Tuesday, May 31, 2016

体の中の体の瞑想 (2)

「体の中の体の瞑想」に関する次のティク・ナット・ハンのビデオを 1:04:05 ~ 1:09:08 迄ご覧下さい。


以下は抜粋です。

引用:
(3. 体に気付く)
第三の実習は、あなたの体に気付くことあなたの体と一つになることです。あなたの体と接続しながら、あなたは体を持っていることを思い出してください。あなたが今、ここで確立されるために、あなたがあなたの人生を生きるチャンスを持つために、あなたのをあなたのへ連れ戻してください。すると、あなたはあなたの人生の一瞬一瞬を深く生きる機会を持ちます。過去についての思考将来についての思考等によって、あなたは(今、この瞬間から)引き離されることはありません。これら全ての実習は非常にシンプルですが、効果は莫大です。なぜなら、あなたがあなたのに通ずるなら、生命宇宙地球に通ずるからです。

(4. 体を静める)
第四の実習は、私たちが既に知っている通り、あなたの体を静めるために、あなたの体の緊張を解放することです。そして、私たちが私たちの体を深く観て、私たちの体の健康を復元できるように、仏陀に与えてもらった更なる教えがあります。それから、仏陀に提案してもらった一つの実習があります。商人の所へ出て行き、種子の袋を降ろしている農民の例を仏陀は用いました。農民は袋の片側の一端を開き、全種類の種子を床にぶちまけました。そして、まだ良好な状態の目で、農民はあらゆる種類の種子を見分けました。農民は、「これは緑豆の種子だ。これはインゲン豆の種子だ。これはトウモロコシの種子だ。と言う風に」、見分けました。

ですから、同じことが実践者についても当てはまります。臥位または座位で、頭から始めて下へと、実践者は自分の体の全要素を振り返りながら実践をします。息を吸って、私は私の脳に気付いています。息を吐いて、私は私の脳に微笑みます。息を吸って、私は私の目に気付いています。息を吐いて、私は私の目に微笑みます。それから、あなたは下へ下へと下りていきます。息を吸って、私は私の心臓に気付いています。息を吐いて、私は私の心臓に微笑みます。あなたはあの農民のように、あなたの体の全ての部分を振り返りながら、実践します。農民は床の上にころがっている種子の全種類を見分けました。ですから、これはX線ではなく、マインドフルネスの光線で、あなたの体をスキャンすることです。あなたは、あなたの体の各部分を見分け、それに微笑みます。そして、あなたはそれらがあなたの幸せの条件であることに気付くかもしれません。

あなたがあなたの体の良くない部分を通過する度に、あなたはその部分とより長く一緒に居てあげたいかもしれません。そして、息を吸ったり吐いたりしながら、あなたの思いやりを送ってあげ、あなたの体のその部分を思いやりを持って抱きしめてあげてください。あなたの肝臓に問題があるとしましょう。そして、マインドフルネスであなたの体をスキャンしながら、あなたの肝臓の所にやって来て、あなたの肝臓がもっとあなたの注意マインドフルネス思いやりを必要としていることをあなたは知ります。ですから、あなたはあなたの肝臓ともっと長く一緒に居てあげるべきなのです。息を吸って、あなたの肝臓に気付いてあげてください。そして、息を吐く状況において、マインドフルネスと思いやりのエネルギーであなたの肝臓を抱きしめてあげることは、たとえあなたが服薬しているとしても、あなたを助けます。これは、癒しより速く起こるのに役立ちます。ですから、あなたの体を観て、苦しみが軽減するのを助け、体の健康を復元することは、瞑想の第一の目的であり、体の中の体の瞑想です。
:引用終わり

(解説)
ティク・ナット・ハンは、マインドフルネスの光線で頭からつま先まで全身(全ての臓器)をスキャンすることが、「体の中の体」の瞑想であると説明しました。それ(特に第三及び第四の実習で)は、その通りかもしれません。しかし、体の中の体の瞑想は(特に第一及び第二の実習で)、マインドフルな呼吸、即ち意識的な呼吸を通して法身(目覚めた意識)を復活させることを意味するかもしれないと、私は感じます。なぜなら、呼吸は目覚めた意識(無自性自己)による行動であるからです。 (呼吸は、エゴ、即ち自性自己による行動ではありません。)

(参考)http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/blog-post_26.html

ティク・ナット・ハン

Monday, May 30, 2016

体の中の体の瞑想 (1)

「体の中の体の瞑想」に関する次のティク・ナット・ハンのビデオを 1:01:26 ~ 1:04:05 迄ご覧下さい。


以下は抜粋です。

引用:
マインドフルネスの4つの基盤があります。それは、深く観る4種類の対象があることを意味します。黙想するとは、深く観る実践をする時間を持つということです。そうすると、何を深く観るのでしょうか?マインドフルネスの対象は何でしょうか?集中の対象は何でしょうか?そして、あなたの心の対象は何でしょうか?

