| | Daniel has a perfect answer but I wanted just to add something to explain why he is correct.
There cannot be cessation except for when something that has arisen experiences cessation.
You had a moment of clarity. In this moment, from what I can surmise, you did experience a temporary cessation. But we cannot call a temporary cessation a true cessation. We must call it a suspension.
This moment, in zen, is given as a gift by the awakened masters. They would sometimes use a stick, hitting a bhikkhu during zazen at the moment where that master percieves the moment when it is possible to hit the bhikkhu and cause a suspension.
Why? Because if you follow Daniel's advice during the moment before, during, and after the suspension, you can learn to cause the suspension whenever you wish. What follows this knowledge will be true cessation.
I once commented on a forum "there must be mindfulness for escape". The Buddhists still send me emails.... "Enlightenment does not take effort and mindfulness takes effort."
No, Mindfulness does not take effort. Learning Mindfulness may take effort, but Mindfullness is a natural state of being. Why are they confused? Mindfulness alone does not help us achieve cessation. That is why we must learn to also meditate. When our meditation is strong and we can achieve long sittings, there are many moments of Suspension that happen naturally, even without a stick to the back. If we are mindful, we will see the moment before, during, and after. We will then know The Way.
Because you even asked the question, because you knew that you did not achieve cessation, because you knew that you did achieve temporary cessation, because you intuitively see the Light so strongly that you found one of the best dharma teacher in america and posted on his forum, because of all these things, You are a natural Buddhist and all of these things that you will learn will be learned easily for you. You are going to be a great Teacher! Keep Going!! |