This page provides common questions and answers related to Zen Awakening and Cessation.
What is an awakening experience or kenshō?
“Kenshō” is a Japanese Zen Buddhist term meaning a glimpse into one’s true nature. For the majority of individuals who experience their deeper nature, a number of the first experiences will be momentary, flashes of knowing. These flashes of knowing are deeply impactful to an individual consciousness. To see that we are in reality the active, awake, aware Presence of the Absolute and the Absence quality of Cessation is life-altering. Once ultimate reality witnesses itself, it can never go back to not knowing the truth of ultimate reality.
Essentially, kenshō is an experience where the self-identity becomes transparent. In kenshō we are in direct contact with unity or an undivided aspect of true nature, and we see true nature as our most real, most authentic identity.
― Stephen Mugen Snyder, Demystifying Awakening
In this video, Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi explains what an awakening experience is. He explains there are three main components:
- A deep experience of absence of self
- Clear seeing of one’s true nature as one’s true identity
- A thorough unity experience where all is One, or everything is a fabric of Oneness.
What is Cessation?
“A Cessation experience is the chief Awakening experience in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. This is a very deep, completely immersive experience. All of the ways we know ourselves, all mentality, and all materiality cease in the experience of Cessation. Cessation is the immense power of profound peace, the deepest stillness, and the fullness of Absence.”
― Stephen Mugen Snyder, Liberating the Self
“The sweeping experience and impact of Cessation can only be recognized after Cessation fades, as perception, consciousness, and awareness return. There is a felt sense of alive, unencumbered freshness.”
― Stephen Mugen Snyder, Demystifying Awakening
This talk is from Mugen’s Awakening retreat in Utah October 2024
What practices can help me on an awakening path?
All of the practices taught by Awakening Dharma are helpful for people on an awakening path:
- Traditional Theravada meditation practices, also called purification of mind, help reduce our allegiance to the self. Innate Goodness meditation and the other heart practices, or brahmavihārā, are especially emphasized.
- Zen practices such as shikantaza and koans can help trigger a first awakening or kenshō. Both practices are continued after a first awakening
- Absolute meditations which are led by Mugen guide students deep into the Absolute. Many student experiences happen either during one of these meditations or just after.
- Personality work, such as the practices found in the book Liberating the Self, help with resistances that can prevent awakening.
- Pāramīs, or character development, and the precepts also help guide us towards wholesome behavior. Wholesome behavior is worked on both before and after awakening.
What is the map of Zen awakening?
The Zen tradition offers a lot of understanding and framing of First Awakening, particularly with the contribution of the terminology of “no-self,” “kenshō,” and “satori.”
― Stephen Mugen Snyder, Demystifying Awakening
Read the transcript for the Zen Map of Awakening.
How do koans relate to awakening?
Koan practice can help trigger a first awakening and is used to help deepen understanding after a first awakening. Koans are a very rich practice (though not all students are attracted to koans and koan practice is not necessary for awakening).
Opening your heart can lead to awakening
This talk was from a meditation retreat at Cloud Mountain focused on Upekkhā and Muditā.
What books should I read for more information on these topics?
- Demystifying Awakening outlines the Zen and Theravada models of Awakening
- Liberating the Self includes awakening stories from a number of students
Does Mugen confirm awakenings?
Mugen can confirm experiences when they are actively in process or soon after. As time passes, the experience slowly fades into conceptual memory. Sometimes people approach Mugen to discuss experiences that happened years ago and there is little that can be said if it is not active in consciousness.
If you are having an active experience, scheduling a one-one-one may be helpful to you.
Related
Anatomy of Awakening Course which is a series of 11 interviews exploring Awakening.