最初の領域、瞑想対象は「体」であることを、私たちは非常によく知っています。そして、「体の中の体」の瞑想に関する経典があります。実際には、多くの経典が存在します。しかし、「体の中の体の瞑想」という題の一経典があります。そういうわけで、体が最初の瞑想の対象です。あなたは自分のを瞑想する必要があります。あなたは自分のを深く観ます。

(1. 吸う息、吐く息と一つになる)
念息経(マインドフルな呼吸に関する経典)」には、あなたの体をを巧みに扱うために、次の4つの実習があります。そして、第一の実習は、あなたの吸う息、吐く息と一つになることです。まず、あなたは自分の吸う息と吐く息に接触することによって、あなたの体に近づきます。あなたのに近づくために最良の方法は、吸う息と吐く息の方法によるものです。マインドフルな吸う息と吐く息で、あなたはあなた自身をあなたのと接続するのです。そして、その実践はまた、楽しいものです。

(2. 吸う息、吐く息についていく)
第二の実習は、あなたの吸う息、吐く息に、始めから終わりまで
ずっとついていくことです。そのように、あなたはあなたのマインドフルネス(念)と集中を高めていきます。そして、それもまた、楽しいものです。ただ座って(座禅を組んで)、息を吸い込むのを楽しみ、始めから終わりまで自分の吸う息についていくことは、多くの喜び癒しをもたらすことができます。
:引用終わり

(解説)
「体の中の体」とは、現象界における「肉体の中の法身(ダルマ・ボディー)」を意味すると、私は理解しています。そしてまた、(呼吸している)法身とは、目覚めた意識独立していない(無自性)自己本当の自分全宇宙宇宙体、即ち仏陀を意味すると、私は理解しています。

ですから、「あなたのをあなたのへ連れ戻す」というティク・ナット・ハンの表現は、「過去か未来に彷徨うあなたの思考を今、ここに居る法身(目覚めた意識)へ連れ戻す」ことを意味すると、私は理解しています。しかし、過去未来に彷徨う思考)は、この瞬間に戻ることはできませんので、「あなたの心をあなたの体へ連れ戻す」という表現は奇妙である、と私は感じます。それ故に、「あなたの心を思考から目覚めた意識(洞察)へ変容する」、または「あなた自身をエゴから目覚めた意識へ変容する」、はたまた「目覚めた意識を復活させる」という表現の方がより理解しやすいと、私は感じます。

(参考)http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B012YZBHHS
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/blog-post_26.html

ティク・ナット・ハン

Sunday, May 29, 2016

(8) The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind

Watch the following Thay's video on "The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind" from 2:19:18 to 2:24:03.


The followings are excerpts.

Quote:
And that is why it's very important to see that A is not A (A≠A), is made of non-A elements, everything, not just a flower, a sheet of paper but your atom, your electron and so on. And unless we see that A is just a formation made of elements that can give it a sign, you have not really seen it. And that is why it's very important to follow this kind of dialectics, dialectics in Buddhism we call the Middle Way dialectics. It helps us to transcend the notion of this and that, the notion of subject and object, the notion of being and non-being and so on. 

So, the kind of concentration that we practice in Buddhism is the concentration that help us remove all notions and all discrimination. All discrimination. And when discrimination is removed, separation is no longer there and there is no more suffering. If we suffer, it's because of discrimination. And first of all, discrimination between being and non-being, and birth and death. Someone who tries to kill himself, that person doesn't like being. He doesn't like to be anymore. And being becomes a burden. And he aspires to be non-being. Because he believes that belonging to the realm of non-being is much easier. So, the mind of someone who is contemplating suicide is to aspire for non-being. Because being has become too heavy for him or for her and for those who are looking for non-being. And those who are looking for being, we are very afraid of non-being.

And that kind of longing, that kind of suffering is based on the notion of being and non-being. And reality according to the Buddhist insight is free from both notions. Reality can not be described as being or non-being. So, when we ask the question, "Why is there something broader than nothing?", that is a philosophical question. But that is also a scientific question. Because in both cases, the philosophers and scientists are caught in a notion of being and not-being. And using the mind of discrimination, we go around. We find things are absurd unless we have another instrument. The mind of non-discrimination, that can help us to transcend all kinds of notions. And then, it will be possible for us to touch nirvana, to touch the realm of no-birth and no-death and to have true freedom.

