What are some methods?

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cjdevries
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Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:06 pm

What are some methods?

Post by cjdevries »

What are some methods to meditate on unvirtuous tendencies within oneself in order to recognize the ultimate essenceless nature of them (unvirtuous tendencies)? Would Vipassana or Insight meditation be an effective method? I've done some in the past, but I never specifically focused on unvirtuous tendencies as they arose; mainly because I didn't want to get fixated on the negative tendencies.
Last edited by cjdevries on Sat Dec 12, 2020 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Please call me by my true names so I can wake up; so the door of my heart can be left open: the door of compassion." -Thich Nhat Hanh

"Ask: what's needed of you" -Akong Rinpoche

"Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents, never revenges itself." -Gandhi
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FiveSkandhas
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Re: What are some methods?

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Repentance rituals, prayers, contemplations, etc. might be of value to you. There are many varieties, some simple and some elaborate.

This is long but the difference between "formal repentance" and "formless repentance is quite profound. I recommend reading and pondering those portions in particular:
http://www.chzc.org/pat58.htm

This is another good essay that touches on the formal/formless distinction:
https://tenborin.org/en/the-sutra-and-c ... epentance/

Both are from a Zen perspective but should be of value whatever your practice.
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
cjdevries
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Re: What are some methods?

Post by cjdevries »

Thank you. Much appreciated.
"Please call me by my true names so I can wake up; so the door of my heart can be left open: the door of compassion." -Thich Nhat Hanh

"Ask: what's needed of you" -Akong Rinpoche

"Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents, never revenges itself." -Gandhi
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FiveSkandhas
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Re: What are some methods?

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Quoted from first source above:


"When we cause harm, knowingly or unknowingly, as we all do, and when we realize it, I think it is healthy to feel regret and to express that by apologizing. When we don’t feel remorse or feel sorry about harmful actions we have done, this indicates a disconnect, it’s an indication that we are cut off not only from others, but from our own wholeness of being. This feeling of separation or wrong view ignores our fundamental interconnection. So, formal repentance is feeling regret for our unwholesome actions of body, speech and mind, and vowing, or sincerely intending, not to repeat them. Tenshin Anderson said, "When we deny our basic connection with other beings, the bodhisattva precepts are broken."

In his book, Returning to Silence, Katagiri Roshi said that repentance in Buddhism means perfect openness of heart. He said, " If we open ourselves completely... we are ready to listen to the voiceless voice of the universe." He explained that, "The ritual of repentance is not to ask forgiveness from someone for what one has done." He said, "Repentance is not a preliminary stage to enter Buddha’s world or to become a good person. If repentance is understood in this way, we fall... into the trap of dualism, a big gap is created between us and whatever object we try to make repentance to.... Real repentance cannot be found in dualism... [Repentance in Buddhism] is the perfect openness of our hearts that allows us to hear the voice of the universe beyond the irritation of our consciousness."

The other kind of repentance is formless repentance which has been emphasized in Japanese Soto Zen since around the 16th century. Formless repentance refers to the absolute or non-dual nature of ultimate reality. In formless repentance, we repent activity that has a self-centered focus or egocentric motivation, whether the activity in itself is good or bad. Shohaku Okumura Roshi said that when we do something unwholesome or when we make a mistake, it is easier to see that we need to repent. Because when we don’t recognize our misdeeds, others will let us know by getting angry or expressing disapproval some other way. But when we are doing good things, it is more difficult to notice the karmic hindrance of our actions because people praise us and we feel good.

In formless repentance, we repent all of our deeds. Whether we are engaged in wholesome or unwholesome activity, in harming or helping, if we have the idea that we are doing something, it solidifies our sense of a separate self. Letting go of all ideas in zazen, releases us from the opposition of subject and object, of doer and deed. Formless repentance is the practice of zazen, in its pure sense. And by letting go of thought, we repent activity that has a self-centered focus or egocentric motivation, whether the activity itself is good or bad. Okumura Roshi described formless repentance as awakening "to the total interpenetrating reality which is beyond separation of subject and object, self and others." Which he said, "is our zazen. ...formless repentance is actually sitting in zazen and letting go of thoughts."

In Living by Vow, Okumura Roshi referred to the 18th century Zen teacher, Banjin Dotan, who said, "To awaken to the reality that is prior to the separation of delusion and enlightenment, is the essence of repentance." He taught that we shouldn’t take the repentance verse to mean "that we have to get rid of delusive thoughts by sitting upright and being mindful of the true reality." He said, "Repentance is another name for the Three Treasures." [or Three Refuges] "To repent is to take refuge in the Three Treasures."

In Zen, whether we are working with the precepts, sitting zazen, practicing mindfulness, or engaging in daily activity, what is emphasized is returning – returning to original nature before separation. So, in formal repentance, we recognize and acknowledge our karmic activity. Whereas, formless repentance is considered to reach to and remove the roots of these actions. Tenshin Anderson said that, "Formal confession refreshes and purifies us from the consequences of our self-centered actions of body, speech, and thought. Formless confession reaches to and removes the roots of these actions. Formal confession prepares us for meditation. Formless confession is the meditation process itself. It is being upright. Formal confession is the work of finding your place and taking your seat, in the midst of your ancient twisted karma. Formless confession, according to the Lotus Sutra, is to ‘sit upright and contemplate the true characteristics of all things.’"
"One should cultivate contemplation in one’s foibles. The foibles are like fish, and contemplation is like fishing hooks. If there are no fish, then the fishing hooks have no use. The bigger the fish is, the better the result we will get. As long as the fishing hooks keep at it, all foibles will eventually be contained and controlled at will." -Zhiyi

"Just be kind." -Atisha
cjdevries
Posts: 598
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:06 pm

Re: What are some methods?

Post by cjdevries »

The idea of formless repentance is profound.
"Please call me by my true names so I can wake up; so the door of my heart can be left open: the door of compassion." -Thich Nhat Hanh

"Ask: what's needed of you" -Akong Rinpoche

"Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents, never revenges itself." -Gandhi
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