The imposter, the ego's tricks, and the Awareness b4 thought

• An Eternal Now

  30 Jun 08, 20:41

   

   Zen Master Xu Yun:

   

  Self-nature is Mind. When one turns inward to hear one's self- nature, one is turning inward to contemplate Mind. In the phrase, "Perfectly illuminating pure awareness," pure awareness is Mind and illumination is contemplation. Mind is Buddha. When one recites Buddha's name one contemplates Buddha. Contemplating Buddha is contemplating Mind.

  Investigating hua-t'ou or "looking into who is reciting Buddha's name " is contemplating Mind. Hence contemplating Mind is contemplating pure awareness. It is also illuminating the Buddha- nature within oneself. Mind is nature, pure awareness, Buddha. Mind has no form, no characters, no directions; it cannot be found in any particular place. It cannot be grasped. Originally, Mind is purity, universally embracing all Dharma realms. No in or out, no coming or going. Originally, Mind is pure Dharmakaya.

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  5. Taking Care of Hua-t'ou and Turning Inward to Hear One's Self-Nature:

   

  Someone might ask, "How is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's method of turning inward to hear self-nature considered investigating Ch'an?". I have previously explained that taking care of hua-t'ou is being, moment after moment, with only one thought, singlemindedly shining the light inward on "that which is not born and not destroyed". Inward illumination is reflection. Self-nature is that which is not born and not destroyed. When "hearing" and "illuminating" follow sound and form in the worldly stream, hearing does not go beyond sound and seeing does not go beyond form. However, when one turns inward and contemplates self-nature against the worldly steam, and does not pursue sound and form, then he becomes pure and transparent. At that time, "hearing" and "illuminating" are not two different things.

  Thus we should know that taking care of the hua-t'ou and turning inward to hear self-nature does not mean using our eyes to see and our ears to hear. If we use our ears to hear or our eyes to see, then we are chasing sound and form. As a result we will be affected by them. This is called submission to the worldly stream. If one practices with one thought only, singlemindedly abiding in that which is not born and not destroyed, not chasing after sound and form, with no wandering thoughts, then one is going against the stream. This is also called taking care of the hua-t'ou or turning inward to hear one's self- nature. This is not to say you should close your eyes tightly or cover your ears. Just do not generate a mind of seeking after sound and form.

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  At first, it is like being told to open our eyes in a dark room entirely devoid of light and being told to really look. In working with a hua tou or kung-an we use the same faculty we use to explore the world of the senses: the mind; but we turn that faculty inwards instead of outwards. Instead of using our sense of sight to look outward we use the sense of mind to look inward. At first all we see is darkness, but before long that darkness becomes illuminated from within by a most brilliant light. Hsu Yun's comments on hua tou practice:

   

  "Hua-tou practice means to turn inwards your hearing to hear your self-nature. Unremittingly and one-pointedly turn the light inwards on that which is not born and does not die. Unremittingly and one-pointedly turn inwards the faculty of hearing to hear your Self-nature. To 'turn inwards' is to 'turn back'. 'That which is not born and does not die' is nothing but Self-nature. When hearing and looking, follow sound and form in the worldly stream. Hearing does not go beyond sound and looking does not go beyond form. When going against the mundane worldly stream, meditation is turned inwards to contemplate Self-nature. When hearing and looking are no longer in pursuit of sound and appearance, they become fundamentally pure and enlightening and do not differ from each other. We should know that what we call 'looking into the hua-tou' and 'turning inwards the hearing to hear Self-nature' cannot be effected by means of the eye to look or the ear to hear. If eye and ear are so used, the mind will pursue sound and form -- the result will be that the mind will be affected by external things: it will 'surrender to the mundane stream'. If there is singleness of thought abiding in that 'which is not born and does not die', without pursuing sound and form, this is 'going against the mundane stream': it is also 'looking into the hua-tou' or 'turning inwards to hear the self-nature'."

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• An Eternal Now

  4 Jul 08, 00:02

  Be mindful of the passing of time, and engage yourself in zazen as though you are saving your head from fire.