(16. let go)
And the last exercise of mindful breathing is to let go. You let go of all notions. You let go of notion of being and non-being. You let go of notion as matter and mind as two distinctive things. You let go of your mind, your notion of subject as a separate element and so on. And the instruction is very clear.
:Unquote 

(My commentary)
All notions are for distinction, separation, discrimination, or the duality. Ego (separate self) separates oneself from others for self-protection. Ego thinks, "I am special and separate". That is the mind of discrimination, or the wrong view. And that kind of mind causes afflictions such as fear, anger, hatred and despair. That's why ego suffers from afflictions caused by notions. In order to throw away all notions, we need to understand that the true nature of all notions are wrong. That's why we meditate, or practice mindfulness and concentration for insights. Once we understand the true nature of all notions, it is very easy for us to let go of all notions and to attain perfect freedom. We have to use notions in the historical dimension but we will never be caught in notions. And we will be able to keep touching the wonders of life in the ultimate dimension at the same time as awareness (non-separate self).

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/notion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html

mother earth

Saturday, May 28, 2016

(7) The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind

Watch the following Thay's video on "The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind" from 2:11:32 to 2:19:18.


The followings are excerpts.

Quote:
So, the mathematics we are having are still based on the mind of discrimination. The logic that we are still using is the logic based on the principle of identity. A can only be A and can not be B. (A=A≠B) That's our logic. That's our mathematics. Still based on the principle of identity. But the Buddha proposed another way. The way we do is to look deeply. When you look into this sheet of paper with a mind of a meditator, what do you see? You see the sheet of paper is made of non-paper elements. You can see a tree inside. You can see a forest inside. You can see the rain in the forest. You can see the sunshine on the forest. You can see the factory that produces the sheet of paper. And you see that the paper is made only of non-paper elements. And if you remove all these non-paper elements, there is no paper left. So, A is not exactly A. A is B. (≠ B) If you have not seen the tree, the sunshine, the factory, the worker, you have not seen the paper

So, the new logic proposed by the Buddha is a kind of dialectics. A is not A. (A≠A) You have to see that. Paper is not paper. That is why it can be a paper. See? If you have not seen the non-paper elements in the paper, you have not seen the sheet of paper. A sheet of paper is made only of non-paper elements. The sheet of paper is full of the cosmos but empty of separate existence. And this is called the conventional designation paper. The object of our meditation, we should look deeply into it and so, the true nature of it. It is a formation. It doesn't have a substantial core of existence. It is full of everything else but is empty of separate self. There is no separate existence. And that is why everything is the conventional designation without real substance in it.

So, A, you call A, is made only of non-A elements, including the Buddha. The Buddha is made of non-Buddha elements. And if you have not seen it, you have not seen the Buddha. And Buddhism is made of non-Buddhism elements. And when you see that, you are free from Buddhism, you are free from the Buddha. Because you know that the Buddha is also a conventional designation. And Buddhism is also a conventional designation. That is why the Middle Way dialectics is that A is not A (A≠A). That is why it can be A (A≠A=A). 

And the same thing should be applied to subatomic particles. Suppose we spoke about an electron. And according to this principle, electron is made only of non-electron elements. And if you have not seen that, you have not seen the electron. How does a scientist observe an electron? They try to find out the so-called nake-mass of an electron and try to find out what they call the self-energy, the self-energy of electron in terms of the relationship between the electron and its own electronic magnetic fields. Without that magnetic fields, electron is not an electron. So, the same thing is true with the proton and the neutron. They are not separate objects. You have to see them as the formations. The neutron is made of non-neutron elements. The proton is also made of non-proton elements. And it has relationship with everything else in the cosmos. 
:Unquote

(My commentary)
In the Heart Sutra, the Buddha mentioned the formula in Buddhism and quantum physics as followings.

色不異空: Form is no other than emptiness. 
<That's because form is made of non-form elements, namely emptiness.>
空不異色: Emptiness is no other than form. 
<That's because emptiness is made of non-emptiness elements, namely form.>
色即是空: Form is namely emptiness (empty of separate existence).
空即是色: Emptiness (empty of separate existence) is namely form.

In other words, A is made of non-A elements. So, A is no other than non-A. Namely, A is non-A.
Meanwhile, non-A is made of non-non-A elements. So, non-A is no other than non-non-A. Namely, non-A is A.

David Bohm explained more simply; "Everything is internally related to everything. Everything contains everything."  

