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Zazen: Consciousness Beyond Self
Practice-Week_Studying_Consciousness
The primary thesis explores the nature of decision-making and consciousness in Zazen meditation, contrasting it with ordinary consciousness. The speaker argues that the decision-making process in Zazen occurs without a distinct sense of self and is shaped by different attitudes and historical contexts compared to ordinary consciousness. The discussion includes the difference in perception across various dimensions between ordinary and mindful states and suggests the use of Zazen in creative problem-solving, despite its limitations in other practical areas.
- Buddhist Philosophy: The talk emphasizes ideas about the 'observer' in Zazen and ordinary consciousness, though it mentions these insights aren't directly documented in standard Buddhist or philosophical texts, suggesting a unique interpretative experience of Zazen.
- Albert Einstein: Referenced as someone who perceived early ideas through bodily sensations, which aligns with the talk's discussion on how physical experiences can lead to insights, further illustrating the complex relationship between body and mind in thinking.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger: His notion that a focused mind in physical activities can enhance performance is mentioned, highlighting the importance of mental engagement in activities once mechanical learning is achieved.
AI Suggested Title: Zazen: Consciousness Beyond Self
You can ask who decides to go into it. I think it's a mistake if you think there's a who that decides. The possibility... because something has happened, the possibility of making a choice happens. The possibility of making a choice happens. And the making of that choice doesn't produce a who. It's just that the structure of the mind has created some polarities.
[01:04]
And it's possible within that structure of mind, without much sense of a who, to function. And you have to be fairly gentle in such a mind. If you even start thinking a little bit like who is deciding and you start producing your usual observer, the whole mind disappears. So at least there's a difference. Okay, so let's say in a more ordinary state of Zazen mind, you want to think through a particular problem. How to pay your bills which exceed your income. Okay, so there's an observer thinking about how to pay the bills. Now, is that the same observer as in usual mind?
[02:23]
Sorry to go into such detail, but there's no answer for these questions. This is my experience. You can't find this in philosophy or Buddhism. So say that you decide, if you look very carefully, you can see that the observer in Zazen mind... Yes, I suppose if you had to pay the veterinarian for taking care of your cat, you'd know what a cat is. you would know what a cat is. Okay, so there would be some accumulated experience in both observers which was similar. But the accumulated experience that shapes the observer.
[03:33]
In Zazen mind is significantly different. And that's what makes making a decision in Zazen mind different or clearer or different anyway than in ordinary mind. Because the observer is informed by different Attitudes, understandings, and history. So strictly speaking, I don't think you can say it's the same observer. But we try to generalize it into the same observer. And I think that's just because we don't look closely. just like we try to generalize it and we're all in the same time instead of realizing we're in different times simultaneously ordinary consciousness simplifies things more subtle consciousness you're in a much more complex world
[04:49]
Put it another way, ordinary consciousness sees three or four dimensions. Mathematics sees ten or twelve dimensions. I would say that a mindfulness that's actually engaged in how we exist It's in a world of at least five or six or seven or eight dimensions. And it can't be reduced to, and you don't act in it as if it were only three or four. Yeah, okay. Would you sit down in satsang with the intention of working on a specific problem? Like how to pay your bills? Oh, I have a service. Yeah, and that's also how I've done architecture.
[06:03]
You know, I've a number of times had to design buildings. And I have to come up with some sort of design pretty at some point. So at first I just sort of generally think about it. And get some information about it. And then I decide, okay, I better come up with a design. So then I take one or two periods of zazen. So we're sitting two in the morning or three in the morning. On maybe two or three different days, I take part of one period.
[07:05]
And I bring my attention to the Problem, the site. What are you going to put in the site? And usually, with a certain effort, suddenly the building appears. The rooms, everything just appears. And then I afterwards draw it. But I don't make it the main thing I do in Zazen. But I've developed this tool, Zazen, so I use it for certain... It doesn't work too well in my bills, but it works... It works pretty good for architecture. We have a lot of other people with their hands up, but go ahead. Just one. I sometimes start to practice music in my head when I'm in Sazan, and I've always turned that off, and I think, no, I shouldn't be doing that. Should I do that? Well, why not enjoy yourself?
