Nen type personality test

Pure consciousness is such consciousness when a person simultaneously looks both into the depth of his own nature and into the universal nature. It can only be achieved if the consciousness is freed from habitual ways of thinking. Koan work seems to be one way to achieve this. The necessary condition of consciousness, which must be realized by us, is called pure consciousness. Pure consciousness and pure existence are fundamental concepts for considering Zen from a modern point of view.

The phenomenologist Husserl says that by means of the method of phenomenological reduction, when all coherence of the "I" as a person is suspended, a pure phenomenon is achieved. But he seems to claim that it can be done without much difficulty. The idea of ​​suspending all involvement of the personality and the self is closely aligned with our point of view about the need to eliminate the habitual path of consciousness.

However, the methods proposed for carrying out this plan are quite different. In zazen we achieve the desired result not only by a simple change of mental attitude, but by severe discipline of the mind and body, by passing through the absolute s.amadhi, where time, space and delusive thoughts disappear. We eradicate the habitual image of consciousness in the intellectual and emotional spheres, and0099 v thus we discover the manifestation of pure consciousness. Therefore, there must necessarily be a significant difference between what we call pure consciousness and the pure phenomenon of the phenomenologists. Nevertheless, there must be some similarity between these two ideas; later, in Chapter 14, we will have to talk more about the nature of the phenomenological reduction, Kensho at the sight of a peach blossom. Another monk discovered his original nature when he saw a peach tree in full bloom. Although many people have, of course, been touched by the sight of peach blossoms, this has usually taken place in the flow of a routine activity of consciousness, and this activity is influenced by a long-standing habit of looking at things in the context of equipment and turning a blind eye to the purity of the object itself. On the contrary, in the state of absolute samadhi this habit of consciousness falls away and we look at the outside world with unclouded eyes. Then we find that everything in him radiates a brilliant light.

This experience did not occur to the monk by accident. He was in a state of absolute samadhi for a long time and neutralized the habit of consciousness with the subsequent manifestation of pure existence. But man is seldom aware of his own objective experience of this state. However, since it has a universal character in nature, it is projected onto the objects of the external world, and the monk must inevitably realize this at some point.

The monk saw pure existence in his projection on a peach blossom.

The sound of a stone hitting a bamboo trunk. Another monk was sweeping the foot of the tomb of the patriarch and, hearing the sound of a pebble that bounced off a broom and hit a bamboo trunk, comprehended his own nature. The experience of kensho is very often associated with visual and touch sensations, as well as with the activities of other senses. In their pure state, the outer senses directly cognize their own and others' existence, and this is pure cognition. However, their pure state in our daily life usually turns out to be stained, colored by egocentric desires and views, and then pure knowledge becomes unattainable. It is very simple: if you overcome the habitual way of consciousness, everything will be fine.

The monk in question was a man of splendid intellect, possessing all the learning of his time, from Buddhist teachings to non-Buddhist philosophical systems. But the Zen teacher drove him into a corner: he demanded from him some original conclusion on the question of his true nature, the Monk had to agree that all his knowledge was not able to solve the problem of life and death. Deeply upset, he worked day and night with the teacher, but to no avail. Then he fell into despair and considered himself worthless. But every person needs to have some kind of purpose in life, and he decided to become the guardian of the tomb of the patriarch, because he considered the only way of his existence to be the fulfillment of this modest work.

In this state of mind, he did not have a single thought of using others to satisfy his own desires. And then the time came when even such an insignificant object as a broom became his closest friend. It seemed to him that the fallen leaves, which he collects every day, have friendly feelings for him. Some blade of grass, tiny, inconspicuous, a flower on a reed stalk, previously invisible to him, became objects of surprise and reverence. Even now, in Zen monasteries, brooms and other similar implements are made by the monks themselves. These tools become part of the one who made them, and when a person uses them, they turn into his hands and fingers.

I became familiar with this case,

When I am busy with it every day.

What a joy - revenge yard!