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/light-and-darkness
“The Heart Sutra”
(Ultimate Translation) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLNEU
(Free Translation) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBTLPUM
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html

eclipse

Friday, May 27, 2016

(6) The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind

Watch the following Thay's video on "The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind" from 2:02:30 to 2:11:32.


The followings are excerpts.

Quote:
In the historical dimension, there is still discrimination between birth and death, and this and the other. But when you go deeper, all these notions just disappear and you touch the nature of no birth and no death, no coming and no going, no being and no non-being. You are free from all notions. And that is nirvana. That is the state of coolness. Nirvana, the philosophical term, the spiritual term has come from the daily talking of the presence. In the morning, when you make a breakfast for your husband, you should gather some sticks in order to make fire. And the fire of yesterday may have died completely, so when you touch the ash, it's cooled and does not burn your finger anymore. So, nirvana is the state of coolness, not burning. 

And the Buddha used the word, Nirvana, to talk about the state of no afflictions. Because afflictions like anger, fear, despair, they are burning us. They make us suffer. When we are able to remove all these afflictions, we are in the state of cooling. Nirvana is cooling, the cooling down. Because afflictions like fear, anger, despair, they are burning, that is why we suffer. And why we have these afflictions? Because of our way of looking at the world. Because we have notions of fear. Because we have notions of birth and death, being and non-being, me and you as separate entities. We use our mind of discrimination. We are caught by many notions, including the notions of subject and object, matter and mind. That is why afflictions arise. Once we are able to remove all these notions, including birth and death, being and non-being, and then all these afflictions have no cloud in order to be born and we are free. So, nirvana is freedom. And first, freedom of notions.

And in order to reach nirvana, you can not use your mind of discrimination. And the modern science begins to see that. There are scientists who say that quantum mechanics is dealing with nature as she is. And that is absurd. She is absurd. Quantum mechanics is dealing with nature as she is. It means absurd. Because we thought that it is here, it can be both here and there. We thought that it is wave but it may be something else like particle. Why? Because we are using a kind of mind. That can not touch the ultimate. In classical science, we have notions and ways. We believe that the reality can be independent from our mind. Whether we are there or not, nature is the same. Maybe in modern physics, we don't think like that anymore. We think reality is a function of mind. Mind is linked with reality in such a way that you can not take mind out of reality and you can not take reality out of mind. And modern science begins to see that object and subject, they can not be taken apart. They inter-are. Without this, the other one can not be.

So, the mind that we use in the historical dimension is called in Buddhism the discriminative mind. The Chinese word is "分別智". It's good for classical science. But it's no longer good enough for modern science. The Sanscrit word is "vikalpajnana". "jnana" means wisdom and "vikalpa" means discrimination. The mind of discrimination. We have to distinguish with between birth and death. Birth and death are two different things. We have to distinguish between left and right. They are different things. A rose is a rose. A rose can not be clouds. A rose can not be the sunshine. And our discriminative mind is based on the principle of identity. A can only be A. (A=A) A rose can only be a rose. A rose can not be something else. A human being can only be a human being. A human being can not be a plant or animal or mineral. And that is the mind of discrimination. And with that mind of discrimination, we can not touch the ultimate dimension

And that modern science begins to see, to feel it. And that is why using the mind of discrimination, they find nature absurd. And that is why in Buddhism, we should use another kind of mind in order to approach the ultimate dimension, in order to touch nirvana. But the ultimate dimension is not something apart from the daily life. What we touch in the historical dimension contains nirvana. And you touch them deeply enough, and then mind of non-discrimination, and then nirvana is available in the here and the now. You don't have to go and look for it elsewhere. And that kind of mind is called the "nirvikalpajnana". The mind of non-discrimination. And when you train yourself to use that kind of mind, you don't suffer anymore because you can touch the ultimate dimension. You touch the reality as it is. And no longer are mental constructions.
:Unquote 

(My commentary)
The reality in the historical dimension for ego (separate self) is the relative truth, conventional truth. It's not too much to say that Albert Einstein explained it through his theory of general relativity. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity is the principle in the historical dimension based on the duality. On the other hand, the reality in the ultimate dimension is the ultimate truth which transcends the duality. It is nirvana based on the non-duality. Only awareness (Buddha nature, Divine nature) can dwell in the ultimate dimension which has no space and time. That's because awareness is nature, not matter. Awareness can dwell in the phenomenal world and in the noumenal world at the same time because awareness transcends the space and time. If we (ego) attain the full enlightenment, awareness revives and we (awareness) can live in mindfulness 24 hours a day and will never return to ego (separate self).

(Cf.) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html

Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, 1915

Thursday, May 26, 2016

(5) The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind

Watch the following Thay's video on "The Contemplation of the Objects of Mind in the Objects of Mind" from 1:54:18 to 2:02:30.


