The Great Doubt and Self Inquiry

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

When I was in New York earlier this year I came across a delightful Japanese

shop in Manhattan which, among many other things, sold a number of copies of

books in English. Among the books I bought back home to the UK was one by

Keiji Nishitani, titled "Religion and Nothingness". I have just got around

to reading it and I am thoroughly enjoying exploring the links he brings out

between the Emptiness (of Zen) and Existential issues from western

psychology.

 

Near the beginning Nishitani quotes from an 18th piece of Zen literature.

It reminded me very much of the practice of Atma-Vichara (Self Inquiry),

especially as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi. So I thought I might share it

with you.

 

 

"The method to be practiced is as follows: you are to doubt regarding the

subject in you that hears all sounds. All sound are heard at a given moment

because there is certainly a subject in you that hears all sounds. Although

you may hear the sounds with your ears, the holes in your ears are not the

subject that hears. If they were, dead men would hear sounds. . . . You

must doubt deeply, again and again, asking yourself what the subject of

hearing could be. Pay no attention to the various illusory thoughts and

ideas that may occur to you. Only doubt more and more deeply, gathering

together in yourself all the strength that is in you, without aiming at

anything or expecting anything in advance, without intending to be

enlightened and without even intending not to intend to be enlightened;

become like a child within your own breast . . . But however you go on

doubting, you will find it impossible to locate the subject that hears. You

must explore still further just there, where there is nothing to be found.

Doubt deeply in a state of single mindedness, looking neither ahead nor

behind, neither right nor left, becoming completely like a dead man, unaware

even of the presence of your own person. When this method is practiced more

and more deeply, you will arrive at a state of being completely

self-oblivious and empty. But even then you must bring up the Great Doubt,

"What is the subject that hears?" and doubt still further, all the time

being like a dead man. And after that, when you are no longer aware of your

being completely like a dead man, and are no more conscious of the procedure

of the Great Doubt but become yourself, through and through, a great mass of

doubt, there will come a moment, all of a sudden, at which you emerge into a

transcendence called the Great Enlightenment, as if you had awoken from a

great dream, or as if, having been completely dead, you had suddenly

revived." (from "Sermons" of Takusui, 18th century)

 

 

In commenting on the above, Nishitani adds, in part:

 

"The Great Doubt comes to light from the ground of our existence only when

we press our doubts (What am I? Why do I exist?) to their limits as

conscious acts of the doubting self. The Great Doubt represents not only the

apex of the doubting self but also the point of its 'passing away' and

ceasing to be 'self'. It is like the bean whose seed and shell break apart

as it ripens: the shell is the tiny ego, and the seed the infinity of the

Great Doubt that encompasses the whole world...." (page 21)

 

regards to all,

 

Peter

[Guest guest]

Dear Peter,

 

This is extra-ordinary. It also reminds me of the practice of

Atma-Vichara. The substance is identical.

 

Amazing.

 

Love to all

Harsha

 

Peter wrote:

> Dear All,

>

> When I was in New York earlier this year I came across a delightful

> Japanese shop in Manhattan which, among many other things, sold a

> number of copies of books in English. Among the books I bought back

> home to the UK was one by Keiji Nishitani, titled "Religion and

> Nothingness". I have just got around to reading it and I am

> thoroughly enjoying exploring the links he brings out between the

> Emptiness (of Zen) and Existential issues from western psychology.

>

> Near the beginning Nishitani quotes from an 18th piece of Zen

> literature. It reminded me very much of the practice of Atma-Vichara

> (Self Inquiry), especially as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi. So I

> thought I might share it with you.

>

>

> "The method to be practiced is as follows: you are to doubt regarding

> the subject in you that hears all sounds. All sound are heard at a

> given moment because there is certainly a subject in you that hears

> all sounds. Although you may hear the sounds with your ears, the

> holes in your ears are not the subject that hears. If they were, dead

> men would hear sounds. . . . You must doubt deeply, again and again,

> asking yourself what the subject of hearing could be. Pay no

> attention to the various illusory thoughts and ideas that may occur to

> you. Only doubt more and more deeply, gathering together in yourself

> all the strength that is in you, without aiming at anything or

> expecting anything in advance, without intending to be enlightened and

> without even intending not to intend to be enlightened; become like a

> child within your own breast . . . But however you go on doubting, you

> will find it impossible to locate the subject that hears. You must

> explore still further just there, where there is nothing to be found.

> Doubt deeply in a state of single mindedness, looking neither ahead

> nor behind, neither right nor left, becoming completely like a dead

> man, unaware even of the presence of your own person. When this

> method is practiced more and more deeply, you will arrive at a state

> of being completely self-oblivious and empty. But even then you must

> bring up the Great Doubt, "What is the subject that hears?" and doubt

> still further, all the time being like a dead man. And after that,

> when you are no longer aware of your being completely like a dead man,

> and are no more conscious of the procedure of the Great Doubt but

> become yourself, through and through, a great mass of doubt, there

> will come a moment, all of a sudden, at which you emerge into a

> transcendence called the Great Enlightenment, as if you had awoken

> from a great dream, or as if, having been completely dead, you had

> suddenly revived." (from "Sermons" of Takusui, 18th century)

>

>

> In commenting on the above, Nishitani adds, in part:

>

> "The Great Doubt comes to light from the ground of our existence only

> when we press our doubts (What am I? Why do I exist?) to their limits

> as conscious acts of the doubting self. The Great Doubt represents not

> only the apex of the doubting self but also the point of its 'passing

> away' and ceasing to be 'self'. It is like the bean whose seed and

> shell break apart as it ripens: the shell is the tiny ego, and the

> seed the infinity of the Great Doubt that encompasses the whole

> world...." (page 21)

>

> regards to all,

>

> Peter

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Peter,

 

Thanks for being so thoughtful as to share this with us.

 

"...and without even intending not to intend to be enlightened..."

is a great line.

 

Richard

 

 

, "Peter" <not_2 wrote:

>

> Dear All,

> ...Near the beginning Nishitani quotes from an 18th piece of Zen

literature.

> It reminded me very much of the practice of Atma-Vichara (Self

Inquiry),

> especially as taught by Sri Ramana Maharshi. So I thought I might

share it

> with you...