Revitalized Zen - Four Stages of Zen by Baba
Revitalized Zen
- Four Stages of Zen
*
Question:
What is the method of practise which could help revitalise
Zen?
Baba: Thank you for asking. I will happily answer your
question and describe the main practices of this, let's call it
Revitalized Zen.
Those of you who didn't read my facebook post from few days ago, should read it before reading this one. Find it here: https://www.facebook.com/amrita.baba1/posts/pfbid02hCBFhf8nPKWoMkua2Dgk59hn7ixxPtCdp232KHBp7nrNc1V7hjefzkqv2scsJk9zl
In the following text I will go through the Four Stages of Zen: kensho, satori, daigo and nyorai, describe these stages and briefly explain the practices that make possible going through the stages one by one.
Kensho and Satori –
Awakenings and Establishing the Natural Clarity of Mind
It has been expressed by a number of living zen teachers as well as past zen masters, that zen suffers from the lack of authentic practice and realization. Authentic zen is a path and practice based on shifts from the samsaric state of mind to the nirvanic state of mind which is not marked by self-delusion (skt. avidya, j. mumyo, lit. absence of light) and basic negativity (skt. klesha, j. Bonno) but by selflessness, clarity, spontaneity and kindness. In other words, despite of the fact that zen buddhism is practiced by many people in both East and West, the marks of true practice are largely absent, and without the shifts or signs of both gradual and sudden enlightenment, zen – the great direct vehicle that in history has produced countless fully enlightened beings or buddhas – has lost its essential message, its understanding and lifeblood of true buddhadharma. Further, in the West particularly, this loss of genuinity has been replaced by ideas and ideologies that have nothing to do with the teachings of the Buddha and the zen patriarchs or the art of awakening.
First we need to understand that in principle awakening and enlightenment (skt. bodhi, j. bodai) are universal. Yes, there is confusion what an awakening experience is and sometimes mental silence or particularly deep experiences of shamatha meditation or jhana meditation are mistakenly thought to be awakening but apart from these confusions, awakening (j. kensho) is actually very easy to define and to understand. I have clarified these points and given practices for this purpose in my books “Awake! Handbook of Awakening” and “What's Next? On Post-Awakening Practice” which are both available for free (see links below).
A particular problem that marks all Zen systems today is the lack of understanding of what kensho is, how it could be directly generated and that there is a whole range of them to be had before we can consider the next stage, satori, on the four-part path of zen leading to buddhahood. The Four Stages of Zen are: kensho, satori, daigo or daigo tettei and nyorai, in japanese.
In this four-part model,
kenshos, in plural, are initial and consecutive major shifts or awakenings, which leads to ->
satori is establishing one's mind in spontaneous selfless clarity, which leads to ->
daigo tettei or daigo is falling away of both mind and body, which leads to ->
nyorai or tathagata (skt.) is the attainment of buddhahood (skt. anuttara samyak sambodhi).
I have written the above mentioned two books about initial and consecutive awakenings, that is, about the kensho and satori processes, so I suggest you to read them if you haven't. The books also give practices that hundreds of people who I personally know and have met and people who I don't know and have never met, have used with perfect success. There is great difference with practices that directly engage and understand the various forms of self-delusion and enable the practitioner to access one's buddhanature that always remains pure. With right practices, this is possible from day one of one's practice.
 |
| Zen Circle by Baba, 2018 |
To clarify the connection of my writings to Zen as well as to stress the universality of true buddhadharma, just like it has been commented by great masters such as Hakuin and others before him, there is no Zen or any other path of Buddha's dharma without kensho and satori, i.e. without many repeated awakening experiences that chip away one's sense of individually existing self (skt. atman) thus releasing the mind from its compulsive delusional grip to selfless centerless perception. The sense and belief in individually existing I, me, i.e. self needs to be released and in my experience as a teacher of dharma it is not at all difficult to do that, if we know exactly the mechanisms of delusion and undoing of it. If, on the other hand, we don't understand the mechanisms that keeps giving birth and fortifies the sense of individual separate self on daily basis, no matter what we try to do, it is likely that we won't have these shifts, major awakening experiences, but remain bound by self-delusion, despite of perhaps engaging in practices that have been passed down for generations. The Buddha adviced us to test the functionality of instructions, instead of fixating with a method just because it's been around for a long time. That one doesn't understand the theory or the view of the awakening process and has no effective practices to cut through the delusions in one's practice on daily basis, is, in my view, the main problem that Zen buddhism has suffered of for generations. Minds are quieted with the help of shamatha practices but it is crucial not to mistake the thoughtless state of mind (skt. alaya vijnana, substrate consicousness) with buddhanature but unfortunately this mistake is made everywhere in the prevalent world of zen. This does not lead to advancement through the Four Stages.
