What is the "mu" phenomena?

[Kubba]

THere are cong-ans in Zen tradition that relate to this phenomena, but cant find any information that explain it..

I try to educate myself, but have no clue what is it, anyone has an answer?

 

I've experienced it some time ago while some kundalini stuff going on. This sound was born from the breath reorganisation. The pushing through contractions on the front side of the body while exhalation/inhalation produces "m" and then, the same inhalation/exhalation that pushes through contractions along the back of the body produced "u". Something recognised it, and I said "mu", but in that moment it was as if something said "mu" not me, and there was a kind of a research of this one who is "mu" to answer the question - who is "mu"?. So who is "me"? Body pointed to the tree and said "mu" as if "me" but the recognition that followed was that it isn't it, then it pointed to the heart and said "mu", and still not it, and it continued for some time, and each time when the answer was wrong, there was some reorganisation of energy in the spine column.

It looked as if heart looking for what "me" is but everything that could point to, wasnt it. At the end it was even pointing to the absolute consciousness, beyond forms, and then the search continued through negation of objects, to find out what is this absolute. The feeling was, that as the one who is "mu" moves, there is something that does not moves.

At the end there was some moment when my whole ody started vibrating with very fine but intesive vibrations as if on the whole skin level, and something "broke up", the energy relased and went downward in the front channel into hara. I could not move for some time, lying down, then I stood up, and I could not say anything. When I wanted to say anything, any word that started in my mind changed into "mu" in my mouth.

Then this process continued, in some form, that can be described as extracting different parts of the body from the sense of "me" through different vibrations (simply by saying this "mu" with specific intonation, that was putting different tissues and parts of the body into vibrations, after withch the relase of energy was experienced). All it was going on on auto pilot.

 

So from my point of view at that moment it was something as if being extracted itself from the subconscious mind and was looking for its real subjectiv identification. But also there was mind process going on to find out what does it means. THats why I guess, the right answer to kong-an "what does mu means?" is "don't know" in order not to get involved into mental process. Simply they are preparring people for this phenomena.

 

Funny enought I met 2 people in psyhiatric hospital, that wasn't related to zen tradition and they were telling this "mu" as well. One was after pilgrime to some Cristian church, other was just an average farmer doing yoga....

 

Still, it is very interesting phenomena that makes me curious.

 

Then, some months after this event I contacted some monk, and I said to him about it, and he aswered that it happend sometimes, and it is subconscious desire to get free from bounds of personality.

But am stil not satisfied with this explanation. Does anyone find any scripture about it or has met any explanations?

I would be thankfull.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Kubba

[Tibetan_Ice]

For what it is worth, from The Three Pillars of Zen:

 

 

The next two sentences read: “What, then, is this barrier set up by the ancestors? It is Mu, the one barrier of the supreme teaching.” The supreme teaching is not a system of morality but that which lies at the root of all such systems—namely, Zen. Only that which is of unalloyed purity, free from the superstitious or the supernatural, can be called the root of all teachings and therefore supreme. In Buddhism Zen is the only teaching which is not to one degree or another tainted with elements of the supernatural—thus Zen alone can truly be called the supreme teaching and Mu the one barrier of this supreme teaching. You can understand “one barrier” to mean the sole barrier or one out of many. Ultimately there is no barrier.

 

...

“Who would not want to pass through this barrier?”—this phrase aims at enticing you to search for truth within yourself. “For this you must concentrate day and night, questioning yourself about Mu through every one of your 360 bones and 84,000 pores.” These figures reflect the thinking of the ancients, who believed that the body was constructed in this fashion. In any case, what this refers to is your entire being. Let all of you become one mass of doubt and questioning. Concentrate on and penetrate fully into Mu. To penetrate into Mu means to achieve absolute unity with it. How can you achieve this unity? By holding to Mu tenaciously day and night!

 

Do not separate yourself from it under any circumstances! Focus your mind on it constantly. “Do not construe Mu as nothingness and do not conceive it in terms of existence or non-existence.” You must not, in other words, think of Mu as a problem involving the existence or non-existence of Buddha-nature. Then what do you do? You stop speculating and concentrate wholly on Mu—just Mu!

