Samadhi and Other Special Meditative States

[@danindeed]

Fantastic explanation of zazen. The most succinct I've ever come across. “To carry the self forward and illuminate myriad things is delusion. That myriad things come forth and illuminate the self is awakening.”

[@lorenacharlotte8383]

“Sitting meditation is not to think, reflect, or lose ourselves in concepts or discriminations. It is also not to remain immobile, like a stone or the trunk of a tree. How can we avoid two extremes of conceptualisation and inertia?. By dwelling the present moment, right in the midst of our experience, under the lamp of mindfulness. Direct experience and awareness of direct experience are the ways to avoid these extremes. These words may seem complicated , but the experience itself is quite straightforward. Sitting meditation is a great joy. The lotus or half lotus position makes it easier to breathe freely, to concentrate deeply, and to return to the state of mindfulness. But Zen should not be only in the sitting position. We can practice as well while walking, eating, working, and in all positions and activities. What is a Buddha?. A Buddha is one who lives twenty-four hours a day in mindfulness” . Thich Nhat Hanh

[@danielpack6109]

One of the best descriptions of meditative states I’ve ever seen. Thanks Brad!

[@matthewfiles4584]

I really appreciate your down to earth presentation of the Dharma.

[@johnsims154]

Love watching your eyes as you speak ✨

[@bgrobbins]

I just read the first chapter of shobogenzo (free thousand page pdf download). Great stuff, thanks!

[@mysticalove]

Accurate pointing of an indescribable state which is actually the only non-state of being. It just is... 🙏🏼

[@lobintool]

As far as I'm aware and I could be wrong but there is "not size fits all" when it comes to sprituality or religion or whatever. Everyone has their own journey into "enlightenment"whatever that means. So many ways and so many different reasons! A lot of wisdom in Bhuddism no doubt but it is not the only answer!

[@johnsims154]

Adding kinhin to sitting assists in getting towards "mobile zen"

[@snodgerbill9111]

Really interesting vid, I never thought about investigating sitting other than zazen. Question everything.

[@ReubenBruchez]

I find that so much depends on the word choices used by translators of Dogen. Dogen's Universally Recommended Instructions for Zazen get so many pieces together, I find, in many translations, but I still find things I stumble over. To the point of Zanmai, I will say that my recollection of my experience of practice at the start on the path of Soto Zen, and after years of practice of zazen, my recollection of my current practice, I find a difference. Of course, I know my recollection itself is a weirdly conditioned thing. And recently enough, I found full upright posture feels different.

[@Tsotha]

There's a lot of information and more important insight in this video to process!

[@courdilleremi4412]

Thanks for this video ! I would love to hear you one day on that very subject in the "light" of "mushotoku".

[@DavidFerguson62]

Recommended reading Dainin Katagiri's "Each Moment Is the Universe: Zen and the Way of Being Time". Great explanation of samadhi.

[@HardcoreZen]

Katagiri's stuff is always good!

[@DavidFerguson62]

Hardcore Zen I have and have read all his stuff.

[@DystopianTofuTV]

I liked that very much, thank you! 🙏🏻

[@svetokolibarski9160]

Well the problem is that I strongly suspect that a prerequisite for anyone to even begin to understand that everyday usual experience is the most profound samadhi there is and thus move away from the "altered states" camp, one has to go through many "special" states. And to pretend otherwise is doing no good methink.

[@johnfrederickmeyer8753]

Sitting eating Strawberries, watching this on Friday Night Before bed. Inspired to to some zazen before bed. I do believe it took 4 hours of prep to make this happen and that's why I support Brad with donations. You Should Too. It would be a shame to hear he was busting his ass at little caesar and no more videos.

[@HardcoreZen]

Thank you!

[@johnsims154]

Continue!

[@AntonAndreevComposer]

I have a question. In the Zanmai-ō-zanmai chapter of the Shobogenzo, Dogen wrote that in the moment of sitting one should investigate tens of thousands points like ‘whether the universe is vertical, and whether it is horizontal’, ‘is the sitting a somersault’ etc. But in Fukanzazengi, he instructs us to cease all intellectual consideration during Zazen. Does it mean he contradicts himself? I’m just confused, which of Dogen’s own instructions to follow. Also, in the Tenpuku version of Fukanzazengi the instruction as I understand it is to be aware, when a thought arises, so that it disappears after being noticed.

[@HardcoreZen]

This is a very deep question. I think maybe Dogen doesn't consider "investigation" and "mental consideration" to be the same thing. But Then again, Dogen was nothing if not inconsistent. That's core to his teaching. Me, I sit and let things arise as they may. I try not to control it at all. Sometimes I wonder if I'm sitting or if sitting is just happening and "I" is a made-up idea. Sometimes I wonder if I'm vertical or horizontal. But most of the time I just try to stay still and be quiet.

