Guo Gu describes Silent Illumination as more than a meditation method—he describes it as awakening itself. So when we practice, we aren’t simply training our minds, we are embodying that natural awakening. If we think of this as simply a practice we are thinking too small.

 

By Daniel Scharpenburg

I was very excited to get this book. Guo Gu is one of my favorite living Dharma teachers.

His teacher, Master Sheng Yen, wrote a book that I like a lot called, The Method of No Method. That has been one of my main guides to practice for a long time. In my opinion Sheng Yen is the greatest of those old teachers that brought Buddhism to the West.

This book covers some of the same ground as that one. That’s not to say that Guo Gu has copied the work of his teacher though. He brings his own perspective to the teaching of Silent Illumination practice.

Silent Illumination is the main practice that I do, so this book really speaks to me. The subtitle of the book is A Chan Buddhist Path To Natural Awakening.

What is Natural Awakening?

From the back of the book:

“Our natural awakening—or buddha-nature—is inherent within all of us and waiting to be realized. Buddha-nature has the qualities of both silence and illumination, and by working with silent illumination meditation you can find your own awakening.”

People usually use the term “Buddha nature” to refer to our true nature. The concept is that at our core we’re already awake and free. The path is about learning how to see that, rather than trying to get somewhere. I like using the term “natural awakening” instead. I think it expresses it a little more clearly.

We don’t meditate because we’re trying to get enlightened. We meditate because that’s what Buddhas do.

Guo Gu describes Silent Illumination as more than a meditation method—he describes it as awakening itself. So when we practice, we aren’t simply training our minds, we are embodying that natural awakening. If we think of this as simply a practice we are thinking too small.

He says, “The point of Chan practice is to regain our original freedom by clearing away our emotional afflictions and negative habitual patterns (i.e. craving, aversion, and ignorance and our tendency to perpetuate them), the accumulation of which has concealed who we are.”

You get there by realizing you’ve been there the whole time. You are awake. We realize our true nature by seeing through those things that are blocking us from seeing it, because it’s there. It’s always been there. That can be a hard thing for us to really grasp.

I don’t feel enlightened. The truth is our practice and our realization are tied together intimately and completely. When we learn to think that way, we are reminded about just how important our practice is.

The first half of the book is a description of what we’re doing in the Chan tradition and why.

He does describe some different versions of meditation practice, but it’s all Silent Illumination, and it’s all down to earth and simple. These practices are at the same time simple and profound. Many other meditation styles are about seeing things or focusing on something. This is about just being here.

In my view Silent Illumination is uniquely suited for people who have struggled to visualize or place their attention on a mantra. We’re just sitting and being here. No more, no less.

The second half of the book is Guo Gu’s commentaries on the teachings of Hongzhi Zhengjue—a Chan Master who taught Silent Illumination practice around 1000 years ago in China. In this section of the book, Guo Gu is essentially going back to the source. He has made new translations of these old teachings of this great master and added his commentary to them.

Sometimes old teachings seem dry. In this case, he has managed to bring them to life for us. In a sense this gives us an opportunity to explore where these teachings come from. This helps create context for people that are looking for more depth. The teachings of Hongzhi sometimes seem a little hard to understand; he writes like a poet and uses flowery language, saying things like, “This vacant and open field is intrinsically present from the very beginning.” Guo Gu is able to take this kind of language that some might struggle with and bring the teachings down to earth.

I think this is a wonderful book for beginners that want to learn something about practice and awakening. It’s also a wonderful book for more seasoned practitioners who would be interested in seeing things from a fresh perspective, especially those who struggle with a few nuances regarding the underpinnings of some of these teachings. This book is a good resource for people that want to begin a Silent Illumination practice and also for those that want to deepen their practice.

As far as I’m concerned this is THE guide to formless meditation practice.

 

We don’t meditate because we’re trying to get enlightened. We meditate because that’s what Buddhas do. ~ Daniel Scharpenburg Share on X

 

Photo: Shambhala Publications

Editor: Dana Gornall


 

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