10 Easy Steps to "Zen"

Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly; WikiHow.com

Here are 10 easy steps to a "zen" (jhana) state of mind. Zazen (just sitting) is a type of meditation unique to Zen Buddhism. It functions at the heart of the practice. Zen (Chinese Ch'an, Sanskrit Dhyana, Pali Jhana) is the Japanese word for "meditation," so Zen Buddhists could be called "Meditation-centric Buddhists." This outlines how a beginner can practice zazen, which literally means sitting meditation.

In praise of meditative absorptions (jhanas)

Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Thanissaro (trans.) Pañcalacanda Sutta (SN 2.7)

New Year festival, monk light votive candles to the Buddha on Dec. 31, 2013, Phan Tao Temple, Chiang Mai, Thailand (ArztSamui/flickr.com).

 

The Blessed One was residing at Savatthi. Then Pañcalacanda the light being (deva), standing to one side, recited this verse in [the Buddha's] presence:

 

"Truly in a confining place, he found an opening -- the one of great wisdom, the enlightened one who awakened to [blissful, mentally-purifying] meditative absorption (jhana), the chief bull, withdrawn, the sage."

 

[The Buddha replied in verse:] "Even in a confining place, they find it, [Pañcalacanda], the Dharma for the attainment of nirvana (complete freedom). Those who have gained mindfulness are rightly concentrated (collected, absorbed).

EXPLANATION

G.P. Malalasekera (Dictionary of Pali Proper Names, metta.lk)

Deva (Kevin Borland/flickr)

Pañcálacanda devaputta: a deva who visited the Buddha at Jetavana and uttered a verse to the effect that the person who understands absorption (jhana) finds room even among crowding obstacles. The Buddha corrects him, saying that those who are mindful and self-possessed know the way to nirvana (S.i.48). This discussion forms the basis for the Pañcála Sutta. It is probably this same deva who is mentioned as a great yakkha in the Atánátiya Sutta (D.iii.205), invoked by the Buddha's followers in times of need.

Pañcacúlakais the name of Sanankumára when he was reborn as a human being in a former life. He practiced the absorptions (jhanas). Having passed away in that meditative state, he was reborn in the Brahma world (MA.ii.584). More probably, Pañcacúlaka here is not a name but a descriptive nickname meaning "while he was yet a boy with his hair tied in five knots."

COMMENTARY

The first verse in this discourse focuses on absorption (jhana) as a crucial element on the path to liberation. The Buddha's "awakening to absorption" apparently refers to two points in his long career as a being striving for enlightenment (bodhisattva).

There was the point when, realizing the futility of self-torture, he surmised that blissful, suprasensual absorption might be part of the path to enlightenment, to awakening to the truth. There was also the point when he realized the limited extent to which absorption could actually lead to the wisdom (knowing and seeing) that resulted in full enlightenment. (For details on both of these points, see MN 35).

In the second verse, the Buddha expands on Pañcalacanda's understanding of the practice of the absorptions by pointing out that it has to be accompanied by mindfulness to be genuinely "right" concentration. [Concentration is the foundation of the fourfold setting up of mindfulness, but mindfulness is also one of the constituents of concentration.]

This point is related to the fact that the various lists of practices constituting the path -- such as the Five Faculties, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path -- always place "right mindfulness" before "right concentration." [But, of course, the list is not sequential; it is interdependent in that every factor aids and supports every other factor like spokes support a wheel.] It is also related to the statement in MN 44 that the Four Foundations of Mindfulness form the "sign" (nimitta) of right concentration.
 
AN 9.42 contains an explanation of the first verse here: Ven. Ananda identifies the first absorption as the opening offering an escape from the "confining place" of sensual pleasures. And each successive level of absorption (eight levels in all) are the openings offering an escape from the "confining place" of the preceding absorption. Finally, Ananda says, the "cessation of perception and feeling" (a higher level of concentration only available to enlightened individuals) acts as the ultimate opening offering escape from all forms of confinement.

