place for it. See you around. Tommy

Sorry to say, no possible jinx. I am not looking for life changing experiences. The reasoning is the old saying, Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water So life doesn't change. Only the outlook on life changes. I agree that the Three Pillars Of Zen did seems to promise Kensho if there was enough effort put forth. And, many Zen places do have retreats and Sesshin. I have always thought about going to such retreats to solve this mystery about the truth of life. Sit for hours and become a better person with wisdom and compassion. But, I know that isn't me ( I have no wisdom nor compassion). And I know there is no guarantee. I guess if the author doesn't dangle the carrot then there would be a lesser number of people inclined to seek Kensho which is what I believe was the purpose of his book. To allow people to learn about Zen and then go on its path.

If one is reading about Kensho then it isn't Kensho. And I have had one acid experience. I know it isn't Kensho because the self is still there. All acid seemed to do is to allow this self to understand that there are different states of awareness. If one is in a good place then the world seems fantastic. If one is in a dark place then the horrors comes out. For me, it isn't what I seek. And nothing from drugs or alcohol will last forever. It is a dead end. As for me, I would never claim to have experienced Kensho or anything like it regardless of what I have experienced. Too much like claiming to know the future when the future can change before your vision of it would come to pass. All things will change. Not even one's memories will stay the same as one ages. As the saying goes, if you want to know why we are here then look at your past. If you want to know the future then look at the present. Attention, actions and intent are just some of the deciding factors of one's life.

Kensho is not religious conversion nor North Korean brainwashing nor trance possession. As mentioned before, Kensho is the opening of the mind's awareness. There is no different belief system that will relieve the stress. The stress, in the case of Kensho, is self induced. And not forced upon one. Being self induced it can be relieved by the self at any time. When someone deprives you of food, that is forced upon you and can not be stopped by you. When you choose to fast, that is your choice and can be stopped at any time you want. The two outwardly appear to be the same. A person in starvation or being hungry. But, inwardly, vastly different. I am sorry that you do not see the difference. It is quite right to express your opinion. I am sorry that I made it out as being too negative. I just do not want to see someone discouraged from seeking Kensho because it was called brainwashing. Personally, I do wish for you to experience Kensho and know for yourself its true meaning. Thanks for reading.

No, I believe each word has a different character. But, you can put fire in front of the other words and it changes the meaning or becomes another word(?). My parents are originally from Tai Shan China, moved to Hong Kong and then to New York. When I went to visit Tai Shan, I experienced the different languages due to locality. This made it quite an experience not knowing any Chinese or associated dialects. Met my wife there. She made things easier. Wished I had also visited Taiwan while I was in the area. @Master Logray, that is a very interesting way to look at the culture thru the books and temples. Thanks.

If you have not experienced real Kensho then I would suggest not disparaging Kensho as brainwashing. Not everyone sees it as you do. For me it is an opening of the mind to another awareness and not induced by brainwashing. Although you may feel it is not another stage in the progress of liberation from suffering, I see it as a milestone to opening oneself to entering the stream. Much like crossing the barrier to learning the truth of oneself. I see that you have turned your ideas into a little pdf. That to me is much like what happens in other religions. Someone thinks they know more and starts to pass their knowledge on as truth. I am not discouraging your efforts. As in everything, we are encouraged to verify for ourselves the truth passed on by others. Personally, I do not know anything but have experienced other who claim to have known all. For instance, one person claimed that he could become more like Buddha thru debates about Buddhism. The more debates he wins then the closer he is to Buddha. Another person on a defunct forum (Zen forum international), came to the forum to establish that he knew everything about enlightenment. And to follow his instructions. Of course there was another person who have had more experience with formal instructions, he would argue with the other person which turned the forum into a toxic place. All I want is to have a place for discussions. Not a place for negativity. So, as for your PDF, thank you. Will look into it. If it turn out right then will be most grateful. If not then I will not say anything else. After all, this is a journey. Some go left and other goes right. I like to take a step back and look forward. Please do not discourage others from Kensho. Thanks.

