Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Monday, June 1, 2009

Samadhi is the balanced state of ANS

In Buddhism, we have the fundamental concept called "Samadhi," which suggests the state of Buddhist enlightenment. But before the 20th Century it was not so clear what was the real contents of Samadhi. But in the 20th Century because of the enormous development of mental and physical sciences, the scientific knowledge has grasped that "The Buddhist Samadhi is just the balanced state of the Autonomic Nervous System."

As in my first Buddhist Book in Japanese, which is entitled "Bukkyo : Daisan no Sekaikan, or Buddhism : the Ultinate World View," I have insisted that "The Buddhist Samadhi is just the balanced state of the Autonomic Nervous System." But at that time such an insistence has been only a kind of hypothesis, therefore it was not so relyable, but since then the time has been past for 50 years, and during that time there were so many affirmative scientific researches that the state of human body and mind in Zazen practice have been governed by the balanced state of ANS. And such kind of scientific researches have been continuing even today, and so I think that when we research the fundamental basis of Samadhi, we can suppose that it might become much more clear that the balanced state of our body and mind in Zazen might be the balanced state of human Autonomic Nervous System decisively.

Therefore I think that the scientific researches of Zazen practice has arrived at its ultimate conclusion in the 20th Century. Human beings have found that the Samadhi in Buddhist practice is inevitably the balanced Autonomic Nervous System of Human body and mind absolutely. And if someone would doubt this conclusion, he can never understand the total philosophical system of Budhism at all. Therefore we can think that the Gautama Buddha's buddhist philosophy has changed from some kind of religion, which has been relying upon a religious belief, into the philosophy, which has been interpreted in the 20th Century, and the meaning of words that Buddhism has changed from religion into philosophy, because the Buddhist religious system has become philosophy, relying upon the facts that the religious charactoristic of Buddhism, which has been believed relying upon religious belief, has arrived at the theoretical conclusion, which has been solved by the theory of the Autonomic Nervous System.

Therefore we can think that Buddhism has become from religion to philosophy at last. Without the theory of ANS, the theory of Buddhism can never be the ultimate philosophy, but relying upon the theory of ANS, Buddhism can become the ultimate philosophy, because the total theory of Buddhism can become the very exact theoretical system, which can be understood by the theory of SNS, PNS, and the balance of ANS. Therefore we can think that Buddhism has become the ultimate philosophy of Realism, which can be interpreted as the present Action of human being, or the whole Universe itself, or all Buddhist theoretical system on the basis of Human Action, or the Reality itself at the present moment.

21 Comments:

Blogger Uku said...

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

thank you for this wonderful post. I think your theory of ANS is very exact and can really help modern Buddhists to clarify and understand the meaning of continuous practice; without practice there's is no balance of ANS and without practice there's no action at all and without action there's no Buddhism at all. Because Zazen is based on action and realism, I find your ANS theory very true.

Like I discussed with you Roshi via emails about this samadhi and the balance of ANS, I'm really glad you've finished your new translation of Fukan zazengi and we can understand the meaning of samadhi and the balance of ANS. We're living in a modern era and we can live in harmony with ancient history and teachings and modern theories. Because Buddhism is based on action, realism and Zazen itself, we can test if these theories are true or not, we can practice them by ourselves like Master Dogen and Gautama Buddha urged us to do.

Thank you for your enormous efforts, Nishijima Roshi.

Yours,
Markus

4:44 PM, June 02, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Roshi,

Thank you deeply for this teaching.

You're reliance upon science to express the teachings of the Buddha are quite encouraging.

Do you think that it is true that in the process of balancing our ANS, there are days when due to the SNS being overactive we need relax more during Zazen to counteract this? During times when we are sleepy and tired do we need more tension our posture to bring back into balance?

Regards,

Al

7:23 PM, June 02, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Uku San,

Thank you very much for your clear understanding the theory of ANS in Zazen practice.

I feel so many thanks to Sigmund Freud's genius.


Dear Al San,

Thank you very much for your clear understanding the function of ANS in practicing Zazen.

It is true that when our SNS is stronger, we should come back to the balanced situations of ANS, when our PNS is stronger, we should come back to the balanced situations of ANS. This is Human Duty.

