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<\/a><\/p>\nBefore I get started, I want to acknowledge that I\u2019m addressing the issues as best I can from my experience and using traditional sources soemtimes to clarify or amplify. I don\u2019t suggest that you believe what I\u2019m saying or the source. I suggest you focus on verifying the truth of the buddhadharma. Being of whatever assistance I can on this road is the purpose of these posts.<\/span><\/span> Belief does have a role but it shouldn\u2019t replace verification \u2013 and verification is usually not quick and easy. To verify you gotta be like a person who doesn\u2019t flinch when struck on the head\u00a0by a board. Or at least like the person who gets back up shaking his\/her head and cussing and then continuing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Occurs to me now that one way to reframe practice-enlightenment (i.e., verification) is belief-verification. When these foci are engaged in intense, intimate dialogue, then your rice is getting cooked.<\/span><\/span> Okay, here goes.<\/span><\/span> Question: I have entered into short periods of non-thinking only to have my awareness of the state trigger a thought about it.. (This is interesting, I\u2019m not thinking.. oops!) This has happened everyday off and on for about six years. I seem to be able to enter a nonthinking state readily enough now but it only lasts a short time before thinking again and then stopping and repeating the cycle.. \u2028\u2028My question is, When you say Completely Dropped, Do you mean dropped for the length of the sitting, or dropped completely for short periods within the time of the sitting?<\/span><\/span> Response: Sounds to me like you are tasting deep quiet but not quite not-thinking. The more the mind quiets down, the more we can appreciate how incredibly subtle thinking is. With not-thinking there are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no witness. However, as Shi-Tou says, \u201cMerging with sameness is still not enlightenment.\u201d<\/span><\/span> It is an iterative process \u2013 so what you report is normal and necessary. Keep exploring and keep letting go of excitement and laxity as they appear.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Passing through not-thinking,<\/span> non-thinking is unobstructed by comments like, \u201cWow! Cool\u2026.\u201d Complete dropping can last from very brief to long periods of time \u2013 I\u2019ve heard reports of many hours. For the person who has dropped, of course, there is no time. If you wonder if you\u2019ve dropped completely, then you haven\u2019t. The experience is distinct. Dongshan says,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span>A hairsbreadth\u2019s deviation, and you are out of tune.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span> Question: Do you feel that it might be accurate to also consider this \u2018dropping off\u2019 as happening from moment to moment: arising\/dropping off, arising\/dropping off, arising\/dropping off\u2026i.e. as an on-going function?<\/span><\/span> Response: Yes. Arising and dropping in profusion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span> Question: \u201cThinking can be completely dropped, a.k.a., not-thinking. Vital to know this for oneself. It isn\u2019t enlightenment, but we can drop body and mind.\u201d\u2028\u2028<\/span><\/span> Yes, there\u2019s nothing there to be enlightened.\u2028What\u2019s missing?<\/span><\/span> Response: Hmmm.<\/span><\/span> Question: What is it that is enlightened?\u2028\u2028<\/span><\/span> Response: The 10,000 things.<\/span><\/span> Question: As you see it, is non-thinking freely coming forth in not-thinking the \u2018Big E\u2019 then?<\/span><\/span> Response: Could be big, could be not so big. Size doesn\u2019t matter.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n May we all together realize the Buddha Way.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here are some more questions about zazen that come from comments to the last post. I welcome addressing these issues because zazen is the heart of Soto Zen \u2013 and I love Soto Zen. Before I get started, I want to acknowledge that I\u2019m addressing the issues as best I can from my experience and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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