Author: Adam_West
Forum: Teacher Reviews

Hey guys and gals,

I thought some of you might be interested in a documentary on Shodo Harada Roshi and the Zen view of liberation. Roshi is often referred to as the nuclear reactor of Zen, due to his palpable radiant presence and brightness noted when sitting in interview with him. This is what I would suggest is one of the signs of a combination of realization and completed development - the radiant presence of our original face. This is what happens as the 'ego' filter breaks down or clears through practice, allowing the sun to shine unencumbered so to speak. :-) One glows from within - illumination!

http://www.onedropzendo.org/cloudmtn.htm

Enjoy!

In kind regards,

Adam.

Author: Adam_West

Hey guys,

A great lecture from Roshi on nature of mind, source and its realization through Zazen.

http://www.commonweal.org/new-school/audiofiles/podcast/52s_h_roshi_mono.mp3

Here is a transcript exert of his speech:

... We have therefore, even our physical body, anything that we hold on to in our mind is all phenomena, its always subject to change, but as these things change, we see our body changing and our thoughts transforming, there is something that is seeing that, there is something that is noticing that our physical body is changing, something that is noticing that these thoughts are always changing and transient, that deeply seeing eye (e-y-e), which is noticing all of these changes, that is what is the same in each and every person. This is a clearly seeing eye that is able to see those things, but is not able to be seen. This which can perceive all those things which are going through change, which are phenomena that are in flux, that can see all of this ongoing movement, but itself is not moved around by anything, its like a mirror just seeing something and reflecting it perfectly but not being affected by it. This deeply seeing eye which sees everything, but can not be seen, this is what the Buddha awakened to.

[cont.]

Author: Adam_West

So how about it, many people are here that do meditation or have experience of zazen, how about it, do we really sit to this depth? Do we really bring out awareness into this depth of perception?

And if we do sit to this depth, when we sit and we enter this state, then actually in fact we no longer have any sense of our physical body or the passing flow of mental activity or thoughts, all of that is gone, there is no scenery because there is nothing to note that scenery. Nothing to note, no self-conscious ideas and thoughts to note that physical body or those flowing thoughts. There is only that one seeing eye.

And when Rinzai says that in this one mind moment there is no awareness of any discrimination, that is because if we are in that state of mind where we are simply seeing clearly and not being caught on our physical body or on our various thoughts then we are only seeing each thing exactly as it is, there is no ideas stuck on to it, no thoughts about it stuck on to it, just a direct perception in each moment of exactly what is there ...

Listen to lecture for more.

In kind regards,

Adam.

Author: KristerHolmes

absolutely LOVED this doc. Especially the realization about coming down off the mountain. Amazing energy and warmth! I get the nuclear reactor reference for sure!

Thanks much for it!

Author: Adam_West

Hi Krister!

I'm so glad you enjoyed. He does seem to have a lot of presence - pretty amazing for sure.

Have fun!

In kind regards,

Adam.