 

Do not dawdle; practice with every ounce of energy. “You must reach the point where you feel as though you had swallowed a red-hot iron ball …” It is hyperbole, of course, to speak of swallowing a red-hot iron ball. However, we often carelessly swallow a hot rice-cake which, lodging in the throat, causes considerable discomfort. Once you swallow Mu up you will likewise feel intensely uncomfortable and try desperately to dislodge it. “… that you cannot disgorge despite your every effort”—this describes the state of those who work on this koan. Because Self-realization is so tantalizing a prospect they cannot quit; neither can they grasp Mu’s significance readily. So there is no other way for them but to concentrate on Mu until they “turn blue in the face.”

 

The comparison with a red-hot iron ball is apt. You must melt down your illusions with the red-hot iron ball of Mu stuck in your throat. The opinions you hold and your worldly knowledge are your illusions. Included also are philosophical and moral concepts, no matter how lofty, as well as religious beliefs and dogmas, not to mention innocent, commonplace thoughts. In short, all conceivable ideas are embraced within the term “illusions” and as such are a hindrance to the realization of your Essential-nature. So dissolve them with the fireball of Mu!

 

You must not practice fitfully. You will never succeed if you do zazen only when you have the whim to, and give up easily. You must carry on steadfastly for one, two, three, or even five years without remission, constantly vigilant. Thus you will gradually gain in purity. At first you will not be able to pour yourself wholeheartedly into Mu. It will escape you quickly because your mind will start to wander. You will have to concentrate harder—just “Mu! Mu! Mu!” Again it will elude you. Once more you attempt to focus on it and again you fail. This is the usual pattern in the early stages of practice. Even when Mu does not slip away, your concentration becomes disrupted because of various mind defilements. These defilements disappear in time, yet since you have not achieved oneness with Mu you are still far from ripe. Absolute unity with Mu, unthinking absorption in Mu—this is ripeness. Upon your attainment to this stage of purity, both inside and outside naturally fuse. “Inside and outside” has various shades of meaning. It may be understood as meaning subjectivity and objectivity or mind and body. When you fully absorb yourself in Mu, the external and internal merge into a single unity. But, unable to speak about it, you will be like “a mute who has had a dream.” A man who is mute is unable to talk about his dream of the night before. In the same way, you will relish the taste of samadhi yourself but be unable to tell others about it.

 

At this stage Self-realization will abruptly take place. Instantaneously! “Bursting into enlightenment” requires but an instant. It is as though an explosion had occurred. When this happens you will experience so much! “You will astound the heavens and shake the earth.” Everything will appear so changed that you will think heaven and earth have been overturned. Of course there is no literal toppling over. With enlightenment you see the world as Buddha-nature, but this does not mean that all becomes as radiant as a halo. Rather, each thing just as it is takes on an entirely new significance or worth. Miraculously, everything is radically transformed though remaining as it is.

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by Tibetan_Ice

[Kubba]

Thank you for this quote Tibetan_Ice. It is marvelous, and helpfull . 

 

You must melt down your illusions with the red-hot iron ball of Mu stuck in your throat

It is a metaphore, but I would say that it is literally whats going on. Since lots of emotional patterns hold on to the breath, and since we are wrongly used to breath through the troath.... it unties through Mu literally as if something stuck there, undoing the self contraction on breath.

 

But still there is some kind of mistery in this phenomena. Am just amased what triggers it, the soul? It is like the inteligence beyond the realm of human ability of the mind concepts and graspings

Edited August 20, 2015 by Kubba

[kio]

I can't remember the source, but it was from some Reiki manual which suggests the origin of Reiki itself is from the civilization of 'Mu', which predates Atlantis.  Either predates it, or presupposes it -- meaning that it was an energetic/astral civilization before it was manifest on Earth.

 

That's the only thing I've ever heard about 'Mu', thought it might be relevant.  Personally, I'm skeptical of this information.

 

Edgar Cayce also writes about Lemuria and at times calls it Mu.

http://www.edgarcayce.org/_AncientMysteriesTemp/mu.html

Edited August 20, 2015 by kio

[Michael Sternbach]

[Kubba]

 

 

they ask this kongan in Zen - how does the cow travels through the river?