  ~ Dogen Zenji

• An Eternal Now

  5 Jul 08, 02:00

  Originally posted by An Eternal Now:

  Hi Longchen, I think this youtube video mentions what you said precisely also...

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQMhKJ_nPMk

   

  vishrant talks during satsang about the down side of self inquiry

  
  

  
  

  His website: http://www.vishrant.com.au/

  
  

  
  

  And what he said I think, is also exactly the same problem as the author of the book. The author recommends 'Awareness Watching Awareness', to simple observe/BE the Awareness while turning the attention away from pain, from thoughts, from all experience. Nevertheless, I still practice that at my current stage... especially when meditation when I can easily drop the pain, thoughts, etc. In meditation, I can just allow Awareness to turn onto Itself alone. I believe this practice is known as �闻闻自性 in Buddhism. My forum signature, a quote from Shurangama Sutra for many months now goes,
  
  “All you who listen here should turn inward your
  faculty of hearing to hear your own nature. This is how
  enlightenment is won.”

   

  But I'm wondering if we should practice this in daily life, because turning away from pain, from experience is a kind of denial? Awareness is also not separated from everything else.

  I found the answer in the latter chapter:

  http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter12.aspx

  	table of contents The Most Rapid and Direct Means to Eternal Bliss Former title: THE IMPOSTOR
  	Chapter 12 - THE LOVING-ALL METHOD All the methods that have been described in previous chapters are to be practiced when one is not engaged in any other activities. The question may arise: “What is the most effective method that can be practiced while one is engaged in other activities?”. The Loving All Method is the most effective method that can be practiced while one is engaged in other activities. The Loving All Method can be practiced everyday, during any and all types of activities. PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LOVING ALL METHOD The Loving All Method can be summed up as follows: Love everything that you perceive exactly the way it is. Love everything you experience exactly the way it is. Love every thought you have exactly the way it is. Love those thoughts you think are good, exactly the way they are. Love those thoughts you think are bad, exactly the way they are. Love all your emotions exactly the way they are. If you feel happy, love your happiness exactly the way it is. If you feel sad, love your sadness exactly the way it is. If you feel courage, love your courage exactly the way it is. If you feel fear, love your fear exactly the way it is. If you feel love, love your feeling of love exactly the way it is. If you feel anger, love your feeling of anger exactly the way it is. Love your body exactly the way it is. Love the objects you see exactly the way they are. Love the people you see exactly the way they are. Love your actions exactly the way they are. Love everything you feel, think, say or do exactly the way it is. Love everything you see, taste, touch smell or hear exactly the way it is. Love everything other people do, feel, think or say exactly the way it is. If someone says something nice to you, love what the person says exactly the way it is. If someone says something mean to you, love what the person says exactly the way it is. If someone says to you “you are the nicest person I have ever met” love what the person said exactly the way they said it. If someone says to you “you are the most disgusting person I have ever met”, love what the person said exactly the way they said it. If something nice happens during your day, love it exactly the way it is. If something horrible happens during your day, love it exactly the way it is. Love everything that happens exactly the way it is. Love every activity exactly the way it is. Love every experience exactly the way it is. Love everything exactly the way it is. FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF THE LOVING ALL METHOD If you don’t understand how to practice the above instructions using the word “love”, you can substitute the words “emotionally allow” for the word “love” in the above instructions. After practicing everyday for one month using the words “emotionally allow”, you can substitute the words “emotionally accept” for the word “love” in the above instructions. After practicing everyday for one month using the words “emotionally accept”, you can go back to the original wording of the instructions, just as they are, using the word “love”, and then continue using the word love from then on. The Loving All Method refers only to your emotions. No changes in your external behavior are required. For example: if a vase falls and you would normally try and catch it, you will also try and catch the vase while you are practicing the Loving All Method. You do not allow the vase to fall because you are loving the falling. If someone were to try to punch you in the face and if you would normally duck, you will also duck while practicing the Loving All Method. The fact that you are loving the fact that someone is trying to punch you does not mean you will not duck. You also love the fact that you are ducking to avoid being punched. The Loving All Method is about emotional acceptance. The Loving All Method is not about changing your actions. Like any skill, the more you practice, the more skill you gain. If someone says something mean to you and if you feel bad emotionally because of what they said, then love your negative emotion and love yourself for having the negative emotion. In the beginning, even though you are attempting to love everything and every experience exactly the way it is, you probably will not succeed in loving everything and every experience exactly the way it is. Changing the long time habit of emotionally rejecting experiences will require lots of practice. Love as much as you can love. Keep practicing everyday trying to love everything exactly the way it is. As the months go by, you will gain more success at loving more and more experiences exactly the way they are. It might take some years of practice for you to be able to love everything exactly the way it is. Everyday, try to love everything and every experience that happens, exactly the way it is. Loving everything the way it is includes emotional acceptance. Emotional acceptance does not prevent you from trying to change whatever you wish to change. What you wish to change, you will still change. Whatever action you would normally take to change something, you will still take that same action. In the beginning, even though you are trying to love everything you experience, you might only be able to love a small part of what you experience. Everyday that you practice the Loving All Method, you will gain more skill at being able to love everything you experience, exactly the way it is. You should not try to look inward while engaged in daily activities. You should look outward while engaged in daily activities. In other words, it is important to pay attention to what you are doing while engaged in daily activities. The Loving All Method is not a “looking inward” method. It is important to pay close attention to what you are doing during your daily activities so that your activities flow smoothly. If you were to try to look inward during your daily activities, your activities may not flow smoothly. For example: if you try to look inward while putting toothpaste on your toothbrush, you might put shampoo or shaving cream on your toothbrush instead of toothpaste, because of having your attention divided between outward and inward. Fortunately, the Loving All Method does not require inward attention. The Loving All Method does not require thought either. The Loving All Method is developing a new feeling habit. The Loving All Method is developing the habit of feeling love towards everything you perceive. In the beginning you could try practicing “no emotional resistance” during all of your daily activities. In action you can resist all you want to resist. If you would normally resist something in action, you will continue to resist something in action while practicing the Loving All Method. Not resisting emotionally has nothing to do with what you do in your actions, activities and behavior. You can continue to resist all you wish to resist in your actions, activities and behavior while practicing the Loving All Method. While you may be resisting in action, you do not resist emotionally while practicing the Loving All Method. Read Chapter Twelve three times very slowly before reading Chapter Thirteen. top of page To read Chapter Thirteen click this link
  	To return to the table of contents click this link Awareness Watching Awareness index page