The monk considered himself a worthless creature, but he developed in himself, unaware of it, an all-encompassing "I". In addition, he practiced zazen daily and knew from experience absolute samadhi. While living in this way, he was one day busy sweeping, and suddenly a pebble struck a bamboo trunk, a clear, ringing sound was heard. The pebble was alive, and the bamboo stem was alive, as was the sound itself. Forms, colors - right and left, everywhere - were filled with existence, and the monk heard the voice of existence itself.

The outside world really surrounds us. What is shrouded in a veil under normal conditions of existence is not a consequence of the nature of this existence, but of the peculiarity of our eyes: the habitual way of consciousness makes us look at things mechanically, to think that they are dead. But as soon as this mechanical view of things is abandoned, existence appears in its naked form. The monk came into direct contact with him. The sound of hitting the bamboo trunk was the voice of the monk himself - and at the same time the voice that pervaded the whole world, the Unborn. And another monk was struck by the word "unborn", and this word resolved his long-term doubts. He realized his own true nature. Even as a child, he began to study the Chinese classical text, in which he came across the phrase: “Purify the brilliant virtue,” and now he was filled with doubt about what this “brilliant virtue” is. A precocious child came to an early awareness of the problems of life. It was necessary to find words to express his doubt, and he found them in this phrase.

But giving the child an adequate answer regarding his life problem turned out to be not an easy task. He visited many teachers, but none could satisfy him. One of them suggested that zazen might help him, and he took up the practice. He must have had a natural inclination towards Zen. For many years he continued his practice without a teacher; sometimes he retired to the mountains and lived there for many days in solitude half-starved. Motivated by the idea that one should not pay attention to the body for the sake of its discipline, he sat on the top of the rock and did not leave until he fell down. Prolonged sitting led to the fact that cracks appeared on the skin of the buttocks, from which blood oozed. In the end, he apparently fell ill with tuberculosis, he spitting blood, became weak and was on the verge of death. He thought that he should not pay attention to death, but he was sorry to die without finding out the meaning of the expression "brilliant virtue." Family members allotted him a separate house, a servant looked after his daily needs. But he almost lost his appetite. At this stage, the underlying activity of nen thought must have given rise to something that entered the sphere of consciousness: he was suddenly struck by the word "unborn" - and everything was in order. He began to eat with gusto, regained his strength, and later became a great Zen master.

"Unborn" is an abstract word, but it embodied all the previous practice and achievements of this monk with such accuracy that it became for him as clear and concrete as a key in his hand. There are many abstract concepts of Zen, but they are all concrete experiences of people who have studied Zen, and the monks find in them a living expression of their achievements. This monk subsequently spoke of only one word "unborn" throughout his life, never touching on another topic.

All the monks I have mentioned became great Zen masters at a later time in their lives. Their names could be found in Zen literature, much more could be said about them, but for the moment I have said enough. However, I would like to dwell on one more case.

A certain monk also suffered for a long time from the problem of life and death. Animals may be afraid of death, but they are not mentally tormented by it, they simply live in samadhi from one moment to the next, because they do not have the reflective action of consciousness and do not reflect on their end. Man, on the other hand, suffers because he has the ability to think, and he reflects on the thought that appeared a moment ago: This is how self-consciousness arises, which creates problems of "I", as well as problems of life and death. A person divides his mind into two parts, and one of them reflects on the content of the second. In fact, the mind is indivisible, but the nen-thought of each moment thinks about the thought that has just passed away, worries about it and becomes excited.

What happened has happened, what has gone has gone. Once this fact is understood, there is no reason for suffering. But to be able to take things in this way requires a long period of Zen practice; in which the student achieves absolute samadhi, when the activity of consciousness stops and pure existence manifests. And in pure existence there are no problems of life and death. This monk clearly saw pure existence in its most concrete form the moment he emerged from samadhi. And he sang:

O you who stand before me

My eternal self!

As soon as I saw the light for the first time.

You became my secret love.

Kanna, Working on a koan in zazen is called "kanna", "Kan" means "to look at", "na" means "object". So, this term means "to peer into an object"; indeed, during practice, we repeat each word with the utmost attention, holding on to it as stubbornly as possible. This constitutes the "samadhi of language". For example, the phrase “the eastern peak all runs on the water” can be repeated as follows: “the eastern-top-shi-on-everything-be-lives-in-the-de”. Let each word sink into your head, spend some time repeating, and then this mysterious saying will become miraculous and lead you to a special state of reality that is in constant flux.

