Isn't it insane Bodhidharma cut his own eyelids?
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Usually, such extreme Zen stories are used to illustrate commitment and urgency to achieve enlightenment.
It's said that he cut his eyelids because at some point he fell asleep during meditation, a major distraction for him.
Huiko, a disciple, is said to have cut his arm to be accepted as a student by Bodhidharma.
There are many other stories, some involving cut a disciple's fingers (master Gutei Isshi), others cutting a cat in half (master Nansen Osho) and so on.
As far as factuality, I don't think these stories are believed by zen monks to have happened (at least, the ones harming another being), but their symbolism remain a strong vehicle to convey strong meanings, specially in the form of Koans.
Upvote:0
Defeating sleep while “meditating” must be levels into understanding. It’s easy to blame anything material such as your eyelids that caused u to drift off, whether it be falling asleep or just to simply loose focus doing something we do daily. To use anything “material” to advance your meditating would be no different than using a substance to advance just anything other than the appreciation of the practice of meditating. Practicing as if to only get levels into practicing it, never just to tell yourself u mastered it. Because even the act of making time to meditate is a skill in itself. Although anyone can use the benefits of a more quieter mind that allows you to look past attachment issues. We all know that there are not very many that actually enjoy the practice of putting a pause to daily routine while meditation, but for the people that do we should all learn from each other’s journey to having a more meditative approach to all things in life. I would agree that it would be the zen scriptures for us😇❤️! Have a great day!!
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