[Buddha-l] Vipassana?

[d f tweney]

On Oct 17, 2005, at 3:17 PM, Franz Metcalf wrote:

>
> My own experiential perspective (based on experiences in Zen centers) 
> is that Soto style "just sitting" is effectively very similar to 
> vipassana meditation. Some Zen meditation is more samadhi-focussed, 
> but most forms of Zen attempt to maintain a balance of both styles.

Franz, this is perhaps why I've been confused. The (very little) Zen 
meditation instruction I've received began exactly the way Henepola 
Gunaratana begins, in "Mindfulness in Plain English" -- that is, begin 
by following your breath, watching your thoughts but not fixating on 
them. In other words, the instruction is to calmly observe your mind, 
instead of trying to force your mind onto a single object or force your 
mind to be blank. Incidentally, this is also the advice Thich Nhat Hanh 
gives in the books of his that I've read.

However, from other posters' comments I infer that this might be a 
later addition to Zen meditation -- (or perhaps, as you suggest, this 
is more Soto style as opposed to Rinzai).

Is it possible that in America, Zen meditation has begun to adopt some 
aspects of Theravada Vipassana technique, as a way of making it easier 
for beginners to start meditating? Jumping right into the 
koan-pondering and beating-with-sticks approach to meditation is 
probably much harder -- not to mention dependent on having a master to 
instruct you.

--dylan.