Siska and ED, The definition of 'kensho' below as "...seeing into one's true nature' is better than '...one's own nature...' for the reasons I posted in a previous, recent post. However for those same reasons I still opine it would be better to drop the adjective 'one's'.
You could properly say 'one's own false nature'. Each of us proably have one of those. But we all only have one True Nature. The Subltler Kinder and Gentler Bill! --- In [email protected], "ED" <seacrofter001@...> wrote: > > > > > Siska, > > From: ''On Zen practice: body, breath, mind" By Hakuyû Taizan > Maezumi, Bernard Tetsugen Glassman, Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Robert Aitken, > pp: 79-80 > > "In Zen practice, the first barrier is the seeing into one's true nature > (this seeing is called kensho). Dogen Zenji asks us to join him on the > highest peak. And yet this is just the beginning. We often see quite a > few Zen students who quit after their first kensho experience; this is > like being admitted to an excellent school and never taking any courses! > This is clearly not right practice; it is not the practice of which > Dogen Zenji writes." > > http://books.google.com/books?id=sYxszufGBs4C&pg=PA80&dq=maezumi+kensho&\ > hl=en&ei=ORDdTb2tNeLQiAK6-4zpDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&v\ > ed=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=maezumi%20kensho&f=false > <http://books.google.com/books?id=sYxszufGBs4C&pg=PA80&dq=maezumi+kensho\ > &hl=en&ei=ORDdTb2tNeLQiAK6-4zpDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&\ > ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=maezumi%20kensho&f=false> > > --ED > > > > --- In [email protected], siska_cen@ wrote: > > > Hi Bill, > > The literal meaning of kensho (or jian xing in chinese) is not first > glimpse. If it is referred to as first glimpse, then perhaps it is > experienced only once. > > Literal meaning of jian xing, as Anthony and Ed have explained to me, is > seeing one's own nature. Some other descriptions say it happens very > quickly and it is very clear. The experience of insight or nyana (nana) > is where one sees the three characteristics of impermanence, sufferings > and no-sef by experience. It is also very clear when it happens. That is > why I concluded these two are same experience, referred to differently > in different traditions. But I'm not sure. > > I wonder if Daniel is still around, I hope he is. Am I the only one, > apart from Daniel, in this forum who has practised Theravada meditation > before? > > Siska > > > Siska, > > I was told 'kensho' meant 'first glimpse' or 'inital breakthrough'. It > does imply it is a one-time thing since it uses the adjectives 'first' > and 'initial'. As I've said below 'kensho' is also not permanent > although the memory of 'kensho' is pretty persistant. I think it is a > term mainly used in Japanese Renzai Zen Buddhism because their teaching > techniques, such as koan study, are very aggressive (sudden > enlighenment) and calibrated to push the student to experience Buddha > Nature quickly. For that reason the first experience is somewhat shallow > and fleeting. After that there is a long period of subsequent teachings > (other types of koans) that help the student cultivate and integrate the > experience of Buddha Nature into their everyday life. > > This can be contrasted with Japanese Soto Zen Buddhism whose teaching > techniques are more subtle (gradual enlighenment) and geared to a longer > initial period of prepartation so that when Buddha Nature is finally > experienced the student is much better prepared. > > I don't know where I heard the following analogy, but it is: > > 'If enlightenment can be likened to being wet, Soto zen is like > strolling aroung in a light mist for a long period of time before you > suddenly realize you are soaking wet. Renzai zen is like being suddenly > pushed into a swimming pool! You're wet, but you don't immediately know > exactly what happened. > > ...Bill! > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