The followings are excerpts.

Quote:
(14. non-craving)
And the next exercise is the concentration on non-craving. There is object of craving like fame, like success, like power, like money, like sex. And we believe that happiness will not be possible unless we get that. So, we invest our whole body, our mind, running after the object of our craving. And many of us suffer deeply in the process of running after the objects of our craving. But if we look deeply into the objects of our craving, we see a lot of dangers into it. Many people had destroyed their body and mind, just trying to run after these 4 objects of our craving. And many people had died, even committed suicide. When they have plenty of these kinds of things, they are not happy with them.

So, looking into the object of your craving deeply, you can see a danger in it. And once you see the danger of the object of your craving, it does not attack you anymore. You know that you can be perfectly happy without it. If a fish realizes that in the bait there is a hook, then she never bites. If she bites, she will be hooked up and then she will die. So, if looking deeply into the nature of our craving, you can see a lot of dangers. And if you see the danger in the object of your craving, you stop, you are free.

(15. nirvana)
And the 15th is the concentration on nirvana. Nirvana is the ultimate reality, is the true nature of no birth, no death, no being, no non-being, no coming, no going, no sameness, no otherness. All kinds of distinction, all kinds of discrimination are removed, including the notion of subject and object, matter and mind as two distinctive reality. All these discrimination are removed. And when you touch nirvana, you are free, free of all afflictions, including fear and craving and despair. And where can you find nirvana? And the answer is very clear. In the object of your perceptions.

There are two levels of reality. There are two dimensions to reality. And in Buddhism, we speak of the ultimate reality, the ultimate dimension, and the historical dimension. "本門" is the ultimate dimension of reality and that is nirvana. And the other is "迹門", the historical dimension of reality. In the historical dimension of reality, you can see the beginning and ending, you can see birth and death, you can see time and space as two separate entities, you can see the subject and object. In the historical dimension, we need a birth certificate, proving that you were born on such an hour and date from such and such parents. If you don't have that, you don't have the identification card. You can not do anything. You do not have a job. You can not draw a money from the bank. You need an identity. You need the date of birth and so on. And so, in the historical dimension, there is birth and death. You are there or you are not there. So, the notions of being and non-being, birth and death, coming and going, these belong to the realm of the relative truth, conventional truth

But looking deeply into the world of phenomena in the historical dimension, and this is the practice of meditation. The other day, we spoke about looking deeply at a cloud. A cloud is in the historical dimension because yesterday it was up there but today it's no longer there. And we can speak about the birth of a cloud and the death of a cloud. So, birth, death, being there, not being there, all these notions belong to the realm, to the dimension called the historical dimension. But when we look deeply into the nature of a cloud, we see that the nature of a cloud is the nature of no birth and no death. There is no beginning, no ending. It is impossible for a cloud to die. It can become snow or tea or rain or ice. But it is impossible for a cloud to pass from the realm of being into non-being. So, touching the historical dimension deeply enough, we touch the ultimate dimension. We don't have to go anywhere for the ultimate dimension. The ultimate dimension is right in the historical dimension. 
:Unquote 

(My commentary)
Thay mentioned, "Where can you find nirvana? In the object of your perceptions." Perceptions are series of notions in the brain and cause illusions or delusions. And nirvana is the extinction of all notions, which enables us to touch the reality as it is. So, in other words, nirvana is the extinction of all perceptions. And the world, or nature is the object of our mind, and it is the projection of mind if our perception is there. Therefore, as David Bohm said, "The way we see depends on the way we think.", whether we see illusions or realities entirely depends on our mind. If our mind is not calm like wavy water, we see illusions. Meanwhile, if our mind is calm like still water, our mind can reflect the nature like a mirror and we can touch the reality as it is. Everything depends on our mind. In other words, everything depends on who we are. The way we see is different between ego (separate self) and awareness (non-separate self) even though the object of our mind is the same. If we are ego (separate self), we see illusions or delusions. If we are awareness (non-separate self), we touch the reality as it is. But ego can't recognize that they see illusions. The only solution is self-transformation from ego to awareness. Nirvana is available for awareness (non-separate self) in the here and the now. And nirvana is available for 24 hours a day for those who attained full enlightenment.

(Cf.) http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/notion
http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/subject-and-object
http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/self-transformation-44490452
http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/goodbye-to-brain
http://www.slideshare.net/compassion5151/3-versions-of-oneself
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014NYEP04
http://compassion5151.blogspot.jp/2016/04/16-exercises-on-mindful-breathing-whole.html