Pure Land, Rinzai, Soto
Fall - Fortnight 20 (Earth+Zephyr)
5th Fortnight of Winter: Immortal Transcendence (Stages 13–15, Days
61–75)
5. Attainment in both the Personal and Universal:
Unity of the Personal and Universal is attained,
so that they respond in unobstructed harmony to each other and with the
world at large.
Introduction: The final cycle, days 61–75, achieves Taoist immortality
and Shugendo’s sage state, aligning with the Sage degree and the chambers
of Illumination, Rebirth, and Unity. Po’s culminating stages (consciousness
transfer, embryonic breathing, ascension) are paired with Shugendo’s cosmic
fire and kami meditations to transcend form.
Goal: Achieve immortality by transferring consciousness to the golden
light body, merging with the Tao and kami as an eternal sage.
How It Is Achieved: Over 15 days, three stages combine Po’s meditations
(e.g., Golden Light Body Visualization) with Shugendo exercises (e.g.,
Fudo’s Cosmic Flame). Stage 13 (Days 61–65) transfers consciousness, Stage
14 (Days 66–70) nurtures the reborn fetus, and Stage 15 (Days 71–75) ascends,
completing the cave’s journey to unity. Daily practice finalizes transcendence.
How It Is Measured: Progress is assessed by profound meditative states
(e.g., light body visions), timeless unity, and compassionate wisdom. Reflections
over each fiveday stage note eternal presence, with the final completion
confirmed by a stable, transcendent state after 75 days, ideally validated
by a teacher.
Focus: Transfer consciousness to the golden light body, achieve immortality, and ascend.
Metal (Days 61–75)
Theme: Refinement, clarity, and achieving immortality (Neidan Stages 5–9: Refining the Elixir, Birthing the Immortal, Transcending Death). Metal aligns with Zen’s discipline and the Ten Oxherding Pictures.
Minor Feast (Day 61): Prepare a Shojin Ryori meal
with mushrooms and tofu, honoring metal’s purity.
Feast/Jan
3 The Pure Land, Rinzai and Soto schools.
Greenhouses and wapinis. Shojin Ryori cuisine. Respect for growers and
cooks, 5 Oryoki bowls, food proportions, 5 tastes and colors and cooking
methods. Dogen as lineage holder of Baizhang.
First 5 Day Ko
Day 1-5 of 1st Fortnight
Meditation: Golden Light Body Visualization
Visualize the immortal fetus as a golden light body in the upper dantian. Inhale, feeding it with cosmic light; exhale, letting it expand beyond the physical body. Feel it as your true self. Practice for 50–60 minutes.
Purpose: Transfers consciousness to the energy body.
Connection to Po: Reflects Po’s preparation for ascension.
Body: Zephyr related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
Truths: Ominsoku Festival Shugendo statue of Fudo
History: Honen (1133–1212 CE), founder of Pure Land (Jodo Shu), emphasized nembutsu chanting for rebirth in the Western Paradise. Shugendo Fudo statues judged the personal within universal harmony, like the Jade Emperor. His unique faithbased salvation democratized Buddhism.
Mythos: Jade Emperor judges the deceased
Mythos: -
Zephyr related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
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| Feast/Fast | Ominsoku Festival | - | - | - | - |
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13. Transcending Physical Limitations (Mundane Detachment)
Posture: Sit in lotus position or stand, feet shoulderwidth apart, spine straight.
Time of Day: Morning (5–7 AM) or anytime.
Breathing: Natural, relaxed breathing, focusing on release.
Dietary Changes: Light diet (fruits, vegetables). Avoid indulgent foods.
Substances: Pure water or herbal teas.
Exercises:
Physical: Daoyin (15 minutes):
1. Perform stretches, joint rotations.
Energetic: Qi release meditation (10 minutes):
1. Sit or stand, breathe naturally.
2. Visualize Qi dissolving attachments as dark clouds.
Spiritual: Detachment visualization (15 minutes):
1. Visualize ascending to celestial realm, leaving earthly concerns.
2. Imagine body as light.
3. Affirm, “I am free from the mundane.”
Phenomena and Visions: Lightness, reduced bodily awareness, floating sensation. Energetically, freeflowing Qi. Mentally, detachment from desires. Spiritually, soaring through clouds, meeting celestial beings. Chen Pu: “The body transcends, as if walking among stars, its form light as air, the mind free from earthly bonds, beholding visions of celestial courts where immortals dwell.”
Part 1: Jing (Essence) – Physical Practices
Focus: Physical actions embodying clarity and
discipline.
Basis: Zen’s use of bells to mark meditation; Neidan’s clarity of essence.
Exercise: Ring a small bell (or clap hands), focusing on the sound’s vibration. Visualize it purifying your essence.