Beat the drum. A monk asked Kasan, an old Chinese Zen master, what is the state of a truly enlightened person? Kasan replied; "Beat the drum." The monk again asked, "What is the true teaching of the Buddha?" "beat the drum". Then the monk asked again: “I will not ask about the phrase “the mind itself is the Buddha”, but I will ask what is “no mind, no Buddha”. Kasan said, "Beat the drum." The monk was still asking, "When someone comes, an excellent person, how do you greet him?" “We beat the drum,” answered Kasan.

If a person can existentially understand his own actions, he will be able to understand Kasan's answer. What do we mean by "existential"? It simply means that you don't lose your mind, in other words, you don't get confused by conceptual thinking. When you beat a drum or light a match and it lights up a candle, if you do it in a state of true positive samadhi, at that moment you realize your existence. You can bow to images of the Buddha without bowing down to the idol, Setta, the author of the Hekigan-roku (The Record of the Blue Rocks) wrote a gatha or poem in praise of this story. There are the following words:

When you drag stones, you carry earth,

Use the spiritual power of a thousand-ton bow,

Jokotsu-roshi rolled three wooden balls;

How could they surpass Kasan?

I'll tell you: sweet is sweet, And bitter is bitter!

The words "carry stones, carry earth" are taken from some Zen stories, but we need only imagine that we are dragging a stone with a rope around it and carrying earth on our shoulders in wicker baskets. All Zen stories are about you and yourself. Jokotsu-roshi is a well-known Zen teacher named Seppo ("Je kodu" is the name of the area where he lived; it was common practice to use the name of the place where the teacher lives as his nickname). There are many anecdotes about Seppo. Once he rolled three wooden balls in front of the eyes of the students. What is the meaning of this action? Traffic! Carrying stones, carrying earth is also movement. And when Kasan beats the drum, that will also be a movement. Sette was a great master, the thought of Kasan did not escape him, and in his gatha he gives these Zen examples of movement. How could Kasan be surpassed? Nobody is superior to the other; Kasan, Jokotsu-roshi and others are all on the same level. Sweet is sweet and bitter is bitter, is Sette's conclusion. Sweet has absolute sweetness, bitter has absolute bitterness; you can know existence only by experiencing it directly, not indirectly, not by speculating about it. This is the fundamental truth of Zen. That's why Sette says "I'll tell you..."

Why doesn't Bodhidharma have a beard? There is a koan that asks, "Why doesn't Bodhidharma have a beard?" The figure of Bodhidharma is used to depict pure dharma and is usually depicted with a beard. But this koan states that Bodhidharma does not have a beard. Its real purpose is to say that the true dharma not only has no beard, but also no eyes, nose, mouth, face, arms, legs, body. In the 88th example of "Hekigan-roku" it is written: "The blind, deaf and dumb are completely separated from conscious activity." Absolute isolation is nothing but absolute samadhi, but the koan speaks not only of absolute samadhi, but also of the positive side of life. How can you be blind, deaf and dumb in everyday life? In the hustle and bustle of fame and fortune, can you be the fool who ■ climbs a rock without using his hands, who steps forward from the top of a hundred-foot post?

If you stop holding on to the cliff, you will fall and lose your life, but in the spiritual realm, you really have to do it. You need to one day discard everything that consciousness has accumulated since childhood, your illusory "I". In absolute samadhi it is quite easy to open one's hands, and in the world of active life it is difficult not to hold on to one's self. You tell yourself that you shouldn't hate others, you try to cool the flame of anger, free yourself from temptations, kill the desire for fame, power, vanity, etc., but you are unable to follow your own intentions. You can't even remove the beard, let alone the eyes, nose, mouth and face itself. But a truly enlightened person has no face when he talks, negotiates and discusses the serious problems of life. In the very thick of the most intense activity of consciousness, he has nothing to hold on to. Amidst the flickering fires of life, he keeps the serenity and radiance of the mind, like a lotus in a flame.