12:00 PM, June 03, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Roshi,

Thank you for your reply.

It is becoming clear to me via the practicing of zazen, that the ANS is like a walking on a balance beam. At first we fall off quite a bit, and as we practice more our balance improves and we fall off less.

Regards,

Al

7:53 PM, June 03, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Al San,

It is true what you wrote, and then if you continue your practice of Zazen everyday, it will become impossible for you to lose the balance of ANS.

9:12 AM, June 04, 2009  
Blogger Harry said...

You wrote: "...if you continue your practice of Zazen everyday, it will become impossible for you to lose the balance of ANS."

Dear Roshi,

I hope you are well, and good luck with your upcoming house move.

Regarding your quote above: Is it then reasonable to consider that Buddhist realisation is both an instant situation (in that we can immediately adopt the balanced posture of Gautama Buddha and sit in the present moment) and a gradual process of such moments (because it has a gradual balancing effect)?

If I understand correctly, the actual characteristic of Existence-Time is that it is just this present moment and not the past nor the future, which are just our ideas in the present moment. The present moment is cut off from the past and future due to each single present moment having what Master Dogen described as 'a pivot'. How then does a moment of actualising the balanced state contribute to a gradual process of realising increased balance over time?

Doesn't this suggest that there is a real, substantial and effective process that we can refer to as 'the past' and 'the future' with some validity?

Regards,

Harry.

12:13 PM, June 04, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Thank you Roshi.

If you don't mind, could you point me to the scientific literature that has confirmed your conclusions regarding Zazen and the balance of the ANS?

Regards,

Al

9:03 AM, June 05, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Harry San,

Yes, what you wrote is true.

It is true that Buddhist realization is an instant situation in that we can immediately adopt the balanced posture of Gautama Buddha and sit in the present moment and a gradual process of such moments because it has a balanced state at the present moment therefore we can get effect of the balanced state at once.

Therefore your undestanding is correct that the actual characteristic of Existence-Time is that it is just this present moment and not the past nor the future, which are just our ideas at the present moment. The present moment is cut off from the past and the future because the present moment has gaps before and after it.

However there is no fact that the balanced state at the present moment does have any power to keep the balanced state at the next moment, in other words every moment does not have any power to influence any power to the next moment.

Your idea that the actual characteristic of Existence-Time is that it is just this present moment and not the past nor the future, which are just our ideas in the present moment. The present moment is cut off from the past and future actually. Therefore we can say that whether the state of ANS is balanced, or not, is decided at every moment.

Therefore in Buddhism we think that the Real Time is always existing just at the present moment, and the past time and the future time can never real time at all.


Dear Al San,

Thank you very much for your important question. Unfortunately, however, I am going to move my residence now, and so my almost books in my library have been packed up already, and so it is very difficult for me to refer to them. Therefore it is inevitable for me to answer your question relying upon only my memmory, so far.

I have loved to read Sigmund Freud's books well, but at the same time I have studied the relation between Human Behavior and the Autonomic Nervous System by Karl Meninger's "A man against himself" and "Love against Hate."

7:31 PM, June 05, 2009  
Blogger Harry said...

Dear Roshi,

Thank-you very much.

Is it fair then to say that the real effects of what we consider 'a gradual process' can only exist in the present moment and therefore all the 'gradual processes' of Existence-Time really exist only at this present moment?

The implication of this view to me might be that the practice of Buddhist realisation is not both gradual and instant but that the 'gradualness' of the instant is entirely contained in the instant and so 'gradual' and 'instant' cannot be two different or contrasting movements or things. The same must be true of the effect of the 'gradualness': it too cannot exist anywhere else.

I am thinking of the line 'although we are originally perfect, if we do not practice it, it does not manifest'.

In light of the view expressed in Uji, and our discussions here, I get the idea that practicing Buddhist realisation is not just a gradual and/or instant process as I might generally understand it ('gradual' as opposed to 'instant' or some combination of the two for example), but that it expresses Existence-Time itself which is unlimited instantaneous real action itself, and this action instantly has real results/effects across every instant at just this moment as all actions must. So in this sense the term 'gradual' seems lacking and inaccurate in its suggestion of linear time. At the same time the common sense idea that 'if we do something, there is a result' is not negated.

