How should we face the death?

Dear Nishijima Roshi,
after this topic was issued in the blog some time ago I learnt that according to the meditation of the Tendai School of form and formlessness there also exists a meditation known as Nirodha Samapatti, described as follows:

Finally there is the last meditation, complete withdrawal or Attainment of Cessation (Nirodha Samapatti); In this state of ‘mindlessness’ (acittaka), close to that of coma and death, the practitioner has minimal heartbeat, respiration & body heat, and does not respond to external stimulus.

Did Dogen ever mention this condition of meditation and is there anything known similar to this in the Soto-tradition?


Dear Zushi San,

Reading Master Doge's biography, I notice that even though Master Dogen enters into Enryaku-ji, which belongs to Tendai Sect, but he hasn't had his strong interest in Tendai Sect theory, and he moves to Kennin-ji, which belongs to Rinzai Sect. Therefor I do not have so much interest in Tendai Sect theory. And so I usually pass through the theory of Tendai Sect, and I do not have so much interest to research it.