Enlightenment and Magic (sutra)

Dhr. Seven and Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly based on Ajahn Thanissaro, Abbot of Wat Metta, translation of the Pali Susima Sutra, "About Susima" (SN 12.70)

The future Buddha behind the Himalayas in Ladakh, Buddhist India

 

Meditating and striving in the forest

This sutra or discourse is sometimes cited as "proof" that a meditator can attain full enlightenment without having practiced the meditative absorptions (jhanas), classified as "serenity-meditation" rather than insight-meditation. But a careful reading shows that it does not support this assertion at all.
 
The new enlightened ones (arhats) mentioned here do not deny that they have attained the first four absorptions (the "form" jhanas) that make up the definition of the Noble Eightfold Path factor "right concentration."
 
Instead, they simply say that they have not acquired any psychic powers that stem from developing these meditative states to a higher degree, and they say they do not remain in physical contact with the four higher levels of concentration, the immaterial states or "formless" jhanas.

In this discourse, their definition of "release by wisdom" is no different than that given in AN 9.44. (Compare this with the definitions of "bodily witness" and "released in both ways" given in AN 9.43 and AN 9.45).

Taken in the context of the Buddha's many other teachings on "right concentration" (samma samadhi), there is in fact every reason to believe that the new arhats mentioned in this discourse had developed at least the first absorption before attaining enlightenment.

About Susima 

Siddhartha under tree, Mes Aynak (livescience.com)

 

Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One [Buddha] was staying near Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Sanctuary. Now at that time the Blessed One was revered, honored, venerated, given homage. He was a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites.

The monastic community composed of both monks and nuns was also revered, honored, venerated, and given homage. They were recipients of the same four requisites. But the wanderers of other dharmas (paths) were not revered, honored, venerated, or given homage, nor were they recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, or medicinal requisites.

 

The Buddha was reluctant to perform marvels

Now at that time the wanderer Susima was living in Rajagaha with a large following of wanderers (wandering ascetics). Susima's following of wanderers said to him, "Come now, friend Susima. Go live the high life under Gotama the ascetic [the Buddha]. When you have completely mastered that Dharma, tell it to us. When we have completely mastered it, we will teach it to householders and then we, too, will be revered, honored, venerated, given homage, and we too will become recipients of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal requisites."

 

He responded to his own following, "As you say, friends!" Then the wanderer Susima went to Ven. Ananda and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there, he said to Ven. Ananda, "Friend Ananda, I want to live the high life in this Dharma and Discipline."

 

Then Ven. Ananda took the wanderer Susima to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed, sat respectfully to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "Venerable sir, this wanderer Susima has said, 'Friend Ananda, I want to live the high life in this Dharma and Discipline.'"

 

"Then in that case, Ananda, give him the going forth [monastic ordination]." So the wanderer Susima gained the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One and gained acceptance (into the Buddhist community of monastics).

 

Enlightened beings in ancient Thai-Laotian style (Trianons/flickr.com)

 

Now at that time a large number of monastics had declared final knowledge (enlightenment) in the presence of the Blessed One: "We know and see that 'birth is ended, the high life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world.'"

 

And Ven. Susima heard of this, so he went to those monastics and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with them and sat respectfully to one side. Sitting there, he asked: "Is it true, as they say, that you have declared final knowledge the presence of the Blessed One: 'We know and see that birth is ended, the high life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this world'?" "Yes, friend," they replied.

 

"Then having known thus, having seen thus, do you wield manifold supernormal powers? 

 

"Having been one are you able to become many; having been many are you able to become one? Do you appear and vanish at will? Go unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if going through space? Are you able to dive in and out of the earth as if it were water? Can you walk on water without sinking as if it were dry land? Sitting cross legged, are you fly through the air like a bird? With your hands are you able to touch and stroke even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful? Do you exercise influence of your body even as far as the Brahma worlds?" More