Regards,

Harry.

9:37 PM, June 05, 2009  
Blogger Lauren said...

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

There is only the present moment, but there is also cause-effect, correct? For example, "I don't have a cup in my hand" can change to "I have a cup in my hand" because of real action and cause-effect.

To the extent, then, that lasting ANS balance is a matter of habit, we can have balanced ANS in a moment of zazen, and these can improve our basic habit in the moments where we are not in zazen.

There is a real link between the ANS and the CNS and the brain/mind. Our habit of thinking, both consciously and "sub consciously" can influence our ANS.

I have wondered recently, given how ANS is distributed throughout our flesh, and how it is actually connected to the brain between our ears, why we think of a "difference" between mind and body. In a very real sense, mind and body are exactly the same thing.

9:58 PM, June 05, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Harry San,

It is fair to say that the real effects of what we consider 'a gradual process' can only exist in the present moment and therefore the 'gradual processes' of Existence-Time can never really exist, and the Existence-Time really exists only at the present moment.

The real present moment alway exist just at the present moment, and what is seen as if it were continuation, is just the continuity of present moments.

I think that a line does not have any ability to think.

I can not understand your paragraph, which begins with "In light of the view ---" at all.


Dear Lauren San,

The present moment belongs to the 3rd dimension, but the Rule of Cause and Effect belongs to the 2nd dimension, and so it is impossible for us to discuss both the Rule of Cause and Effect and the Problemm of The Present Moment to consider together.

I do not know whether it is habit, or not, when the ANS is being balanced.

I think that ANS and CNS are perfectly different system with each other.

I agree that mind and body are originally only one.

10:57 AM, June 06, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Roshi,

Thank you for the recommendations.
I just purchased a copy of Love Against Hate by Karl Menninger.

As I think I mentioned a few weeks ago I have a client who is an 87 year old psychotherapist who was a long time student of Dr.Menninger.

Regards,

Al

11:47 AM, June 06, 2009  
Blogger Harry said...

Thank-you Roshi,

Allow mw to rephrase my query.

Does an action in the present moment in some way change the content of every other present moment?

Regards,

Harry.

4:24 PM, June 06, 2009  
Blogger Ran K. said...

Dear Sensei,


In Zazen - Soto or Rinzai, - there are mainly three points - in my view - and I suppose not only in my view: -

One is letting go of thoughts - which Dogen seem to have seen as the central one in Fukan- Zazengi, - one is maintaining the erectness of the spine, - and one is allowing an inherent deep flow of the energy or the breath.

My words may not be fully exact but it seems the ANS is only mainly connected to the second.

Of course the three are linked - but undoubtedly, it seems to me, there are two other systems, within the integral human body, which are to have to do with the other two.

- Even if contemporary science does not know of them yet.

So I do not think it can yet be said that Samadhi is just the balanced state of the Autonomic Nervous System.


(Beside that - science is science and philosophy is philosophy.

I do not see why would the unacknowledgment of a scientific fact hinder our philosophical understanding.)


- Else than this, in the end you say: - "Therefore we can think that Buddhism has become the ultimate philosophy of Realism, which can be interpreted as the present Action of human being, or the whole Universe itself, or all Buddhist theoretical system on the basis of Human Action, or the Reality itself at the present moment", – if that is the situation - at what time has it been different?

- The situation is clearer, and it will still get far clearer - I suppose, - while science is cleansed out of its materialism, and philosophy sobered out of its idealism, - (I am referring to contemporary situation in the west, mainly, - not - of course - to Buddhist philosophy essentially as it is) but it is not new.

Dogen seems to insist that there is nothing to add to that which has been transmitted by Gautama Buddha. - Only the methods come to suite the time, with the maturity and awaking of humanity.


Do you not think so?


I must admit I have been enjoying writing this.


So far,
Ran

4:01 AM, June 07, 2009  
Blogger Ran K. said...

P.S.

How about animals?
What is the situation of the ANS in the case of animals?
Do you know?