62. Polishing a Metal Object
Basis: Zen’s mindfulness in
chores; Neidan’s refinement.
Exercise: Polish a metal item
(e.g., spoon), visualizing your essence becoming clear and reflective.
63. Sweeping Dust
Basis: Zen’s sweeping as meditation;
Dogen’s Shobogenzo: “Dust is the Buddha’s face.”
Exercise: Sweep a dusty surface,
contemplating each particle as a moment of eternity.
64. Striking a Wooden Fish
Basis: Zen’s wooden fish drum
for rhythm; Neidan’s disciplined focus.
Exercise: Tap a wooden object
rhythmically, synchronizing breath with each strike, visualizing your essence
aligning with the universe.
65. Walking in Stillness
Basis: Soto Zen’s Kinhin;
Neidan’s inner stillness.
Exercise: Walk slowly, feeling
each step as a return to your true nature, as per the Oxherding Pictures’
“Returning to the Source.”
Second 5 Day Ko
Day 6-10 of 1st Fortnight
Mind: Intro:
Stage 14: Embryonic Breathing (Po Stage 4 – Substage: Embryonic Breathing)
Meditation: Embryonic Breathing Meditation
Sit in deep stillness, breathing so subtly it feels
like the navel breathes. Visualize the immortal fetus in the middle dantian,
pulsing with each breath, drawing in cosmic qi. Practice for 30–40 minutes.
Purpose: Nurtures the energy body for transcendence.
Connection to Po: Reinforces Po’s energy body cultivation.
Body: Zephyr
related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
Truths: Shugendo
seed offering (Rice, Barley, Proso
Millet, Finger Millet, Jobs Tears)
History: Eisai (1141–1215
CE), founder of Rinzai Zen, introduced tea and koan practice from Song
China, establishing Kenninji. Shugendo seed offerings (rice, barley) bridged
personal to universal, as on the Queqiao. His distinctive koan inquiry
sharpened direct realization.
Mythos: Milky
Way Queqiao bridge to Paradise
Zephyr related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
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| Feast/Fast | -Shugendo seed offering (Rice, Barley, Proso Millet, Finger Millet, Jobs Tears) | - | - | - | - |
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14. Union with the Dao (Spiritual Integration)
Posture: Sit in full lotus position, spine straight, hands in cosmic mudra (palms up, thumbs touching index fingers).
Time of Day: Midnight (11 PM–1 AM) for cosmic alignment.
Breathing: Slow, meditative breathing (6 seconds inhale, 6 seconds exhale), focusing on upper Dantian.
Dietary Changes: Minimal diet (soups, broths).
Substances: Metaphorical “elixir of immortality.”
Exercises:
Physical: Stable lotus posture (20–30 minutes).
Energetic: Ecstatic excursions (Yuanyou) (20 minutes, midnight):
1. Sit in lotus position, tongue on roof of mouth.
2. Inhale, guide Qi to upper Dantian; exhale, spread outward.
Spiritual: Dao visualization (20 minutes):
1. Visualize merging with infinite Dao, formless light.
2. Dissolve self into cosmos.
3. Affirm, “I am one with the Dao.”
Phenomena and Visions: Minimal bodily sensation, as if body dissolves. Energetically, boundless Qi flow, merging with universe. Mentally, loss of ego, pure awareness. Spiritually, infinite light, celestial realms, or formless void. Chen Pu: “The spirit merges with the Great Void, boundless and eternal, its essence like a star dissolving into the infinite sky, where no self remains, only the radiant unity of the Dao.”
Focus: Cultivating energy through clarity and Zen principles.
66. Koan: Dogen’s Being-Time
Basis: Dogen’s Shobogenzo:
“Time is not separate from you, and you are time.”
Exercise: Sit in Zazen, contemplating:
“What is time if I am time?” Let the question dissolve boundaries.
67. Breathing the Void
Basis: Neidan’s merging with
the void; Zen’s emptiness.
Exercise: Inhale, visualizing
clear light filling your body; exhale, merging with the void. Contemplate:
“I am the void, the void is me.”
68. Chanting “Amitabha”
Basis: Pure Land influence
in Zen; Neidan’s connection to the divine.
Exercise: Chant “Namo Amitabha”
softly, visualizing a golden light enveloping you, preparing for immortality.
69. Koan: The Oxherding Search
Basis: Zen’s Ten Oxherding
Pictures (Picture 1: Searching for the Ox).
Exercise: Contemplate: “Where
is the ox of my true self?” Visualize footprints leading to your heart.
70. Contemplating Emptiness
Basis: Zen’s Sunyata; Neidan’s
transcendence of form.
Exercise: Visualize a mirror
reflecting nothing. Contemplate: “If all is empty, what am I?”
