(Dark Night of the Soul)
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me, what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, entering through the nose and mouth? When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose and mouth, air entering through the ears made much noise. It was like the sound that came from the bellows of the smithy. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, air entering through the ears made much noise. My effort was aroused repeatedly, my mindfulness was established, the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths further. I stopped the air, entering through the nose and mouth and ears. When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth and the ears, a lot of air disturbed the top of my head. Like a strong man was carving the top of my head with a sharp blade. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, and ears, a lot of air disturbed the top of my head. My effort was aroused repeatedly, my mindfulness was established, and the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths still more. I stopped the air, entering through the nose, mouth and ear lobes, further. When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth and the ears further, I felt a lot of pain in the head...Like a strong man giving a head wrap with a strong turban. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose, mouth, and ears further, I felt a lot of pain in the head. My effort was aroused repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established, the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, for a longer time. I stopped the air, entering through the nose mouth and ears, for a longer time. When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth and the ears for a longer time, I felt a lot of pain in the stomach .As though a clever butcher or his apprentice was carving the stomach with a butcher"s knife. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through the nose and mouth, and ears for a longer time I felt a lot of pain in the stomach. My effort was aroused repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established. My body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
Aggivessana, then it occurred to me what if I practiced stopping the in-breaths and the out-breaths, for a longer time. I stopped the air, entering through the nose mouth and ears, for a longer time. When I practiced stopping in-breaths and out-breaths entering through the nose, mouth and the ears for a longer time, I felt a lot of burning in the body. Like a strong man taking a weaker one, by his hands and feet was burning and scorching him in a pit of burning charcoal. In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through my nose and mouth, and ears for a longer time I felt a lot of burning in the body. My effort was aroused repeatedly, unconfused mindfulness established, the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion. Aggivessana, even then these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle. Then the gods seeing me thus said, the recluse Gotama is dead. A certain deity said thus: The recluse Gotama is not dead. Will not die. He will become perfect like this.
Hi Michel. o/
This is indeed indicative of the Dark Night of the Soul, the first one, in fact. What happens when one cannot breathe? They die. The passage is an allegory, which is rich with metaphor. The Buddha did not physically "hold his breathe" he intended on what it was to be dead. The point in the repetition signifies a "true intent". This man was consumed with this thought or belief. In this case, what it is to be dead.
The result of this: hands and feet was burning and scorching him in a pit of burning charcoal.
(Charism arises) In the same manner when I stopped in-breaths and out breaths, entering through my nose and mouth, and ears for a longer time
(The action of what it is to be dead, Meditation. I believe the notation of the ears, and the earlier reference to wind or air coming though them could indicate the meaning of a quiet place. "meditated in a quiet place") I felt a lot of burning in the body.
(Charism) My effort was aroused repeatedly,
(The word aroused indicates an observation, not a cognitive action) unconfused mindfulness established,
(Observing thoughts that arise but not grasping or engaging. "unconfused" in that you are indeed dead) the body was not appeased owing to the difficult exertion.
(It was uncomfortable, yet made only as observation. This particular line is very interesting. In my own experiences this is not always the case, yet there are times that it is.) Aggivessana, even then these arisen unpleasant feelings did not take hold of my mind and settle.
(Did not give up the meditation session, nor did he "grasp" any of them. They were only observed.)
The burning of the hands and feet are the charisms. As described by "burning" means that the body is interpreting them, there is desire present. Most likely in this case desire was the intent on what it was to be dead.
Then the gods seeing me thus said, the recluse Gotama is dead.
This is the second Jhana, the thoughts have stopped, the mind is silent, therefor Gotama (Identity) is dead. This also means that the mediator stuck with the interpreted burning charisms (desire), until it was relinquished here.
A certain deity said thus: The recluse Gotama is not dead. Will not die. He will become perfect like this.
So if we can conclude that the mind was still to this point, what does
a certain deity refer to? Insight, the inner "you". "Gotama knew" at that point that his identity was not dead. He "knew" that "this" Gotama will not die. And that the path to the death of the identity is through meditation.
Think of Dissociation, or math equations.
1. "Gotama knew" at that point that his identity was not dead because a certain deity (Insight) told him so. (
A certain deity said thus: The recluse Gotama is not dead.)
2. Dissociated from 1. He "knew" that "this Gotama" will not die. (Will not die. There was intention in simply leaving that sentence like that. It does not give a title to "who" will not die. It refers to the inner self.)
1+2=3
3. The recluse Gotama + the un-named inner self = He. "He" can only become perfect by following the instruction given above in the passage.
So, the dark night of the soul, what do we know about it? Well, lets start at the 4 Noble Truths.
1. The truth of Suffering- the truth that life is suffering
2. The truth of Origin of suffering- impermanence is the origin
3.The truth of Cessation of suffering- the identity, that is perception, is the origin of impermanence
4.The truth of a Path of liberation from suffering- culminates to the 8th fold of the Noble Eightfold Path (within the context of the 4 noble truths)
In order for a meditator to attain the first Jhana, or the 8th fold of the N8P he has
assimilated the 4 Noble truths, much in the way the Buddha describes above, as was his first experience with religious phenomena, or jhana, or the 8th fold of the N8P.
The assimilation of the 4 noble truths is the first Dark Night of the Soul.
(Sorry guys, please feel free to move this to Ecstatic Buddhism, or Unpacking Buddhism, or another Buddhist focused thread. I hadnt realised where I was responding.^.^)