[08:06]
Remember what Arnold Schwarzenegger said? He said to a friend of mine, one pump with your mind in it was ten without your mind in it. And athletes who run a race in their imagination often do it much better than in... So maybe your music will really get fantastic. You haven't practiced in years, have you? But I wouldn't do it all the time. Sometimes. Or let it happen, but mostly practice uncorrected mind.
[09:07]
Yes, in the back somewhere. Yes. I'm very interested to get a mind experience of thinking. And I can notice how my body participates in my thinking in three ways. Yeah, until now there are freeways. Autobahn, you mean? Free, free. Freeways, freeways. I can just see you driving along the Autobahn.
[10:11]
First my stomach gets solidified and the breath gets flat. And she feels that the body is supporting her at that point. And secondly, if I'm in a situation, my body sort of accompanies, swings with the situation. And thirdly, I'm just resting within a topic and I notice different sensations in my body to it. And if I stay and rest in it, then at once solutions come up.
[11:40]
That's why I think that thinking is not just this superficial thing up there, but that it's really a physical act, tool. And then I get confused when you say, out of the thinking there are no insights, because for me it's a much more complex thing. The way you're describing thinking, yes, with a certain skill at it, it does generate insights.
[13:05]
That's my experience. But I would say that's more from most people's point of view. What you're doing is your body comes first. You're feeling your way into thinking. Or you're thinking and then finding the feelings that accompany it. Yeah, and to that I would agree. So we agree. I will just point out one more thing. You built it. How did you start to think with the first word? What did you think before? With the first word? So it doesn't start thinking with words, but it starts already with eight months and develops strategies how she will trick the mother.
[14:05]
Before it's born or after? Oh, yeah, of course. Oh, no, of course. I know that. But I've... You know, there's a whole Zen thing about pecking in and pecking out. There's a number of things I want to talk about in the weekend, which I wish you were all staying, because I'd like to continue, but... Ah, pecking. Ah, yeah. Okay, that... Yeah, but part of this ripening of time is to know when the disciple is pecking out, like a chicken, you know, like a chick, and when the teacher then pecks in. Yeah. supposedly when a chick starts pecking out the mother helps but doesn't help until the chick she hears the chick pecking out so I'm curious about what's happening with the baby so it moves around and it kicks and things like that so when it kicks I go boom
[15:40]
And then I go, boom, boom. And then I go, boom, boom. boom, boom, and it goes, boom, boom. So I felt that a number of times. It's kind of exciting. Who's out there? Boom, boom. So this is at eight months from conception. So it's already thinking. Kind of thinking. But you have to approach insights through your body. Even Einstein said, what hair, something like you. What? I think he had a theory already, a theory, and needed 10 years to find a formal word for it. Einstein. Einstein. But he also, he said, ideas would appear as feelings in his body.
[17:07]
He'd have a feeling in his body and he'd pay attention to that feeling and it would develop into an idea. He was able to notice, obviously. what's happening with it. Okay, so in front of you, you haven't said anything, right? You haven't said anything yet. Could you say something to us? Maybe this is not part of the theme. Oh, it's okay. I noticed when we had the work period, you crossed my way. And this was nurturing. And then I felt, well, I'm not seeing you very often except when you're doing your teishos or zazen.
[18:24]
And you are missing at the orioke practice? And I miss you there. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, the way the schedule is, you know, if I have to give a tesho just before the meal, just after the meal, it's a little hard for me to come to the meal and then so forth. And I find if I engage too much in the whole seminar, I can't give lectures. Then I'm just engaged and I don't have any position which allows me to give a lecture. And so I have to have a nurture, the kind of relationship with you which allows me to give a talk. And so I can certainly participate some.
[19:52]
And if I hadn't been jet-lagged and had a cold for the first four or five days, I would have participated more. But thank you for pointing it out. I think I've heard from everyone then. So that's wonderful. Sir, shall we stop now? Somebody has something pressing to say? Let's sit for a few minutes.
[20:36]
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