CHAPTER 10

THREE NEN ACTIONS AND NEN EXTENSION INTO ETERNITY

Man thinks unconsciously. A person thinks and acts without noticing it. When he thinks, "Today is a beautiful day," he feels the weather, but he does not feel his own thought. It is the reflective action of the thought, which comes immediately after its manifestation, that makes him aware of his own thinking. The very act of contemplating the weather is an act of outward looking and preoccupation with the subject of thought. On the other hand, the reflective function of consciousness looks inwards and notes the previous action of the mind. This just-past mind-action, enveloped in the thought of the weather, still leaves behind a trace that represents the immediate past. Through the reflective action of consciousness, a person knows what is going on in his mind, knows that he has a mind at all; he also knows that he has being.

Both these types of actions of consciousness are called "nen"; we introduced this term in the previous chapter; can be roughly translated by the words: "mental impulse." Nen replace each other every moment, probably, it seems to us that they arise almost simultaneously. However, the nen actions that occupy the stage of consciousness appear one at a time. There may be many impulses that crowd backstage, eager to take the stage. Every nen action has its limits, and these successive impulses can make us feel that several actions are happening there in parallel to each other. However, the mode of operation of the mind is such that at the moment there is only one actor on the stage, and the focus of consciousness is directed only at him.

Suppose someone thinks, "What a disgusting person he is!" or burned with jealousy. He becomes the embodiment of the very rage, the very jealousy, he does not understand his obsession. Maybe in a moment he will blame himself for the baseness that his mind reveals, but no matter how much he blames himself, he is not able to return the earlier impulse. A person's knowledge of the impulse comes after its appearance.

A mind that has undergone severe training may sometimes be able to open a subconscient impulse and get rid of it before it breaks into the realm of consciousness, but even then the impulse comes first, and then its perception. When you did the "one-minute zazen" experience, you probably sometimes found something like harbingers of the invasion of Nen that arose in your mind, although the latter seemed otherwise completely empty. You also found that these impulses were followed, like a shadow, by an act of suppression. So in a similar case: the order of appearance of impulses is the same, first the subconscious action of the mind, then the subconscious thinking about it.

Impulses to theft, greed, anger, complaints - they all appear before a person is aware of them, and if there is no clear reaction of the consciousness that fixes them, they will go unnoticed and plunge into the depths of the subconscious. However, Nen is a kind of internal pressure, and if it is not recognized and realized, it will remain undissolved in the subconscious. In such a case, some nen will undergo a special kind of fermentation and possibly harm the mind, as we will explain later.

First and second neng. Let's call the action of consciousness directed at the external world the first nei, and the reflective mental action of consciousness - the second nei. Figure 21 shows the first and second nen, which appear and disappear every second, and when a serial process of thinking is taking place, the second nen will often appear on the stage to illuminate the previous nen; both of them are mutually mixed, as if related to each other. This makes a person feel that while thinking, he hears a voice inside him that knows his thoughts and gives him advice. For example, when a person growls in anger, he may find another voice whispering in his ear, “Don't be angry! You must not lose your temper in a fit of rage!” Such an exhorting voice is comparatively calm, but the first nen emits a formidable growl, and this is accompanied by excitement of the whole body: the nervous system as a whole, the endocrine glands, even the circulatory organ - everything shudders. Such waves of excitement are like a crowd of demonstrators near public buildings, who shout: “Our patience has run out! We have nothing to lose, yen what to hope for!” Then another voice will calmly say, "No, you must endure whatever it takes!" Of course, these are just one example. The first nen often manifests itself in calm humor, in the silence of the Himalayas, in the mercy of Kanna, or in the spiritual power of "silver mountains and iron rocks."

Third Nan. The second nen illuminates and expresses the immediately preceding nen, but it also knows nothing about itself. That which is aware of itself is the other rational function of consciousness which immediately follows the second nen. Its action represents a further stage of self-consciousness. It reinforces earlier levels of thinking. We'll call it the third nen. Such a third nen, for example, will think: "I see, I noticed that I thought that the weather is fine today." Or: " I see that I felt myself knowing that I 'notice my thoughts about how beautiful the weather is today.'

