Dear Jhanananda, thank you for the reply. I am very grateful for all the help you've given me on GWV.
The Ch'an practice is in the lineage of Venerable Hsuan-Hua (
link). A little religious due to mahayana doctrine, but I surprisingly agree with some of it, not all of it, but here are some examples of what I agree with:
1. Heat is the first stage. This warmth originates at the cinnabar, the point just behind the navel, spreads to the whole body, and then circulates back to the cinnabar. This warm energy circulates like that again and again during the stage of heat.
2. Summit is the second stage. When you have experienced the warmth for some time, during which your body’s chemical plant has done the necessary experiments, you will then reach the summit. At the summit, you feel as if there is something at the top of your head, yet there appears to be nothing there. If you say there is something, you cannot see it or touch it. You only experience this feeling at the top of your head, and you will invariably feel it is indescribable.
3. Patience is the third stage. After the summit stage, you begin to experience an unbearable feeling. No matter how unbearable this feeling is, you have to endure it. This is known as the stage of patience. After the summit stage comes the stage of patience. It is very difficult to pass the stage of patience because of the discomfort associated with the top of your head. It seems as if there is something trying to drill a hole through to the outside. At this point, you have to be very patient. As time goes by, the drill penetrates through and emerges from the top of your head, just like a little bird that has been set free from its cage. And like a freed bird, you will feel exceptionally happy.
4. First in the World is the fourth stage. Getting free is called being foremost in the world. This can refer to having the world’s foremost patience. It is also known as being the World’s Number One Great Personage, or the World’s Number One Great Hero. Being peerless, you are known as Number One in the World. Even so, you will still have to be
careful and continue to cultivate everyday.
And the passage on dhyana (Sanskrit for the Pali word jhana):
1. The First Dhyana. “The Stage of Happiness That Leaves Beings Behind.” This means that we depart from our relationship with all beings and obtain another type of happiness. This happiness is different from that of ordinary beings. It emanates from within the skill of our self-nature. When we reach the state of the First Dhyana, our breathing stops. The external breathing stops, while the internal breathing comes alive. This phenomenon is like what happens during winter hibernation. It defies description. At that time, our mind is as clear as water and as bright as a mirror. It illuminates the fundamental substance of our self-nature, even as we are aware that we are sitting in meditation.
2. The Second Dhyana. “The Stage of the Happiness that comes with Samadhi.” In samadhi, we experience happiness beyond compare. This has come to be known as,
The joy of Chan being as food,
The bliss of Dharma filling us up.
When we experience such happiness, we will not feel hungry. That is why people can go without food or drink for many days and still be all right. But we cannot be attached to this state. If we become attached, all our efforts will be wasted. It is even possible to enter a demonic state because of attachment. We must be very cautious. At the stage of the Second Dhyana, not only does our breathing stop, but our pulse stops as well. When we leave this state of concentration, our pulse returns to normal.
3. The Third Dhyana. “The Stage of the Exquisite Bliss that Comes with Transcending Happiness.” Here, we leave the happiness of the Second Dhyana and reach a level of exquisite and subtle bliss. We will feel that everything is the Buddhadharma and that all things are blissful. In this stage of the Third Dhyana, when we enter the state of concentration, not only do our breathing and pulse stop, but our thoughts also stop. At that time, we have no thought of good or bad and no thought of right or wrong. In short, we have no more idle thoughts at all. However, we must not think that we are very special, for this is just part of a process. We are still a long way from ending birth and death.
4. The Fourth Dhyana. “The Stage of the Purity of Dispensing with Thought Entirely.” At this stage, even the thought of happiness is gone, as we have already discarded it. We have reached the pure state of nothing whatsoever, in which things are neither conditioned nor unconditioned. The Fourth Dhyana is a stage that we who investigate Chan must experience. There is nothing special about this. We should not make the mistake of assuming that we have achieved the fruition of the Way. If we think like that, then we are making the same mistake as the unlearned bhiksu and will fall into the hells.
The state of the Fourth Dhyana is still at the stage of a common mortal. If we make vigorous progress, we will certify to states that enable us to enter the Five Heavens of No Return. Only then will we have actually reached the level of a certified sage. However, even at that stage, we will have still not ended birth and death. We have to transcend the Triple Realm in order to end the cycle of birth and death. You have to be clear on this point and not be confused.
An Arhat of the First Fruition (srotapanna) is free of idle thoughts, not only when in samadhi, but also when walking, standing, sitting, and reclining. At the First Fruition, they have ended attachments left, but they must still pass through seven more births and deaths.
He also mentions:
Merging with the great void,
we have a sudden breakthrough.
Here in the Meditation Hall, we should work at our cultivation to the point that we are unaware of the heavens above, people in between, and the earth below. If heaven, earth, and people have all disappeared, and north, south, east, and west are forgotten, then right at that point, when not even a single thought comes forth, the entire substance can manifest. Then, we will obtain the great functioning of the entire substance. However, if we indulge in idle thoughts all day long, there will certainly be no response to our efforts. Thus, we have to work to the point where not a single thought arises, and when we walk, we are not aware that we are walking. When we stand, we are not aware that we are standing. When we sit, we are unconscious of sitting. When we lie down, we are not conscious of lying down. We have no conscious awareness of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. At that point,
We eat, but are not aware of
consuming a single grain of rice.
