I was answering some e-mails today from loyal readers of my books and this blog. One guy asked me about the signs that one may be approaching satori or kensho (i.e. Enlightenment).
Y'know when people talk about their Enlightenment experiences or other big deal events in their meditation practice it just sounds to me like someone bragging about their sex life. Sure, on some level I might enjoy hearing it and I might be able to use it as fodder for fantasies. But it really does me no good. Plus the main intention on the part of the speaker is to make you jealous. Exactly the same with Enlightenment stories.
In any case, he pointed me to a website listing what some other Buddhist organization tells their adherents are the signs of progress in the practice. Now folks, I don't give a hoot how ancient and revered and sacred any of this stuff is. It's awful and it's dangerous. Here are a few of the things I found on the site — cut and pasted right from the page itself. Remember these are considered signs of progress.
• At times there are feelings of distress of varying intensity.
• Some meditators may be much disturbed by visions or hallucinations.
• There may be a feeling of coolness or dizziness and the hairs of the body may stand on end.
• There may be violent shaking as if the bed is going to turn upside down.
• Nausea and at times actual vomiting may occur.
• Diarrhea may occur.
• The meditator itches all over his body. He feels as if he has been bitten by ants or small insects, or he feels as though they are climbing on his face and body.
Yikes! Look. This is definitely not the kind of Buddhism I am talking about. If you find any of this stuff occurring during zazen, you need to take a break. At best these are signs of a practice that is too ambitious. At worst they're signs you might want to consult a physician or psychiatrist. If you're seeing a Buddhist teacher who encourages this stuff my recommendation is to run away as fast as you can.
One of the problems with the current state of Buddhism is that all kinds of crazy shit has been mixed together. Buddhists, particularly in the west, are generally so unfamiliar with Buddhism that they imagine all its teachers are one big, happy family. When you take the precepts too literally you can feel like you're not allowed to be critical of any kind of garbage as long as that garbage is labeled as Buddhism. Sorry. It don't work like that.
I get concerned that people read my stuff and then run across crap like this, they don't know the difference and assume I'm pimping for guys who think enlightenment is the same as what happens to the folks on skid row when they shoot up some really bad heroin. So if you take nothing at all else away from this, just know that I, for one, don't consider this kind of stuff a sign of meditative progress.
Have a nice Labor Day!