For simplicity, we can describe these nen as flowing, first, in a linear sequence, in groups that consist of successive first, second and third nen, as shown in figure 22. In our weather example, we first had an observation, then the awareness of this observation, thirdly, we noticed that we ourselves are aware of this observation. Further new kinds of recognition may follow, all of which in this context represent the third nen; thus, the following sequence arises: first nen, second nin, third nei, third nen, third nen and so on, as shown in figure 23.

However, your mind is complex and dynamic in its activities, and it is impossible to depict the true sequence of thoughts using a few simple diagrams. In order to try to depict the true complexity of mental processes, we have come up with more elaborate diagrams (figs. 24 and 25) that indicate that during the sequence 1, 2, 3, 3, 3... do occur more subtle phenomena. The fact is that when self-consciousness progresses, other first and second nen appear, as a continuation of the original observation. For example, we note a change in the wind or a new form of clouds, and then a third nen arises to summarize the results of this observation in a series of new nens and along the line of the previous third nen, each with its own branches. Thus, in figure 24, the first series of observations of the weather goes from the top point down diagonally to the right (1, 2, 3), and then vertically down through a series of third nens. Each subsequent third nen is also nourished by a new series of nen, i.e. new experiences, as time brings more and more new phenomena. Thus, each of the subsequent third nens dynamically consolidates all the previous third nens and at the same time absorbs a whole new series of first and second nens, which inevitably interfere with the flow of mental actions, so that any given third nen reproduces in itself all the previous nens.

So we have the sequence of the first, second and third nen (1, 2, 3), which we can call for convenience the connection A, and with it a sequence of another kind, shown in figures 23, 24 and 25, which is a series third nen; in the diagrams they are shown connected by a double vertical line. We call this sequence the B connection. The A and B connections mix with each other and form a stream of consciousness - like the one shown in figure 25. This figure 25 also depicts direct and indirect connections between every third nen and his previous nen actions. It shows that the third nen in each series includes the third nen immediately preceding it and everything that it possessed, as well as the previous second nen on its own branch; it is clear that in an indirect way all previous nen are combined into each current third nen. We say "indirectly", but this happens only on paper, In reality, this unification results in a holistic experience of self-consciousness. All previous impulses have merged together in the stream of consciousness and, together with new impressions, have passed into the next third nen. a third trunk that supports the stream of consciousness, but this stream is made up of a continuous succession of different nens.Every third nen has an internal connection with the previous ones.And the first nen receives completely and constantly new stimuli from the outside world; there is a continuous jump from one nen action to next, they all merge in the third nen, forming an unbroken line of thought . The second nen always follows and fixes the first nen immediately preceding it. Therefore, just as abrupt changes on the screen of the cinema do not surprise us, so the continuous changes of yen projected on the screen of the mind do not disturb the order of thought.

This whole explanation is intended to describe the activity of the mind left to itself. The discipline of zazen promotes absorption in one nen, such as mu. This phenomenon is illustrated in figure 26. Consciously repeating "mu" with each successive exhalation, the student creates a stable sequence of actions of the first nen without thinking about them in the form of the second nen and without self-consciousness in the form of the third nen. The mind creates only “mu-mu-mu-mu...” Gradually, from this nen develops a special state, which we will discuss later in this chapter, it is called “nen extension into eternity.” In fact, this is nothing but another designation for absolute samadhi, which we have already considered in advance and to which we will return in chapter 13. So, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following diagrams:

Figure 21 is a simple variable sequence of the first and second nen.

Figure 22 -. a simple sequence of first, second and third nen groups. Such a sequence (it has the structure 1, 2, 3,1, 2,3...) is called a connection A.

Figure 23 shows that following the action of the first nen (for example, observing the weather) and the action of the second nen (in which we are aware of the observation), there can be a sequence of the action of the third nen, when we find that we are aware of the observation, and then recognition of this fact, which corresponds to the progressive self-consciousness. Such a sequence of third nen, shown connected by a double vertical line, is called a B connection.0007

Figure 24 shows that new first and second nens constantly appear as time brings new phenomena, so that each successive third nen absorbs not only its predecessors, but also new first and second nens. Therefore, every third nen contains all the previous nen.