To make it worse, many lineage holders say that there are no techniques that directly generate kensho or kenshos but this is entirely incorrect, both in the context of historical zen, as well as in the world of dharma in general. There are practices that generate kenshos! If there were no practices that generate kensho, that would be highly problematic because without kenshos, without the repeated seeing of one's true nature, the zen method ceases to exist. Without awakenings through which the practitioner gradually re-establishes one's original face and original body without delusion, confusion and suffering (skt. dukkha) there is no path of Zen and no buddhahood. But that is not what the patriarchs teach. For many centuries, the buddhas and patriarchs have clarified the great matter and the path of Zen buddhism making the view and the principles perfectly clear.
My first two books clarify the necessity of kensho and give practices that generate kenshos, according to the classical 10 bhumi model (skt. dashabhumi) of mahayana buddhism. Bodhicitta, refuge and taking ethical values to heart are necessary preliminaries for becoming a practitioner of the buddhadharma. But more specifically, one very important practice that achieves this task is the so called Dynamic Concentration.
The shell of self-delusion and selfishness is hard and thick, and it needs to be dealt with practices that crack open its hardened shell. Typically, zen buddhists follow the three principles of samadhi, prajna and sila. In this model, the practitioner first collects one's body and energy (skt. prana, j. ki, c. chi) together (skt. samadhi, j. zanmai) into a unified bubble which is then burst by one's master or any stimulus from the outside such as a sound or a sight. If this method is skillfully followed, it works but does so in very slow pace, and the reason for this slowness is that one has to keep practicing samadhi, putting the body and mind in order first, which is very time consuming. The option that is offered through Dynamic Concentration is that one doesn't collect the body and mind together th same way it is done in traditional samadhi but one makes the samsaric energies and delusions explode with the outcome that one's true nature becomes recognized.
 |
| Harada Tangen Roshi and Baba in Bukkokuji, Japan, 2005 |
It takes many many hours of continued training to collect together the energies of the system but it takes only 1-2 minutes to make the self-deluded and self-centered energies explode with the help of Dynamic Concentration. Seeing this true nature where the energies flow ideally and one's mind is fresh and clear is much more effective way to acquire those shifts – kenshos – than the samadhi style that the modern zen is used to. Experiencing this first hand also makes one question about the validity of hara or lower dantien (j. tanden) development which is given so much emphasis in modern zen. Repeated kenshos make one realize a beautiful but simple fact that during cessation when all notions of self have ceased, one's energy system flows freely, naturally without any sort of imbalances. When one rests in that recognition whether for a short or long time, it becomes clear that the energy flows nicely and settles naturally, and that there is no need for practices that generate tautness in the gut.
When it comes to the practice of Dynamic Concentration in different schools of buddhism in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, it is not by coincidence that still in relatively recent past, this was practiced in both soto and rinzai schools of Japanese zen buddhism but was discontinued for reasons unknown to me during the latter half of the 20th century. Roshis, Miyamae Shinzan (1935-2021) and Harada Tangen (1924-2018) who I was very fortunate to meet in person, both gave accounts of their training early on where they shouted syllables for extended periods of time. Tangen Roshi is the only buddhist buddha who I have met in person and his presence left a lasting impression in me. 20 years after meeting him, his shout so beautifully still echoes in me.
Dynamic concentration was practiced also in a branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism until 20 years ago but it was discontinued in the absence of a valid dharma heir. Additionally, according to a dear friend, Lama John Hoag, a senior lama of the nyingma school, this was probably one of the main practices in ancient dzogchen as well but in modern Tibetan dzogchen, shouts are exercised only 3-4 times which doesn't have enough explosive power to crack open the dense layers of selfing. I was introduced to rhythmical shouting while living in Tokyo, in a training place called Ichikukai Dojo which combined zen buddhist and shintoist misogi-practices. Later, a shinto priest told me that according to his knowledge this kind of rhythmical shouting is not practiced in any other dojo or temple in Japan. Anyhow, we can see that the indications of explosive shouting are there and still practiced here and there but just like all things change over time, this practice too has lots its original powerful form.
In Amrita Mandala, we have revitalized the ancient yoga of dynamic concentration and the results of this speak for themselves. Before telling the reader about the actual results of this practice in our sangha, it is necessary for me to say to all sceptics reading this, that this is a practice that does not require any beliefs and by doing the practice, one will get instant results. An actual bomb will make a house explode and collapse in an instant. In exactly same manner, dynamic concentration makes the thick layers of self-delusion and negative habits explode. I am using perhaps a bit dramatic analogy with the bomb but the actual practice is not aggressive or violent at all. On the contrary, one needs to shout sharply but at the same time be as relaxed as possible. This is not a serious or very macho practice in that sense but a very sensitive one.
