Suspension of disbelief, hypnosis and meditation are all bound to the utilization of the users ability to concentrate. According to the masters of Zen, concentration requires the will of the subject to focus on a constant regulated pattern like breathing. This is a means of controlling concious thoughts, creating belief through undivided attention. What i''m thinking now is that creating undivided attention is a form of SoD and can be achieved in two ways: 1. external stimulation (creating real world goals that are realistic as to make one believe thay can be achieved). 2. internal will (psychological objectives and concentration focusing on exercises). External stimulation could also be something someone can relate to bonded to somekind of objective. A way of joining enough thoughts together to demand full attention.

Actually, learning to breathe is just a stepping stone to NOT think consciously. The great Zen master Takuan (who had a profound influence on Miyamoto Musashi) said, "the mind should be nowhere in particular". Also Zen stresses the concept of mushin...no mind. One only learns to breathe to begin to harmonize the body and mind...but only to the point where conscious direction is no longer necessary. In other words, you lose yourself in the concentration. Over and over you will here in zen the concepts of "mu", which can mean emptiness or void or potential.

So suspension of disbelief I think is more a matter of just "letting go". Letting go of preconceived notions, letting go of limitations, letting go of patterns...until all that you have left is nothing. Enlightenment is often described not so much as gaining new insight or knowledge, but cutting away at all of the garbage we have accumulated about what we think we know. There''s an old buddhist proverb, "be silent and you will realize what a fool you have been".

I remember one time thinking about all this during my martial arts practice, to try to improve my speed and sensitivity training. Well, one summer day, I happened to notice a dragonfly alight on the antenna of my car. I was just looking at it admiring its beauty...when the next thing I know, it''s in my hands. I didn''t think at all...my hand just grabbed it. If you ever try to catch a dragonfly on purpose...you know how hard it is...especially without crushing it. Or how many times have you been doing some kind of hard work, and it was only when you stopped that you realized you somehow injured yourself? I think it is the absence of thought that actually lets us perform amazing feats.

So where does concentration fit into training? To paradoxically lead us to a state where we no longer have to think and concentrate. It''s sort of like learning how to play an instrument. At first, the movements are very awkward and you have to practice to train your muscles to do the correct movement. After much practice though, you no longer have to consciously think about it. When you learn zazen in buddhist training, the breathing is VERY awkward. It''s hard to imagine something as innate as breathing as being diffucult, but trust me...it is. Try this exercise for just one minute....try not to "think aloud" for just a minute. No internal words whatsoever...just absorb your environment for a minute. Sound easy? Try it...you''ll be surprised how diffucult it is to stop your own internal voice in your head. And paradoxically, the more you try to stop them, the harder it will be. Instead, let the thoughts come and go as they please...and gradually your meditations will suffer less and less mental chatter.

Let''s go the Third Way and say you''re both right

I have a creative side which only fully works on an idea when non-nessecary thoughts are discarded. However, in this state, my mind is absolutely focused and in concentration.

It''s a very useful trance-like thing which isn''t experienced nearly often enough. Many writers may tell you about the creative fog which requires something akin to being stung by a bee to snap you back to the real world.

Can you work in a room with a lot of background noise?

Do you ever become aware of your own breathing and wonder when you''ll ever be able to ignore it again?

********


A Problem Worthy of Attack
Proves It''s Worth by Fighting Back

I hate you for mentioning that breathing think . Now everybody who reads this post will be really anoyed by that tedious little titbit for hours. I hope your happy.

In a way, putting your mind on one thing, and putting your mind on nothing are very similar. I think you have to learn to train your mind on one thing until you can learn to train your mind to think of nothing. The latter is easier than the former (though still exceedingly diffucult).

In some martial arts, when you first learn to break boards, or to hit an object, you are told to focus your concentration like a laser on to and through the target. To imagine this internal energy welling up inside you to be released on a very precise point. Again though paradoxically (there''s lots of paradoxes in eastern thought) you must also relax and allow your body and mind to be free...because concentrating tenses the body.

In aikido, the highest concept is to understand that you are not stopping your opponent''s physical attacks, but rather you are intercepting and redirecting his intentions. By altering his mental direction, concentration and intention, you actually redirect his attack. This is why aikido is so gentle...because if you apply force, the mind of your opponent will resist, but if you gently guide his arm along, the mind all of a sudden follows this new perception which is seemingly non-harmful and you can now guide your opponent in a circle or to the floor.

I remember one time in an aikido exercise where we were told to concentrate and think of our "hara" (japanese term for our center of gravity and main center of "ki"). Our partner would then lightly push on our chest, and then we''d again concentate on our hara and sink a little lower. Then the partner would push a little harder. Well, as we did this, the sensei would come around. And right before he pushed me, he very lightly tapped me on the forehead, and when he pushed me I practically fell on my ass from a featherlight push. A simple tap on my forehead had totally made me lose my focus on my hara and redirected my attention to my forehead instead. The ability to concentrate despite distractions is a learned ability. It is why aikido teachers constantly stress the importance of relaxation even during concentration, for only when your mind and your body are relaxed can distractions be ignored.

Just for some reading material on stuff like this, check out The Root of Chi Kung by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, as well as his book, Tendon and Marrow Washing. The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi is a classic, as well as any book on Aikido by Mitsugi Saotome. I have forgotten the authors name, but The Bodhisattva Warriors is also a good read. Just to note...this is all stuff from my own experiences with martial arts and Zen (or Chan) Buddhism. there are however many similarities between Taoism, Tibetan Buddhism and even Hinduism (which indirectly affected Buddhism as can be seen by yoga practices)

whoaaa!!!

good to know there are people with similar interests here

so fast !!! tell me..."if i do not call a class a class,what do i call it"...a hundered strikes for an answer, ten thosand for none...quick tell me ;0

b

[edited by - boomji on March 25, 2003 5:47:52 AM]

Abstract Data Type! No. Object! No... Building Block of Object Oriented Programing!......... Doh No! Something I attend in college while wishing I was at home actually programming! No! A division between peoples due to monetary income, religious beliefs or table manners!.


Webby

[edited by - websitewill on March 25, 2003 9:15:25 AM]

boomji-
hmmm, whatever you want?

I never did quite get the idea of zen koans. I know they are supposed to be more about experience rather than intellectual conundrums, but still....its hard to grasp what they are for.

I remember the tale about Buddha needing to find a successor so he gathered all of the students around. He then lifted up a flower and asked,

"What is life?"

All the students seemed to be in contemplation when one of his students simply looked up and smiled, and Buddha gave the flower to him. I remember one time in Aikido practice, out of the blue, one of the sensei threw a ball at me. I just instinctively caught the ball. He said, "that''s enlightenment...nothing more, nothing less".

Now you will get a taste of my nuts to your fist style!

Zen koans in general are supposed to break you of the habit of thinking in words, or to break you of the habit of thinking that the words the speaker uses have the meaning that you think they do. Also, most koans also have at least one other purpose.

The story about Buddha''s question about life is about being so worried about philosophical questions that you forget to live. (i.e. the stupid students never get to see the flower)