[@AntonAndreevComposer]

Hardcore Zen Thank you for your answer. Do I need to do anything outside the formal practice of Zazen? Like try to pay attention to what is going on in the present moment all the time? I know that in Rinzai sect they have both formal and informal practice (during the normal activities), is it not like this in Soto?

[@HardcoreZen]

@@AntonAndreevComposer SORRY! I didn't see this reply until now. You don't NEED anything else. But going to sit with a group is very useful. Not every day, but every once in a while.

[@bowser_inthe_darkworld2]

Fantastic

[@likefiftyninjas]

Great video and very thought-provoking. I'd say more thought-provoking than Ken Watanabe role as Dr. Ishirō Serizawa in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (possibly a touch of Zen). The link to Book 3 of Shobgenzo does not work for me. Do you have an alternate one?

[@HardcoreZen]

Hmmmm... I copied that link form the link on my blog (hardcore zen.info). Maybe I copied it wrong? Try the link that's on the blog. That one worked for me.

[@steffandall5785]

Is there really any real difference between Rinzai and Sōtō. I was spending last summer at tassajara and am now back in Copenhagen and recently started practicing with one drop zendo which is Rinzai. Can I just practice a little Sōtō and a little Rinzai? Does it really matter to distinguish? Thank you.

[@HardcoreZen]

You're free to do that if you like. If it works for you, I can't see a problem with it.

[@chadkline4268]

Why introduce new terms for states already provided by the Buddha? Why not just clarify the states already provided in the Tripitaka?

[@enterthevoidIi]

What is joriki then?

[@courdilleremi4412]

Do you think that it will be nice to do an other video about mushotoku (non profit mind), related to enlightenment / samadhi ? __ Here's some thoughts about what can lead people to think that samadhi is a special thing : I don't remember where I've read that : "Little doubt, little enlightenment / Big doubt, big enlightenment." I guess that when you're very wrong about truth, it's awsome to suddenly get closer to it. You may feel that's very special. Big doubt --> strong experience. If you're, more or less, often "with" (next to ?) the truth, you'll end up calling that "ordinary mind". That's why it seems to me that being quite shy about THE THING (not yelling around that you're special because this deep feeling occured once in meditation) is somehow a proof, evidence about a master's (or teacher's) sincerity / capacity. So little doubt (about the experience we have as a body-mind thing) --> usual experience. __ Thanks for your teachings.

[@dre.v.8383]

Everythin pass... everything

[@will_110]

🤘

[@gorgonzolastan]

I've read hardcore Zen and don't be a jerk and seen probably 1/3 of your videos, but I don't remember hearing the born again girlfriend story. Sounds rough man 😄 - I had a gf with parents who were really Christian and I had to sit through several "talks" with them and then my mom was a real fundamentalist, but I don't think I could have ever dated a girl if she was a fundi herself, I bet that was a trying experience.

[@marcblonde3800]

My practice is to meditate on the ramifications of slavery every second of every day. If there is a greater samadhi than this, I know not what it is.

[@aurora3655]

I don't get your use of the term of samadhi...I'm not sure of what you mean? Unless you're talking about attaining samadhi during any routine practice, like chanting the Buddha's name? But, that too , that enlightenment of samadhi, is different than sitting in the tub on a day off, soaking sore muscles, and leaving KZbin comments. It could happen during this situation, but it's not typing into the comments field of your vlog, at this very moment. Yet, it could happen at this very moment, but it's currently not this very moment, but it could be, if all deluded transgressions halted at this very moment, yet, I keep typing, so obviously, this very moment, is not, the classical definition, of, samadhi. I'm all over the place with deluded thoughts, so, je ne comprende pas, n'est pas?

[@courdilleremi4412]

Some guys at this moment would tell you "the sun is still there behind clouds". It's samadhi even if you don't notice. But it's not, just because you don't notice. There's a fun story about that : a samourai went to see a master. He asked the master : "What is samsara, what is nirvana ?" The master said : "You're too stupid to understand, you'll never get it !" so the samourai became angry and took off his katana to kill the master. The master said : "That's samsara." So the samourai calmed down. Then the master said "That's nirvana." I don't know if it helps. It's a nice tale.

[@AMOEDEN888]

Too many beliefs by others who have not experienced Samhadi themselves .

[@osip7315]

the 7th patriarch's dictionary samadhi : a nonsense term promulgated by millennia of schizophrenics