I have tried to include enough information to make this
book capable of standing on its own as a manual of meditation and
for walking the spiritual path. However, I have also tried to focus
on those areas that I consider to be my core competencies and also
those areas of the spiritual path that I do not feel have been
adequately covered in the works that have come before this one.
This book shines in areas of technique and the fine points of very
high-level practice. However, the spiritual life is vast beyond
measure and cannot possibly be adequately covered in a single book.
Thus, I will often refer you to other excellent sources for more
details on those topics that I feel have already been covered quite
well by other authors. I strongly suggest checking out at least
some if not all of these other sources.
One of the factors that actually adds to the confusion is that
the concentration state terminology (jhanas) is used in the
original texts to describe both the progressively more
sophisticated concentration states and also the progress of
insight, with little delineation of which was which. ~ Dharma
Dan
Originally posted by longchen:
So we have to cut off all incessant, obsessive and dualistic
thinking otherwise we cannot attain 'zheng4 ding4'. This is
'Chan2', 'Dhyana', 'Jhana'. 'Ding4' is to fix the mind on the true
nature of Tathata.
[quote]Good Friends, what is that should be 'No'? What is that
should be 'Thought'? 'No' means to have no dualistic and all
defiling conceptions. 'Thought' means to fix our mind on the true
nature of Tathata, for Tathata is the quintessence of thought, and
thought is the result of the activity of Tathata. It is the
positive essence of Tathata - not the sense organs - which gives
rise to 'thought'. Tathata bears its own attribute, and therefore
it can give rise to 'thought'. Without Tathata the sense organs and
the sense objects would perish immediately.
Good Friends, because it is the attribute of Tathata which gives
rise to 'thought', our sense organs - in spite of their functioning
in seeing, hearing, touching, knowing, etc. - need not be tainted
or defiled in all circumstances, and our true nature may be
'self-manifested' all the time. Therefore the Sutra says, "Even all
Dharmas can be easily distinguished, the 'First Principle' is still
immovable"
- The Platform Sutra, 6th Zen Patriarch Hui NengAnd so the
difference between Samatha Jhana and Zen/Vipassana is that Samatha
Jhana is the mind absorbed in a particular object which the mind
solidifies it with a concept, thus strengthening the powers of
concentration and possibly leading to the development of
supernatural powers, but does not develope insights since this form
of concentration has little to do with penetrating the ultimate
reality. Unless he turns towards investigating the reality of the
Jhana state, which is another topic.
Samatha absorption also never goes beyond the thoughts and concept
of the object, and the higher the samatha jhana stage, the subtler
the concept but nevertheless some form of dualistic mental
consciousness is still there.
Whereas, the latter has to do with insights leading to
enlightenment, realising our true nature, ultimate reality, which
is beyond all fabrication of concepts and thoughts.
If there is anything wrong with what I said please correct me.