  
  

  Michael Langford

  
  
  
  
  
• An Eternal Now

  5 Jul 08, 02:01

   

  BTW the Abandon Release Method is also effective (author says 2nd most effective) and also very familiar to me.

   

  1. Description A: Shut your eyes. Relax your body. Now ignore your body. Let go of all effort. Let go of all sense of having to do something, as though there is nothing you have to do and nothing you have to think about. Letting go of all effort means letting go of all will and all desire as though there was nothing that needed to be accomplished or changed.
     
     Let go. Relax. Let go more. Relax more. See how far it is possible to let go. Let go of all thoughts. Let go of all feelings. Let go of all effort. Let go of everything except your awareness.
     
     Whatever thoughts, perceptions, images or feelings arise, let them go as soon as they arise or even before they arise. Do not follow thoughts, as though you had no interest in them. Let go of all your perceptions as though they have nothing to do with you.
     
     Continue to relax more and more. Throughout the practice session let go more, then let go even more and as the practice session continues see how far it is possible to let go. Relax completely. Let go totally. Release everything except your awareness.
     
     Letting go is giving up completely. Letting go is surrendering completely. Letting go is relaxing completely. Letting go is releasing completely. Letting go is letting go of all effort and all thought. Letting go is letting go of all feelings, desires and images. Letting go is letting go of everything except your awareness.
     
     The difference between falling asleep and the Abandon Release Method is when you fall asleep you let go of everything including your awareness. In the Abandon Release Method, you let go of everything except your awareness.