Letting Go - Alan Watts
Sublime Minds・32 minutes read
Hinduism encompasses various aspects of life, while Buddhism focuses on letting go of attachments and beliefs to reach a state of non-attachment. Zen Buddhism emphasizes total presence, living free from attachments, and practical responses to philosophical questions, leading to a profound realization of existence through discipline and effort.
Insights
- Buddhism, derived from Hinduism, focuses on awakening from ignorance and attachment, challenging fixed beliefs to reach a state of non-attachment and relaxation, emphasizing the stripping away of all concepts and doctrines.
- Zen Buddhism, originating from India and evolving through Chinese and Japanese influences, promotes living free from attachments, total presence in the present moment, and a practical approach to philosophical questions, highlighting humor, humility, and acceptance of human nature, with training methods like koans and intense meditation practices to reveal one's authentic self beyond social definitions.
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Recent questions
What is the core concept of Buddhism?
The core concept of Buddhism revolves around overcoming the illusion of separateness and letting go of fixed beliefs or ideas.
How does Zen Buddhism differ from Indian Buddhism?
Zen Buddhism differs from Indian Buddhism by emphasizing living free from attachments, total presence, and practical answers to philosophical questions.
What is the origin of the term "Buddha"?
The term "Buddha" originates from the Sanskrit word "buddh," meaning "to be awake," symbolizing awakening from a state of ignorance or hypnosis.
How does Chinese Zen Buddhism blend different philosophies?
Chinese Zen Buddhism blends Indian Buddhism with Chinese Taoism and Confucian practicality, emphasizing being awake while engaging in worldly affairs.
What is the purpose of Zen training?
The purpose of Zen training is to challenge students through dialogue, koans, and meditation to discover their authentic selves beyond societal definitions, leading to a state of total presence and undistracted focus on the present moment.
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Summary
00:00
"Buddhism: Awakening, Non-Attachment, and Practicality"
- Hinduism is a comprehensive way of life encompassing various aspects like cookery, family life, and house building.
- Buddhism, derived from Hinduism, is a means of exporting essential elements beyond Indian culture.
- The term "Buddha" originates from the Sanskrit word "buddh," meaning "to be awake," signifying awakening from a state of hypnosis or ignorance.
- A Buddha is one who overcomes the illusion of separateness and views life without clinging to fixed beliefs or ideas.
- Buddhism's method, known as Dharma, aims to strip away all attachments and beliefs, leading to non-attachment and relaxation.
- Buddhism does not require adherence to specific doctrines but focuses on letting go of all concepts and beliefs.
- The practice of Buddhism involves challenging individuals' fundamental ideas and beliefs to reach a state of non-attachment.
- Chinese Buddhism, influenced by Taoist philosophy, introduced humor and a different perspective on celibacy compared to Indian Buddhism.
- Chinese Zen Buddhism emphasizes being awake while actively engaging in worldly affairs, blending Indian Buddhism with Chinese Taoism and Confucian practicality.
- Zen Buddhism originated from the work of Kumarajeeva, with Bodhidharma being credited for sparking Zen as a distinct movement through rejecting students to stimulate their growth.
20:21
Zen: Embodying Presence Beyond Meditation
- Bodhidharma explains the concept of "shin" as the heart-mind, challenging Ekka to bring out his shin for pacification.
- Ekka realizes the essence of satori, wu, and the aha phenomenon, equating to total presence of mind.
- Zen, originating from the Sanskrit word gianna, is pronounced as chan in Chinese and signifies a state of consciousness beyond mere meditation or contemplation.
- Zen emphasizes living free from attachments, embodying total presence and undistracted focus on the present moment.
- Zen's response to philosophical questions involves practical answers, like mentioning having a boiled egg when asked about salvation.
- Zen monks' gamesmanship with powerful figures led to the establishment of monasteries and a unique relationship with the nobility.
- Zen acknowledges the irreducible rascality in human nature, valuing humor, humility, and the acceptance of human needs.
- Zen art portrays sages as bums or rogues, emphasizing the importance of not taking oneself too seriously.
- Zen's development in China and Japan influenced various art forms and scholarship, with a shift to Japan around 11-1200 AD.
- Zen training involves dialogue, koans, and meditation to challenge students to discover their authentic selves beyond social definitions.
42:12
Zen Master's Intense Teaching Transforms Student
- An American Zen student on a Fulbright scholarship was given a month to study, leading to panic. The master prescribed an intense meditation practice called "obsession session" where the student slept only three hours a night and meditated the rest of the time.
- The student became increasingly desperate as the Fulbright was ending, but on the last day, he realized there was nothing to see, experiencing a profound illumination and relief.
- After leaving and feeling life becoming ordinary again, the student returned to the master, who toughly put him on probation, emphasizing the need for discipline and effort in realizing the void and transparency of existence.
- The Zen master's initial authoritarian approach transitions into a compassionate older brother figure, guiding students with occasional authoritarian actions to reveal the nature of the Zen game, emphasizing the master's role out of compassion to help students realize what they already possess.
