gendao Posted May 6, 2013 (edited) What type of meditation exactly did Buddha use to reach enlightenment, after breaking a 6-year fast? Accepting from a grass-cutter a gift of kusa grass for a mat, the Bodhisattva took a seat under a pipal tree facing east. Here he resolved not to rise again until enlightenment was attained."Here on this seat my body may shrivel up,my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve,but my body will not move from this seatuntil I have attained Enlightenment,so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas". As Gautama sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, perceiving that his power was about to be broken, rushed to distract him from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to bear witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's wisdom broke through the illusions and the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers and Mara and all his forces fled in disarray. In the earliest accounts, Buddha achieved enlightenment by gaining the three types of knowledge: complete knowledge of all his own past lives, of the karma and rebirths of all others, and the Four Noble Truths. Later accounts explain that, with enlightenment, he achieved omniscience. In all his teachings, where are the actual instructions for his breakthrough meditation??? Edited May 6, 2013 by vortex 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thunder_Gooch Posted May 6, 2013 What type of meditation exactly did Buddha use to reach enlightenment, after breaking a 6-year fast? In all his teachings, where are the actual instructions for his breakthrough meditation??? Good luck answering this question. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted May 6, 2013 What type of meditation exactly did Buddha use to reach enlightenment, after breaking a 6-year fast? In all his teachings, where are the actual instructions for his breakthrough meditation??? Actually I just recently listened to a monk talk about how Buddha was doing mindfulness meditation when he reached enlightenment and how the path to enlightenment is the 8 fold path, and that people sometimes tend to over complicate things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jetsun Posted May 6, 2013 What type of meditation exactly did Buddha use to reach enlightenment, after breaking a 6-year fast? In all his teachings, where are the actual instructions for his breakthrough meditation??? Didn't he just give up searching and just allow everything to be as it is Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Simple_Jack Posted May 6, 2013 Didn't he just give up searching and just allow everything to be as it is Nah, according to the Maha-Saccaka Sutta: he went through each of the 4 rupajhana's after remembering his experience of the 1st one when he was a kid. After reaching the 4th rupajhana, he gained the knowledges which led to his awakening. I like this sutta, because it also briefly describes how far he pushed himself in his ascetic practices [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html]. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
