Lol! The history of that page is he wrote a book in which one chapter was his 'Enlighenment' experience, rather typical such chapter based on my readings of Three Pillers of Zen and other "White Guy Goes to Japan and Gets Enlightened" type books. Then that chapter was anthologized into Best Buddhist Writins of 20xx and prefaced with the description that it is a description of kensho. Mr. Warner took offense to the current usage of the word kensho as used in current Western zen, which some people seem to mistake for a goal or a certification.
He is particularly opposed to the idea that something can happen which permanently makes life happy and carefree. The most profound enlightenment, but still the student may die before the teacher. Life is life, just as we see it. There is no solution, no answer, and kensho, while a natural consequence of the right conditions, is simply showing what passes before a thousand times a day. Here's some more current writing: >The goal (or even "a goal") of zazen is not to clear your mind of thoughts. >There is no goal of zazen. >This is the hardest part of zazen practice; that there is no goal or point to >it. You just sit and experience > what you experience while sitting. That's it. >If you think a lot, then that is the content of your experience. If you >transcend all thought and zone >out into pure white light or whatever, then that is the content of your >experience. Neither one >is better or worse than the other. Our habit of defining certain experiences >as better or >worse than others is the problem. >Of course it's best not to use your zazen as a time to sit and ponder stuff. >You are >encouraged to let your thoughts go as soon as they appear. But that's not the >same >as trying to clear your mind of thoughts. Attempting to clear your mind of >thoughts >is just another type of goal-oriented intentional activity. Goal-oriented >intentional >activity is always problematic because it separates you from the real >moment of the present. On May 25, 2011 5:54 PM, "Bill!" <[email protected]> wrote: Siska, The excerpt in the link I read didn't seem to be mainstream anything. In this article he basically wrote the following about 'kensho': - He hadn't had one - He had never talked to anyone who claimed to have had one - He sarcastically described it as a 'download of knowledge from the cosmos' and that it would 'solve all your problems' - both of which are untrue. I'd bascially sum up my opinion of him as: Warner-Schrwarner. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], siska_cen@... wrote: >> Hi Chris, > > > The difference between sitting daily and sitting for a long period of time > > is sub... > -----Original Message----- > From: Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> > Sender: [email protected]...> To: <[email protected]> > Reply-To: Zen_Forum@yahoogrou ------------------------------------ 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/