Yeah, this is pretty much the reply I got when I mentioned it to my teacher at the time. Not a big deal. Just continue with the practice. And so, I just dropped off the map. But, kept my interest.

Sorry, I wasn't really expecting this to turn into a political discussion. "Why China believes Taiwan belongs to them" is more about history. And "why it might spark world war three" was just a prediction of the future. @Cobie Thanks for the advice.

What would you like to know? May be about why China believes it belongs to them? Why it might be the cause for world war three?

Sometimes it is suffering that brings one to seek a way not to suffer. So, Buddhism starts with understanding suffering and ways to freedom from suffering. Notice, one is not avoiding anything. One is looking for freedom from suffering. Of course suffering is unavoidable. If you live then you will suffer. It is this suffering that sometimes drives one to seek relief from such things. Do we avoid it? No, we experience life as it is and strive to survive or flourish in this life. But, also do not run into things just to experience suffering. It is a way of living that is balanced. To understand Buddhism then one should practice. Learn the Dharma and practice living a good life. Sit in meditation. Read and interact with others on the path. Good luck to you.

I agree. There may be 88 thousand different ways to reach Nirvana. There is only one liberation. If mine was different from yours then it can not be liberation. It can not be the truth in that case. In lies, there are many. In truth, there is only one.

Thank you for your reply. You seem to have a grasp of the way to proceed. And,, I hope it has been something that I have tried. Sometimes the question comes up with "Am I doing this right?" Sure, I welcome any replies. As I have said, my practice is on and off. Mostly off. At the time when I had a teacher, we practiced a couple of hours everyday Monday thru Friday. And on a weekend, when I did not expect anything, there was a shift where everything went silent in my head. Kind of difficult to explain. But, that shift was so sudden that all I wanted was to shift back to normal. And since, I have not had any such experiences. So, I think I have prevented myself from moving forward. Make a little progress and then stop to remain myself. Then, I will start again for a while. Doing as much as I can. Then stop again. So I just live a normal life. Thanks for the reply. So, not enough time and not enough effort. Just don't want to waste anyone's time.

Yes, sure, they are related. It is all about setting the house in order and ready for the master to return. Or about living a life that follows the rules of the eightfold path. However, I liken it to eating ice cream. One can eat ice cream by using one's tongue and licking it. Or one can use a spoon and eat ice cream by the spoonful. Or one can chomp down on the whole scoop in one bite. Thanks for the advice. I also wish you well on your path. Namaste.

Thanks for the reply. It just seems to me that I do not have enough time nor enough effort to reach the barrier much less enter the stream. I have had times where I felt that I wasn't present but I attribute that to falling asleep while sitting. Still the feelings keep me searching for Zen forums and interactions with people who know more than I do. Some are just way too knowledgeable that I do not learn but get confused. And other forums that are not such a good fit. Thanks again for the reply. I wish you well.

Yes, well aware. I do practice now a days. Before sleep, 20 minutes just sitting and watching breath. Still thoughts comes and I get identified with them or will chase the idea. Getting older, in the middle of the night, have to get up and go to the bathroom. I wake and sit for about 20 minutes (around four o'clock). This happens each night. Often the sleepy mind takes over and I find my head slumped to the side. If I put in more effort, I can stay awake for the whole twenty minutes. Then I go back to sleep. I do not know if this helps or not. It really doesn't matter to me as I am fine with my present situation. If my desire to find the real answer comes up again then I may search you out. Thanks, you are more than kind. Sorry, this isn't about living a life of a practicing Buddhist. It is about putting the mega effort that is sometimes needed to break thru the barrier to have an experience such as Kensho. Often this can not be done without the aid of a teacher. With the clarity and understanding of the teacher, the pupil can be guided to the edge of the barrier and finally push thru. I just feel that I do not have that ability to do it. Living the path of a Buddhist isn't hard since there is no hard line to follow. One does what they can to live a good life. Follow the precepts. So, thanks for the advice. But, it isn't the path I am looking for.

