Buddhist Meditation Practice [Revised Edition]
1. The Purpose of Meditation
What are you seeking in Zazen or meditation? Some people sit with various thoughts in mind, while others might say they just sit without thinking about anything at all.
However, the 'Perfect and Sudden Samatha-Vipassana' (Endon Shikan) taught by the Great Master Tiantai Zhiyi in the 'Mohe Zhiguan' is based on the vision depicted in the Lotus Sutra.
We try to realize that we possess the power of a Buddha.
In other words, it is a form of Samatha-Vipassana intended to discover the Buddha-wisdom within our own hearts.
Taking it a step further, we try to realize the personality of a Buddha within ourselves.
This is the goal.
Meditation practiced with such a purpose carries the risk of seeing things that seem like the truth due to preconceived notions, but it reduces the danger of grasping onto strange things. If you practice Zen or meditation in your own way, you may fall into phenomena known as 'demonic realms' (makyo) and potentially get involved in cult-like activities.
2. What is Buddha-wisdom?
Now, what kind of thing is Buddha-wisdom? According to the Lotus Sutra, it is the wisdom to see that all worlds are the responsibility of the Buddha, to view every single human being within them as one's own child, and to see the entirety of this complex reality while also treating each individual as one's own child.
It is the wisdom to properly observe individual circumstances and respond to diversity.
Many parents do this for a few children, but extending that to all sentient beings is what constitutes Buddha-wisdom.
In Western civilization, when dealing with such large masses of people, we think in terms of abstractions like averages. In that process, there are things that get ignored. To see the multitude of sentient beings while bringing each individual to life without doing that—this is truly the inconceivable power of a Buddha.
3. The Practice of Meditation
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Great Master Tiantai and others describe meditation not as 'Zen,' but as 'Zhiguan' (Samatha-Vipassana).
Zhi (Samatha): Concentrating on one thing
Guan (Vipassana): Becoming one with that world and observing it
It is not just about concentrating; it is about immersing yourself in that world and experiencing it firsthand. This is what is called Zhiguan.
Now, what should one observe through Zhiguan? Returning to the initial purpose,
observing the wisdom of the Buddha
comes to mind. To be more specific,
the Dharma realm created by the Buddha
is where you fix your mind, and by becoming one with the Dharma realm, you observe various things. Such a Dharma realm has many facets and cannot be described in a single word. Therefore, when viewed normally,
you cannot see the entire Dharma realm
you can only see fragments
of it.
However, if you were in the position of creating such a Dharma realm, you would understand everything about it. In other words,
becoming a Buddha and creating the Dharma realm
is the method by which you can observe the entire Dharma realm.
What is important here is that
you are not seeing the figure of the Buddha through supernatural powers
that is the point. Among those who practice meditation, there are some who seek mystical experiences. As one such experience,
there are cases where one sees something that looks like the figure of a Buddha
but this is not truly 'observing.' Fixing your mind on the world of the Buddha so that the Buddha appears naturally, as if reflected in a mirror—this is the true practice of 'observing the Buddha.' And,
finding the Buddha within yourself
becoming the personality of the Buddha
A state of mind will open up.
4. The Realm of the Inconceivable
Thus, what one observes through Samatha-Vipasyana is
the realm of the inconceivable,
as taught in the Mohe Zhiguan.
This is something we, under the influence of modern civilization, should deeply contemplate, precisely because we are so adept at 'conceptualization.' For example,
the Buddha creates the Dharma realm,
when we hear these words, those of us who have received a modern education might think,
the Buddha is performing some task to create the world,
don't we? In other words,
cause -> effect,
organizing things in this sequential order is the work of 'conceptualization.' However,
the Buddha and the Dharma realm are one,
appearing simultaneously,
accepting this 'inconceivability' is one of the goals of meditation. Western civilization has simplified things to clarify arguments. While its achievements are great, there are things that are lost in the process.
There are things like this that cannot be understood unless they are depicted simultaneously.
5. Samadhi of Awakened Awareness
Now, let us observe the workings of our minds. In Buddhism,
Mind (Shin): The totality including emotions and thoughts; Intent (Yi): The function of thinking; Consciousness (Shi): The function of discrimination,
are given three names, but they are considered to be of one nature.
This relationship is
It is not that there is intention in the mind, nor is it that there is no intention.
It is not that there is consciousness in the mind, nor is it that there is no consciousness.
It is not that there is mind in intention, nor is it that there is no mind.
It is not that there is consciousness in intention, nor is it that there is no consciousness.
It is not that there is intention in consciousness, nor is it that there is no intention.
It is not that there is mind in consciousness, nor is it that there is no mind.
This is what is taught. In other words, while there is no clear relationship of separation or inclusion, each interacts to form a single entity.
Even when we think we are consciously reflecting, our past interactions and the like influence us from the depths of our minds. Furthermore, if there is a concept that can be identified, we are often captured by it. For example, due to the power of the term "power harassment," much of it has been brought to light. In this way, our thoughts are pulled by what can be identified.
Through meditation, one becomes able to perceive such a state—not as a single thing, but as a dense relationship where each part depends on the other.
The Chapter on Perfect and Sudden (from Mohe Zhiguan)
This state is brilliantly expressed in the "Chapter on Perfect and Sudden" in the preface of the Mohe Zhiguan.
Perfect and sudden means that from the very beginning, one focuses on the true aspect of reality. When one reaches the realm, it is immediately the Middle Way, and there is nothing that is not the truth. By connecting the conditions to the Dharma realm and unifying thoughts with the Dharma realm, there is not a single color or scent that is not the Middle Way. The same applies to one's own realm, the Buddha realm, and the realm of sentient beings. Since the aggregates and sense spheres are all as they are, there is no suffering to be abandoned; since ignorance and worldly defilements are themselves enlightenment, there is no accumulation to be severed; since the extremes and errors are all the Middle Way, there is no path to be cultivated; and since birth and death are themselves nirvana, there is no cessation to be realized. Because there is no suffering and no accumulation, there is no mundane world; because there is no path and no cessation, there is no supramundane world. It is purely one true aspect of reality, and there is no other Dharma outside of this true aspect. The stillness of the nature of Dharma is called 'stopping' (zhi), and the constant illumination while in stillness is called 'contemplation' (guan). Although we speak of beginning and end, they are not two and are not separate. This is called Perfect and Sudden Stopping and Contemplation.
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