Big Mind process and Kensho
~C4Chaos has some good initial responses to Brad Warner's post Big Mind is a Big Load of Horseshit! (Read the comments to his post for more useful insights.)
Below is my comment on this topic:
...................
Thanks for posting this!
In my experience, the Big Mind process does give almost everyone a clear and immediate realization of what Big Mind is about (the general terrain), which is similar to the headless experiments (www.headless.org) and other forms of inquiry.
When I try it with people who have almost no experience with Zen, meditation or anything else in that area, I often see the same result as when Genpo Roshi and others facilitate: even novices sound like Zen masters, and speak from what is alive in their immediate awareness.
But it is maybe not exactly the same as kensho. Kensho seems to have many other aspects to it (stronger, the realizations are more unquestionable, there is an energetic component, and so on.)
What seems to come out of the Big Mind process, and headless experiments, is the realization component of kensho, although the "volume" and clarity of it may be a little less than a real, full blown, kensho.
At the same time, I personally find the Big Mind process immensely helpful.
It helps clarify the view before the "real thing", which can only be of benefit.
Per
P.S. I guess Brad is not too familiar with shadow work...! "What we see is what we are." So Brad is ...? But then, of course, we all are.
Labels: big mind process, practice, realized selflessness
3/08/2007 11:53:00 AM
Per,
What, then, do you make of Christian revival meetings where the audience works itself into a fever and people begin speaking in tongues?
Has the truth of Christianity been proved? Are the words that the folks are speaking sentences in a language? top
3/08/2007 12:49:00 PM
Hi Tom,
I am not sure if this question is related to the Big Mind process topic, and if so, how.
Also, I guess the "truths" of any spiritual traditions has to be tested out by one self. If I follow the recommended practice (in terms of Christianity, the many forms of prayers, meditation and contemplation practices), what happens? That goes for Christianity as well as for any other tradition.
I don't know much about speaking in tongues. Seems that only a small branch of Christianity is into it, and I don't know if there has been much or any research on it (could be.) top