We dress, but are unaware of
putting on a single stitch.
The ego merges with space itself at that point. When we can unite with space, then we can have a sudden breakthrough and instantly understand all things. That is the state of sudden enlightenment. Sudden enlightenment is a result of daily cultivation. When we get a response from our daily efforts, we can suddenly become enlightened. If we normally do not cultivate, then we will never gain sudden enlightenment.
What resonates the most with me is that he emphasises that Dharma practice MUST lead to an elimination of habits. This Chan master in particular, does not pander to addictive habits and always discourages things like smoking, alcohol, drugs, intoxicants, and so on. He also chooses to live a poor and simple life, away from material possessions. So that is very admirable from his ethics.
Also, we see evidence of him talking about the Dark Night - In fact, many, many times:
As soon as you cultivate the spiritual path, demons will appear.
When I was young, I heard someone said, “As soon as you cultivate the spiritual path, demons will appear.” I did not believe it and arrogantly said, “I am not afraid of demons at all! Witches, ghosts, and goblins do not frighten me in the least.” I thought that it did not matter what I said. Who could have guessed that soon after my boast, a demon would show up? What kind of demon was it? It was a demon of sickness, which made me so ill that I lost consciousness for seven or eight days. I lapsed into a total coma. Only then did I realize that my skill was far from the mark and that I had failed my test.
Maybe I was not afraid of witches, ghosts or goblins, or even celestial demons and heretics. But I was afraid, as it turned out, of sickness demons. I could not subdue them. I could not handle them. I could not endure their attack. So we cultivators of the spiritual path cannot claim proudly that we fear nothing. As soon as we become self-satisfied and arrogant, troubles come seeking for us. Well, how should cultivators of the spiritual path be, then? We should maintain a humble and circumspect attitude, and be as cautious as if we were treading on the brink of a deep abyss, or as if we were standing on thin ice. At all times, we should be prudent and careful. We should pay attention and stay alert. Only then can we really cultivate the spiritual path. To sum it up, talk less and meditate more. This is the fundamental requisite of cultivation.
If we apply effort in this way everyday and in every moment, without hurrying or slacking off, eventually our skill will generate a response. When this happens, we will achieve an inconceivable state. Those of you who have attained this state should not be overly happy, and those who have not, should not be unduly sad. If a practitioner becomes overly happy, demon of happiness can come and disrupt his samadhi power, causing that person to laugh and smile unnaturally all day long. If somebody asks him what he is laughing about, he will not know.
If he does not even know why he is laughing, then basically he has lost his senses. He has gone mad. A demon of madness has already possessed him. Conversely, if a practitioner becomes excessively sad, worried, or depressed, a demon of sadness can come and disrupt her samadhi power, causing her to sob and cry unnaturally all day long. If someone asks her why she is crying, she may reply, “Beings are suffering so much! They are so pitiful! I wish to cross over all beings.” However, if she cannot even cross over herself, how can she possibly save others? Excessive displays
of sorrow are an indication that a person has been possessed by a demon of sadness.
Here is a photo of him meditating in full-lotus in the wilderness:
You can see a very clear difference between most 'typical monks' who have not seasoned their sitting posture and his stillness/equanimity.
I'm quite impressed at his teachings and his ability to hold the precepts perfectly, definitely. He is also quite a poet. He also exhibits some of the fruits, such as:
- Being able to read people's minds - On multiple occasions, he did!
- Being able to answer all kinds of questions from the insight-stream
- Being able to exhibit samadhi at will
- His teacher, Hsu Yun, was also able to enter samadhi for weeks.
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Another Chan monk I've been recently very impressed with is by the name of Hsin Tao. Particularly worthy of note is how he sees no difference between different major religions like Christianity, Catholicism, Islam and so on, and encourages interfaith discussion. I find that very similar to the GWV's integrative approach.
His history and practice is what is inspiring as well, quite atypical.
He practiced in solitude, alone, for over 10 years, and continues to do so now.
He meditated in cemeteries and fasted for two years on a mountain.
He had near-death experiences while meditating.
He was meditating at least 20 hours a day at one point.
He found interconnectedness of all beings.
What is most stunning is that he too, is familiar with St John of the Cross' work. He has very close ties with the Benedictines. He too, talks about the trouble of the body, and how the "I" comes from that.
He too, has accomplished the Manomayakaya, also called the Rainbow-body in Tibet tradition, which is recognized by feat by Kathok monastery in Tibet (famous for 100s of monks attaining mind-made rainbow bodies that could exit at will or at death). Lastly, he also knows past lives.
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I guess in every tradition, there are always frauds and genuine practitioners.
I'll definitely work hard on my own path and strive.
