@willytex: "Forum: alt.meditation.transcendental
Thread: Up Against the Wall
Subject:  Mental activity cessation and yoga rounding.
Author: willytex
Updated: 08/02/2003
Meditation is a means of reducing mental activity; rounding is the
alternation of activity and deep rest. In India the practice of meditation
is called Dhyana, that is, meditation proper. In China, Chan means
meditation and in Japan the translation is Zen. Pu Kuan, or wall gazing, is
a specific practice that is similar to the practice of TM in many respects.
And no wonder - apparently the Maharsihi was a Buddhist all along. Now Bevan
Morris quotes the Surangama Sutra. Go figure.
In the practice of zazen, according to Dogen Kigen, meditation is "just
sitting" - there is no effort made to control the mind and no effort is made
to prevent thoughts from occurring. If thoughts occur, experience them just
like any other thought, but do not be held by them. When you realize that
your mind is overshadowed by a particular thiught, just come back to feeling
the body as a whole.
It is interesting that the Soto Zen tradition follows the tradition of Bodhi
Dharma, in that meditators are always set to be facing a wall, their eyes
partially closed, "gazing" in a detached way at the surface of the wall. In
some dojos the "wall" is a partition set between rows of practitioners.
Says Bodhidharma:
"A special transmission outside the Sutras; no reliance upon words and
letters; direct pointing to the very mind of man; seeing into one's own
nature."
Yogic meditation is an ancient practice which is unique to South Asia and to
India in particular. In prehistoric times, yoga was practiced by shamans as
evidenced by archaeological remains found at the sites of the Indus Valley
civilization such as Mohenjo Dharo and Harrappa, previous to circa 2400 B.C.
Dhyana, or meditation, was advocated and systemised by the first historical
yogin, Shakya the Muni in 463 B.C., as well as by Patanjali, the famous
gramarian of the 2nd century. Veda Vyasa has prepared a cogent commentary on
Yoga Sutras for our understanding and the Adi Shankara has prepared a
sub-commentary of the Vivarana.
According to legend, the teaching of Dhyana, that is, meditation as a
distinct discipline, was taken to China by Bodhi Dharma who crossed the
Yangtze River around 500 A.D. Arriving in China, Dharma is supposed to have
had a famous dialog with the Emperor Wu:
Emperor Wu inquired: "Given all that I have done for Buddhism in China, what
merit have I earned?"
Bodhidharma answered, "None whatsoever."
The emperor was stunned but pressed on, "What is the most important
principle of Buddhism?"
This second question Bodhidharma reportedly answered by saying, "Vast
emptiness. Nothing holy."
The Emperor Wu then asked: "Then who stands before me?"
To which Dharma replied: "I don't know."
Apparently, Dharma then sailed on a reed across the river and went to the
Shao-lin Temple on Mount Sung, where he sat in deep meditation, facing a
wall, for nine years, thereby perfecting what is called pu-kuan, or "wall
gazing."
Bodhi Dharma became the traditional founder of Dhyana Buddhism in China, and
the first patriarch of the Chan School. In addition, Dharma apparently
invented kung Fu for his students, in his spare time, in order to provide
adequate physical excercise via rounding.
According to the 'Records of the Transmission of the Lamp', a student once
asked Bodhi Dharma,
"Master, I have not found peace of mind."
Bodhidharma replied, "Bring me your mind and I will pacify it for you."
The student was silent.
"There," said Bodhidharma, "I have pacified it for you."
This story illustrates the concept of the mind as a perciever, a witness,
something that cannot be itself subject to analysis. The mind cannot examine
itself, and since the mind cannot become an object of its own perception,
its existence can only be understood intuitively through the practice of
inner enquiry. TM/Zen is that technique.
Works cited:
"Records of the Transmission of the Lamp"
Translated by D.T. Suzuki
"Essays in Zen Buddhism"
Although D.T. Suzuki was an advocate of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism,
this series is an invaluable sourcebook on Zen philosophy. A classic.
Grove Press, 1961
Other titles of interest:
"The Zen Experience"
by Thomas Hoover
This book should be in the possession of every dhyana practitioner and when
not actually meditating, should be committed to memory - at other times this
book should be no further than one's own cushion.
"A History of Zen Buddhism"
by Heinrich Dumoulin
A basic book in two volumes - covers the whole history of the Dhyana Sciool
in great detail."
    @willytex: "<quote>
Petrus - For searching my online database of 8,000 messages?
Now some questions for you:
What in experience would lead you to believe that it is now 2003 years
after?
news:xZWWa.16259$<email_address>
meditation
that
eyes
and
Valley
commentary
the
"wall
provide
once
witness,
perception,"
{'source': 'USENET', 'other_information': '{"reply_count": 1, "forum_name": "alt.meditation.transcendental.20140616.mbox"}', 'file': 'data/output/usenet-alt.meditation.parquet'}