Third 4/5 Day Ko
Day 11-15 of 1st Fortnight
Mind: Intro:
Stage 15: Ascension (Po Stage 9 – Substage: Ascension)
5 day Neidan Meditation: Ascension Meditation - Sit in profound stillness,
visualizing the golden light body rising above the physical form, merging
with the infinite Tao. Release all ties to the material world, resting
in eternal unity. Practice for 60+ minutes.
Purpose: Achieves immortality, ascending as a sage.
Connection to Po: Completes Po’s transcendence to the
golden light body.
Milestone (Immortal Transcendence): The practitioner fully
transfers consciousness to the golden light body, achieving immortality
and merging with the Tao as an eternal sage.
Final Completion: The 15stage journey culminates in the
creation of an immortal energy body, fully integrated with the Tao, capable
of existing beyond the physical form. The practitioner embodies the Taoist
ideal of a zhenren, living in eternal harmony with the cosmos.
Body: Zephyr
related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
Truths: Bigu
Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki*** Soto Shojin
Ryori feast with Oryuki bowls, Bigu Taoist Shugendo Fast
History: Dogen (1200–1253
CE), founder of Soto Zen, brought Caodong Chan to Japan, authoring Shobogenzo
and promoting shojin ryori. Soto feasts with oryoki bowls harmonized personal
and universal, reflecting Baizhang’s lineage. His unique zazenonly approach
unified self and cosmos.
Mythos: -
Zephyr related practices. (daily 20" exercise)
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| Feast/Fast | Bigu Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki*** Soto Shojin Ryori feast with Oryuki bowls, Bigu Taoist Shugendo Fast | Bigu Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki*** | Bigu Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki*** | Bigu Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki*** - Journal | Bigu Fast* , Gokan Sesshin**, Godan Danjiki***/Void Day |
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** "Gokan Sesshin" (Five-Day Intensive Retreat). "Sesshin" denotes an intensive meditation period, often involving reduced food intake, fitting Zen’s focus on mindfulness and simplicity.
***"Godan Danjiki" (Five-Day Ascetic Fast). "Danjiki" refers to Buddhist fasting rituals, and "Godan" (five days) ties to Shugendo’s rigorous mountain practices.
15. Transcending Time and Space (Cosmic Unity)
Posture: Sit in full lotus position, spine straight, hands on knees, palms up, or lie in corpse pose.
Time of Day: Early morning (3–5 AM, Yin hour) for stillness.
Breathing: Complete stillness (Zhiguan) breathing: silent, barely perceptible breaths (8 seconds inhale, 8 seconds exhale).
Dietary Changes: Minimal diet (rice, water).
Substances: None; spiritual essence.
Exercises:
Physical: Lotus posture or corpse pose (20 minutes).
Energetic: Stillness meditation (20 minutes):
1. Sit or lie down, breathe silently, focus on upper Dantian.
2. Merge Qi with cosmic energy.
Spiritual: Cosmic visualization (20 minutes):
1. Visualize self as boundless, eternal light in cosmos.
2. Transcend time and space.
3. Affirm, “I am eternal, one with the universe.”
Phenomena and Visions: No bodily awareness, complete stillness. Energetically, no distinct Qi, only cosmic unity. Mentally, absolute clarity. Spiritually, infinite cosmos or formless unity. Chen Pu: “The spirit transcends all limits, residing in the eternal, its form dissolved into the vastness of the universe, where time and space vanish, and only the boundless light of the Dao remains.”
Part 3: Shen (Spirit) – Visualization and Altar
Work
Focus: Spiritual transcendence and unity with
the Five Buddhas (Fast Days 71–75).
Basis: Shingon’s Vairocana; Oxherding Picture 8: Both Ox and Self Forgotten.
Exercise: Sit before an altar with a white candle. Visualize Vairocana’s radiant light, merging with your spirit. Contemplate: “I am the cosmic Buddha.”
72. Aksobhya Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Aksobhya;
Oxherding Picture 9: Returning to the Source.
Exercise: Visualize Aksobhya’s
blue light in your heart, stabilizing your spirit. Contemplate: “My mind
is unshakeable, eternal.”
73. Ratnasambhava Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Ratnasambhava;
Oxherding Picture 10: In the World.
Exercise: Visualize Ratnasambhava’s
golden light, offering abundance. Contemplate: “I give freely, transcending
death.”
74. Amitabha Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Amitabha;
Zen’s principle of compassion.
Exercise: Visualize Amitabha’s
red light, guiding you to the Pure Land. Contemplate: “I am reborn in light,
immortal.”
75. Amoghasiddhi Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Amoghasiddhi;
Zen’s principle of action without fear.
Exercise: Visualize Amoghasiddhi’s
green light, empowering your spirit. Contemplate: “I am one with all Buddhas,
perfected beyond death.”