Figure 25 shows in more detail the actual interaction of every third nen with previous actions.

Figure 26 shows the steady sequence of the first nei that develops into zazen. There is no intervention of the self-observation of the second nen or the self-awareness of the third nen.

Sound perception. If a factory horn suddenly sounds this minute, you will probably be preoccupied with the sound for a moment and then recognize it as a factory horn. If it were the signal for noon, you might get the impression that the moment you heard it, you knew it was the signal for second breakfast. But even a short, careful self-observation will show that in reality, when the horn sounded, your attention - the first nen - was occupied for a fraction of a second by the sound, which was, so to speak, a state of mild shock. This state of mental perception of a stimulus may be called pure sensation, which, in turn, immediately passes into the so-called ordinary sensation. Then the second nen arises and recognizes the sounds; finally the third nen appears to unite the impressions of the first and second nen into one perception. But even before the completion of this perception, reference will be made to some knowledge already accumulated by you in the form of concepts. The sound is then recognized as the noon signal. It is a process of perception which is a progression of the first, second and third nen, similar to the process of thought.

When you think, "The weather is fine today!" the first nen is a thought, not a single sensation. The second and third nen are also present in thinking. But before you say, “Today is beautiful weather,” you must experience the sensation and perceptual recognition (a series of first, second, and third nen) of the appearance of the sun, sky, trees, flowers, and so on, and these impressions must be accompanied by the intuitive thought: “Today beautiful weather” (this is again the first nen).

If you say you don't find anything resembling a rational act of consciousness in yourself when you hear a sound, try to listen to the ticking of the clock and try to remain completely absorbed in the process of listening so that you forget about yourself. If you fail to do so, then you will have to admit* that you are not able to fully immerse yourself in the action of listening and become listening itself. The mental action of consciousness was active and stubbornly whispered something in your mind's ear. It is almost impossible for a person who is not trained in zazen to voluntarily plunge into the state of listening itself.

Subjective element. It must be understood that the action of the mind is always subjective, in other words, our actions and our thinking are subjective actions. Whatever we think, whatever we do, our subjectivity is the thinking or action that occurs without being aware of ourselves. Whether we are looking at something or contemplating, at that moment we are unconsciously engaged in business. After a moment, we may become aware of our actions or thoughts, but this awareness itself is done unconsciously. Unconsciousness necessarily accompanies our behavior at the moment of action, because this is the true essence of subjectivity.

There is a misuse of the word "subjective" which defines thinking as egocentric. But here we use the word "subjective" simply to designate a subject who thinks or thinks. Regardless of how a person thinks - in a subjective or objective way (that is, regardless of his own "I") - he thinks in his subjectivity. The subjective element notices other objects, but never notices itself. Just as the eye is unable to see itself, so the subjective element is unable to observe itself. When he finds himself in the field of observation, he turns into an object, and it becomes necessary to have another subject who would consider him. The one who thinks, “Today is beautiful weather,” thinks in subjectivity and is not aware of himself. It is only when illuminated and reflected in the subsequent mental action of consciousness that it is recognized and defined as the subject who, a moment ago, thought: "Today is beautiful weather." But the subjective element has already become an object; it turned out to be a reflected objectified mental action, which itself now operates in subjectivity. Remembrance and memory. If you carefully listen to any continuous sound and try to mentally fix it, you will find that the sound vibrates slightly - sometimes it seems weaker, and sometimes more sonorous. This can happen because your attention is one moment directed to external objects, and the next moment it is directed to yourself, inward. When looking outward, the impression is in direct contact with the sound, and when looking inward, the contact becomes indirect, thus creating a different density of impressions. This phenomenon is no doubt also subject to attention fatigue, which occurs every few seconds. A single moment of uninterrupted sound is captured by the successive third nen appearing through the medium of the first and second nen. Conclude-. The solid third nen, in its present moment, grasps all its previous perceptions, as well as this continuous sound itself, and combines them into one stream of sound.

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