Many seekers along the path seem to be unaware of a very simple fact that there are actually many levels of Self-realization as exemplified in the Eight Jhana States, and the Five Varieties of Zen. There is an enormous difference between a semi low level spiritual insight such a Laya, a higher beginning level Awakening such as Kensho, and say Satori. Semantically, Kensho and Satori have virtually the same meaning and are often used interchangeably. In describing the Enlightenment of the Buddha and the patriarchs, however, it is customary to use the word Satori rather than Kensho, the term Satori implying a deeper experience. Compare both with Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. Also, what may be of interest is WHAT stands in the WAY of Enlightenment, traditionally known as The Ten Fetters of Buddhism.
The above is from the inspiration of works by Aziz Kristof, a non-traditional Advaita Zen master.
YASUTANI HAKUUN ROSHI A brief yet indepth biography on Zen master Yasutani Hakuum Roshi as well as many Yasutani links for additional research.
LUANGPOR TEEAN Luangpor was a forty-five year old Buddhist monk that did not follow the formal rituals and recitation of the words like others in his order did. Even so, on the early morning of the eleventh day of the waxing moon, the eighth month of 1957, his mind reached the End of Suffering completely without traditional rituals or teachers.
ANN FARADAY Ann Faraday went to sleep one night repeating the words "I am, I am, I am, ...", and was more than a little astonished to awaken some hours later, laughing because the pundits had got it wrong: the truth was much more like "I am not."
JOHN WREN-LEWIS A close friend (and husband) of Ann Faraday, John Wren-Lewis experienced Awakening following a Near Death Experience.
CHAO-CHOU Chou-Chou (Zhaoshou, Joshu) is famous throughout Zen lore for replying "Mu," often taken as NO, to the query "Does a dog have the Buddha nature?"
ALFRED PULYAN An "American Zen Master" without the Zen nor the Buddhism, yet Enlightened in the Finality of the Absolute in the same tradition as in the spiritual Awakenings attributed to the ancient classical masters. Had a mailorder following and claimed a 70% success rate.
SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI Written in India by an east Indian this page offers a solid, indepth look into the life and background of the self-Enlightened sage of Arunachala. Many Ramana related links.
ED MUZIKA Ed Muzika experienced Enlightenment one morning simply taking a shower. His spiritual advisor was Robert Adams, a disciple of the Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, who studied three years under the grace and light of the Maharshi. Muzika is a direct recipient of Adam's efforts. For more on Robert Adams click HERE.
JAMES SWARTZ Talk about a character, Swartz out-wanderlings the Wanderling. He has traveled the world, a good part of it on foot, lived many years in India, and studied under many, many venerable holy men.
METTA ZETTY On February 5, 1997, Metta Zetty's life changed. She experienced something at a deep and fundamental level that she termed completely unexpected and inexplicable. She still is unable to fully comprehend with any rational mind or intellect, exactly what happened.
LIN CHI YI-SEN Founded one of the most influential schools of Zen Buddhism in China after Hui-neng. Spreading into Japan Lin Chi's works formed the basis of the Rinzai School.
HUI NENG The Sixth Patriarch of Zen. Enlightened as a young boy, Hui-neng secured the robe and bowl of the partiarchship through the now famous "stanza competition" under Hung Jen.
A CHILD OF THE CYBER-SANGHA Enlightenment from the internet?
It is often said that when you truly need a teacher --- or that which will function in lieu of a teacher --- one (or it) will appear. This may due to some inexplicable serendipity. It may be due to the fact that the seeker has searched deeply within himself or herself and determined what sort of instruction seems to be required. It could be swept over him or her like the First Death Experience of the Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, or the Bhagavan's little known Second Death Experience. Or it could be a spiritual desperation on the part of the seeker, or maybe no more than a successful sales pitch by a teacher (sincere or not). It may be a combination of the previous factors, or some intuitive awareness beyond expression. For whatever the reason, the saying often applies and the coming together of the results of inner and outside forces, some within one's control, some without, can be found most eloquently as they all come together in the following:
SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: THE LAST AMERICAN DARSHAN
RECOUNTING A YOUNG BOY'S NEARLY INSTANT TRANSFORMATION INTO THE ABSOLUTE DURING HIS ONLY DARSHAN WITH THE MAHARSHI
Without being excessively overly flipant here, but, if as Zen and eastern religion pundit Ken Wilber suggests in his book "One Taste" that there are probably only 1000 truly Enlightened beings currently inhabiting the planet, and, if as many other similar pundits weighing in saying that Wilber's estimate is way too generous is correct, the question arises, if Enlightenment can unfold for even half the amount, for whatever reasons that it did, can it also unfold for YOU?[1] What STOPS Enlightenment from unfolding for every Tom, Dick and Harriette that comes down the pike? General people must buy the possiblity in some sense that if Enlightenment is not a full possibility it is at least not a totally remote out of the question possibility either. How about being possible, for example, Paris Hilton? Completely out of the question? Why? See:
PARIS HILTON AND THE ART OF ZEN ENLIGHTENMENT
STEPHEN HAWKING: BLACK HOLES, ENLIGHTENMENT, AND ZEN
Fundamentally, our experience as experienced is not different from the Zen master's. Where
we differ is that we place a fog, a particular kind of conceptual overlay onto that experience
and then make an emotional investment in that overlay, taking it to be "real" in and of itself.
(PLEASE CLICK)
ZEN ENLIGHTENMENT IN A NUTSHELL
GASSHO
(PLEASE CLICK)
SEE ALSO:
SPIRITUAL GUIDES: PASS OR FAIL?
QUALITIES OF A DHARMA TEACHER
(WHAT THE BUDDHA AND THE SUTRAS SAY A DHARMA TEACHER SHOULD BE LIKE)
AWAKENING
EXPERIENCE IN THE
MODERN ERA
(click image)
CLICK
HERE FOR
ENLIGHTENMENT
ON THE RAZOR'S
EDGE
FOOTNOTE [1]
The figure 1000 cited above in the sentence "only 1000 truly Enlightened beings currently inhabiting the planet" as stated, comes from eastern religion and Zen pundit Ken Wilber in his book "One Taste." The quote below, which is in total disagreement with Wilber's 1000 figure --- because it is way to LOW --- comes from James Swartz, known as Ram, in an interview titled Commentary on the Teachings of Ramana Maharshi and conducted by John Howells in January 2003, at Tiruvannamalai, South India:
"(W)hile enlightenment is rare with reference to the total number of people on the planet there are tens of thousands of ‘fully’ enlightened people worldwide and particularly in India. I’ve lived here many years and was introduced to the highest levels of Indian spirituality when I was quite young and I’ve lived with a number of enlightened people of the same caliber as Ramana and have personally met more than one hundred enlightened people. And this is just India. Although I am not an expert on Buddhism I know that it is a living enlightenment tradition with roots in the Veda that has been going on for a couple of thousand years, perhaps more. And there are undoubtedly many thousands of enlightened persons who gained it through that means; Tibetans, Indochinese, Sri Lankan and Japanese and now Europeans and Americans." (source)
Personally I am more totally in agreement with Swartz's figures --- which means, of course, opportunities for Englightenment are a lot greater than might typically assumed. Swartz is more of a real guy as atested to when exploring the many facets of his background.