And also: -

I have read that in human development - during the first seven years develop the elements that have to do with the physical structure - the muscles and the bones, among others.
During the second seven years the elements that have to do with growth and multiplation - the systems of digestion and sex.
Than - during the next seven years - the nervous system, - and during the last - the fourth seven years period - the system of the blood.
So I wonder - when would you assume would be the development of the ANS? - According to your explanations it would seem more reasonable for it to be in the fourth period - from the age of 21 to the age of 28, - rather than during the third, - from the age of 14 to the age of 21.

This is all.

So far,
As before.

5:00 AM, June 07, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Al San,

I think it is a very happy news that you have got a copy of "Love Against Hate." already. Even though I have bought them about 50 years ago, I haven't known whether they are sold even today, or not. I hope that it is possible for us to get "A man against hmself," too, even today.

And it is also very nice news that you have a client, who is an 87 years old and has been a student of Dr.Menninger.
The reason why I have noticed that the function of ANS has much related with our behavior comes from reading books by Karl Menninger, and so there is possibility that we can get very good knowledge about Karl Menninger from your client.


Dear Harry San,

I think that because the present moment might be inclusive one, and so it might be impossible for us to find more than one present moment.


Dear Ran Kennedy San,

I think that letting go of thoughts, and the mainttaining the erectness of the spine are important states, but in the case of allowing an inherent deep flow of the energy or the breath, it is impossible for me to find such an action in Zazen exactly.

I think that Zazen is much related with both letting go of thoughts and maintaining the erectness of the spine, but it is impossible for me to recognize the fact in the case of allowing an iherent deep flow of the energy or the breath. It is impossible for me to recognize such a fact exactly.

In my case the first and the second factors are clear, but in the case of third one it is very doubtful for me.

Generally speaking I am only discussing about schientific knowledge in this case, and it is perfectly impossible for me to discuss the mixture of science and philosophy. Therefore if you like to discuss such kind of very dangerus discussion, please select a different teacher than I.


Dear Dan K. San,

I suppose that even animals might have some kind of nervous system similar to ANS, but I could not have any experience of studying such matter in the past at all.

If you want to discuss the mixure of so-clled philosophy and so-called schiences, please select another teacher other than I. I would like to refuse your all questions completely.

5:09 PM, June 07, 2009  
Blogger Harry said...

Thank-you, Roshi.

Yes, as we can see in my questions, I think the tendancy to view a process of the future or past as something real and tangible is quite strong!

I agree that such a tendancy can be recognised as unrealistic in realsing Existence-Time.

Regards,

Harry.

7:37 PM, June 07, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Dear Roshi,

I will do my best to extract information on Dr.Menningers knowledge of the ANS from my client. I will share with you any information that may be helpful.

I have a question about posture: when it is instructed that we pull the chin in, should we feel some strain or should it be effortless? When I pull my chin in it feels as though I make a lot of tension in my throat.

Please advise.

Regards,

Al

1:10 AM, June 08, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Harry San,

In Greco-Roman Civilization, therefore in Euro-American Civilization, the concepts of past, future, and present are just intellectual concepts, but in the Buddhist philosophy even though past, future, and present are also intellectual concepts, but among them only the present moment can be also a real Existence-Time at the present moment.


Dear Al San,

Thank you very much for your efforts to extract information on Dr.Menninger's knowledge of the ANS from your client.

When we pull the chin in, it is natural for us to have some stretched feeling at the back of the neck, and at the same time it is also necessary for us to pull up our head as far as possible.

We should not push the chin only backward horizontally, but pulling up our head as far as possible, and at the same time we should place our chin backward.

1:12 PM, June 08, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Dear Roshi,

Thank you for your very helpful instruction. I will implement it at once.

Regards,

Al

10:28 PM, June 08, 2009  
Blogger Keith P. Myers said...

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I am new to your blog site and find this thread very interesting. As a medical doctor I think your ideas have great merit. I would like to see this studied in a controlled fashion if it hasn't been done already. I've also held the theory that zazen produces some "rewiring" of the brain over time as one of its effects. The brain remains somewhat "plastic" throughout ones life. Learning takes place by making new neural connections and building new neural networks in the brain over time. So doing Zazen over long periods of time may influence these neural networks. Maybe there is a component of a process of "unlearning" that allows the mind/brain to quite and samadhi to result as well as a balancing of the ANS.

12:04 AM, June 21, 2009  

Post a Comment

<< Home