Author: Andrew Taggart
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Samskaric Investigation, Revisited
I. Discovery Phase 1. Start with any hurt (-), with any tickle (+), or with any strong, recurrent desire for something. 2. Use the dukkha–and dukkha, here, is cast in terms of hurts, tickles, and strong desires–in question in order to go back to the samskara on whose behalf the dukkha has arisen. 3. Only…
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Three Kinds Of Thoughts: Practice Notes For Meditators
In his Silent Illumination, Chan teacher Guo Gu briefly touches on three kinds of thought. I unpack them below and add my own practice notes. 1. Scattered thoughts: These could be called “peripheral” or “random” thoughts. Practice: 2. Discursive thoughts: These are narrative-centric thoughts (e.g., “I have so much to do today.” “What was she…
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Three Jnana Approaches To Meditation
1. THE DIRECT PATH USING HIGHER REASON Atmananda uses Higher Reason, I argue, to bring one either to (a) witnessing awareness or to (b) I Amness (Nisargadatta). Here is one very short prakriti: The seer as such can never be the seen, and the seen as such can never be the seer. If this truth…
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‘Dead Sitting’
Not inquiring, and only recognizing what’s arising–is this all? “No,” say Chan masters. (“That’s ‘dead sitting.’”) Why? Because from here there is a turning toward the Source. Nisargadatta: Be at the borderline between Beingness (I Amness) and ‘Non-Being’ (the Absolute). Chan: “Lift the cue [huatou] to full awareness” and glue yourself to the to it. Meaning? Be relaxed, heart open,…
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Meditation: Intensity Without Tension
In his book Shattering the Great Doubt, late Chan master Sheng Yen suggests that huatou practice is an “intense approach” while silent illumination is a gentler one. Let’s get clearer about the intensity of huatou practice. You lift the huatou–like Wu or “Who?” or “What is this?”–to full awareness. It might seem as if there’s…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 