Bodhidharma Wall Gazing Meditation

[kundalini]

It has been said, written and typed that bodhidharma stared at a wall for nine years and achieved enlightenment. What do you think his method of wall gazing consists of? I think he may did tranquility meditation while gazing the wall. But there are pictures of him holding two hands in an upwards cupped position at the level of his qihai. This may imply that he focuses on the second chakra directly behind the qihai in the middle path and that he may have practiced some sort of inner alchemy during his meditations.

 

I tried the wall gazing technique with void meditation before sleep, just gazing on the ceiling until my eyelids close due to tiredness, and then I strain to open them again, and continuing the gaze on the ceiling. This is a great way to go to sleep. You get to see random images propping up too. Years ago I tried this for a while and sometimes had the beginning of out of body experience, usually accompanied by strong electrical vibrations while having physical body paralysis. One time I was out of my body, I could see my body standing a few feet away. But it could be a dream

Edited July 11, 2011 by kundalini

[suninmyeyes]

It has been said, written and typed that bodhidharma stared at a wall for nine years and achieved enlightenment. What do you think his method of wall gazing consists of? I think he may did tranquility meditation while gazing the wall. But there are pictures of him holding two hands in an upwards cupped position at the level of his qihai. This may imply that he focuses on the second chakra directly behind the qihai in the middle path and that he may have practiced some sort of inner alchemy during his meditations.

 

I tried the wall gazing technique with void meditation before sleep, just gazing on the ceiling until my eyelids close due to tiredness, and then I strain to open them again, and continuing the gaze on the ceiling. This is a great way to go to sleep. You get to see random images propping up too. Years ago I tried this for a while and sometimes had the beginning of out of body experience, usually accompanied by strong electrical vibrations while having physical body paralysis. One time I was out of my body, I could see my body standing a few feet away. But it could be a dream

Staring at the wall for 9 years is hard core.Life is so amazing and diverse!

There is a yogic technique called shambavi mudra(it is an open eye meditation),and person can employ it for going to sleep.This is how many yogis sleep/'sleep'.

[goldisheavy]

It has been said, written and typed that bodhidharma stared at a wall for nine years and achieved enlightenment. What do you think his method of wall gazing consists of? I think he may did tranquility meditation while gazing the wall. But there are pictures of him holding two hands in an upwards cupped position at the level of his qihai. This may imply that he focuses on the second chakra directly behind the qihai in the middle path and that he may have practiced some sort of inner alchemy during his meditations.

 

I tried the wall gazing technique with void meditation before sleep, just gazing on the ceiling until my eyelids close due to tiredness, and then I strain to open them again, and continuing the gaze on the ceiling. This is a great way to go to sleep. You get to see random images propping up too. Years ago I tried this for a while and sometimes had the beginning of out of body experience, usually accompanied by strong electrical vibrations while having physical body paralysis. One time I was out of my body, I could see my body standing a few feet away. But it could be a dream

 

The important thing here is not the technique. You can stare at the wall for 9 years and develop a sore butt as a grand result of that practice. What matters is your level of wisdom and intent. If you sit with the resolve to be enlightened or die trying, that's going to be very very different from merely sitting. If you add some wisdom to your sitting, such as for example, the ability to appreciate how you make sense of various experiences that occur to you, that's going to help you tremendously. So it's not really the technique that does the trick, but the total package of the circumstances, both inner and outer.

 

In the most simple language you get whatever you believe you should get. If you believe you're just sitting, you get just sitting and no more. If you think your sitting has a deeper meaning than the bodily function of resting on your rear end, then you'll get a result that corresponds to that deeper meaning.

 

I suggest you read Zanmai-o-Zanmai, and then read Kuge: the flowers of space.

 

If the above is confusing, try this.

Edited July 11, 2011 by goldisheavy

[Informer]

Holding both palms facing up helps in getting chi from above.

 

Honestly, I don't think it makes a difference if he was staring at a wall, a tree, or a statue.

[de_paradise]

He gained enlightenment in a flash before (as in Zen awakening), but did the wall staring to solidfy it, as in allowing the biology catch up. Its funny how non cultivators look at this story as some kind of dread to stare at a wall, OMG, what a waste, what if you stare at a wall and nothing happens. You could have been at the bar chowing down on buffalo wings and staring at the cleavage of drunk chicks.

[Otis]

In the most simple language you get whatever you believe you should get. If you believe you're just sitting, you get just sitting and no more. If you think your sitting has a deeper meaning than the bodily function of resting on your rear end, then you'll get a result that corresponds to that deeper meaning.

Not sure I follow this: "you get whatever you believe you should get"? I don't see that principle working anywhere in the world, including meditation.

 

Isn't the point of Zazen "just sitting"? Not distracting one's self with purpose?

 

It seems to me that 9 years of just sitting will, by necessity, be a powerful and enlightening experience, not just a sore butt. There's only so long anyone can distract themselves from themselves. Believing that I'm going to get something out of it just sounds like another distraction.

[rex]

I read something, somewhere, once, that staring at a wall for nine years was a metaphor. Whether it was a metaphor for an accomplishment or undergoing a specific process that didn't literally involve staring at a wall for nine years escapes me.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Like de_paradise said, he was awakened before trying sit in front of a wall for 9 years. It's the same with Milarepa.. he had his enlightenment and then chose his extreme asceticism. A lot of buddhas disappeared moved to the mountains and caves after their awakenings too. From what I've read of the documented moments of awakening, it was during instruction or a random realization that occurred during a very ordinary event. Buddha certainly didn't advocate extremes to reach enlightenment, but what you do after achieving it is a call best made by the individual.. ime. In the meantime, I think sitting meditation has to be taken out into the world. When the realizations of zazen do not leave while one is out in the world, then something greater has been attained. Achieving a heightened state while doing zazen is just the very beginning of successful meditation. Carrying it around with you is something else.