Of course, you are right. I suspected you were a teacher from your posts. And thank you for your generous offer. But, I doubt I would be an adequate pupil. I had a teacher many years ago. And my practice has been on and off since then. Mainly off. Too lazy, I feel. Although I am very interested in the nature of the mind, my efforts are lacking. And would not want to waste your time. Thank you.

I always thought it was "One pointed concentration" not "one pointedness of mind". The mind is what it is. It arises with thought for most people. What is one pointedness of mind? One pointed concentration is for the mind to be focused upon one singular point. Maybe i got it wrong but it makes sense to me? Jumping from one person to another, no matter they be Zen masters or enlightened ones, you lose the meaning cause each has their own way of expressions. They have their own words to describe the issue at hand. Meaning lost in the translation and the time of the culture for which it was expressed. Not saying you are wrong. But, it sounds like soup with too many ingredients. Can you still call it soup?

Welcome to the forum, This is a nice place for asking questions as everyone seems to have an opinion. They're not always on the same page. But, they do want to be helpful. Good luck to you.

Can you suggest a method for moving forward to having this experience so we can understand??? Or, can there actually be 88 thousand methods of arriving at Nirvana? I have heard stories of people who go to Sesshin and put in mega effort to have a Kensho experience. Some do and some don't have Kensho. Do you suggest we spend the time in such places to put in such efforts? And will it work for me? LOL. A rubbing hand on the back of my bald head. I do not wish for it as I do enjoy the ride. It is all a dance of life. Well, good nite all.

I believe (and I could definitely be wrong about this) is that self and self are two different things. There is the self or this person. What we call the physical being. And there is the self that is the mental construct from thoughts. The physical being has what is called composite. Stuff made from other stuff. The other stuff being what does not break down into something else. There is what I believe is the thing that gets reborn. Then, there is the self that is made from the mental construct of thoughts. That self is a composite when broken down has no basic stuff other than what is left after the physical body is decomposed. This self does not continue after the death of the body. I do not know if I am right or wrong. But, it is what I believe from my understanding. When we sit in meditation, the practice is to let thoughts go and develop concentration. Letting thoughts go helps to separate the real person from the construct of self that comes from identifying with thoughts. This doesn't mean thoughts are a failure of self. Rather it is the way we presently understand the environment around us. How we cope and live. But, when we get to experience life thru the real self, we see what can be called an illusion and what is real. A different perspective. If one want to go deeper then there are more words about the five skandhas. And how this self is broken down or what it is made up from. Understanding that will take a more experienced or enlightened person. Even when it was explained to me, I did not understand. So, my mind could not grasp what was taught at the time. It is only when I spend more time sitting that some of it becomes clear. Well, who knows? I could be fooling myself?? Thanks for reading and I hope your journey is as interesting as you wished it to be.

Who are you praying to for this help for the departed soul? If you have faith in some spirit or god then that is where you will find the prayer. To lessen the bereaved, spend time talking with them. Show compassion but do not encourage continued weeping for the dead. Engage but do not become a part of the loss. If you wish to say a prayer then do so. If you wish to find a prayer with the trappings of Buddhism then do so. I am reminded of this story. This little boy would call his mother often while she was in prayer. The mother became annoyed and asked why he was calling her so much. The boy said if you do not like to be called upon constantly then how would god feel with you saying prayers to him all the time? This lets one know that actions and intent are the focus of mindfulness.

That reminds me of the story of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion asked the frog to give him a lift across the pond. The frog said no because the scorpion would sting him and he would die. The scorpion said if that happened then they would both die. So, the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the pond. Along the way, the scorpion stung the frog. The frog ask why did you do that cause now we both will die. The scorpion said do not blame me because it is my instinct to do so. What does this mean???