To this day in March 2025, I have 22 students (see video in links) who have achieved perfection of wisdom (skt. prajna paramita) also known as emptiness of all phenomena. They founded their practice on bodhicitta, refuge, dedication of merit, the Two-Part Formula and dynamic concentration, among other things. My third book, Buddhas Among Us, gives first hand descriptions of my students who have achieved this.
When it comes to the very first kensho, we have a technique called Two-Part Formula (2PF) for this purpose in Amrita Mandala. This process has been explained in detail in my first book. During the past 11 years that it has been taught, it has poppen the 1st bhumi for over 200 people, some of whom practiced it only once. The key with the 2PF is that it repeatedly brings up the grossest form of the self-delusion and engages with it directly. Consequentially, the grossest self is seen through and an awakening or kensho, the first one of them, happens. This first awakening is quite common in the world today because it is discussed different books, podcasts and even television but that is just the very first opening, or opening of the 1st bhumi, and there are many more to go. For the purpose of consecutive awakenings or openings, we practice dynamic concentration in Amrita Mandala, just like it was practiced by relatively recent predecessors of Zen buddhism.
Our sangha is very small, about 70 people only but based on teaching our regular members as well as practitioners in passing, I have seen again and again the power of dynamic concentration. I haven't counted but I must have verified well over 1500 kenshos by now, and as defined they were all major shifts that changed perspective for good.
 |
| Terayama Tanchu Roshi and Baba, Hitsuzenkai Dojo, Japan, 2005 |
What is missing in the modern world of zen is the understanding how far kenshos or bhumis go. It is typical that seasoned zen teachers and practitioners have had few, 2-3-4 kenshos or awakening experiences but not more than that. Also unawakened zen teachers exist here and there. This means that even with few kenshos most of ignorance and selfing still remains. Zen-master Hakuin spoke of having had many major awakenings, 25 or something like that. His dharma heir Torei spoke of having had a hundred big and small awakenings. Why did the past masters have so many awakenings that their modern followers don't? The answer is in their dynamicity and its absence.
Like I have written in my book What's Next? On Post-Awakening Practice, there is a point when the natural selfless clarity is not only momentarily glimpsed or momentarily awakened to but becomes stable. In terms of bhumis, this is the opening of the 11th bhumi, eleventh major awakening which creates a paradigm shift. From that point onwards, the selfless clarity is there most of the time. This is a rare achievement in dharma and a major change for the individual. There are not many people in the whole world who have reached that but again it is not at all difficult to get to this stage with the help of dynamic concentration. Dynamic practices have been forgotten and lost though, and therefore so few ever manage to have the 11th kensho. It is because of the paradigm shift that comes with it why I call it satori, rather than kensho. After this process of 11 major kenshos or bhumi openings, there comes the process of gradual integration which is technical terms is the process of perfecting the 10 karmic bhumis. This process perfects the dharmakaya (j. hosshin) and one achieves the perfection of wisdom. After this one has no use for insight practices or emptiness meditation because the body of self-delusion has been turned into the body of selfless wisdom (skt. prajna, j. hannya). Classic texts and commentaries speak of this with much more elaborate and poetic terms.
To clarify the terminology of this to my students and followers, I also call this energetic body with its commonly known name, causal body, which is an english rendition of the sanskrit karana sharira. When we begin to discuss daigo tettei, often translated as the great awakening or great death which is the third stage of the Zen model, we begin to discuss the astral body or sukshma sharira. Both of these terms originate from the ancient vedas from at least 10 000 years ago. Together with the sthula sharira or physical body, these two bodies form the three bodies of man (skt. trideha) that was taken by the buddhists and named trikaya.
In hinduism these three are called jnana deha – the body of wisdom, pranava deha – the body of pure vibration and suddha deha - the pure body. In mahayana buddhism these three bodies are called dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya.
Daigo Tettei – Great Awakening, Great Death
Great awakening or daigo is not achieved through wisdom or insight practices. Great awakening which is known by other names in hinduism and different forms of buddhism, happens when both the mind and the body drop off. Hearing different teachers talk about this is a bit confusing though becayse definitions vary which they shouldn't. If too many teachers have different definitions for the same term, this is a sign that there are no standards though traditions by definition should be based on common standards.
We already discussed kenshos and satori, the process of bhumi openings and perfections which in other words is the dropping off of the mind, so now I will clarify the meaning of dropping off of the body.
When we discuss dropping off of the body in Zen, it actually means ceasing of notions in the meridian system which is also known by the term astral body. When buddhism discusses kleshas or basic causes of our samsaric state, it discusses basic negativity of the mind which is centered around this notion of separate self. But here it is necessary to understand that we are dealing with two different types of samsaric existence: self-delusion and negativity which are related to each other but not the same. This means that daigo or buddhahood (j. nyorai, jobutsu) cannot be achieved through wisdom or emptiness realization alone. Despite of great similarity in the nature of cessation (skt. nirodha) of the two different subtle bodies, or ceasing of the mind and ceasing of the body like it is called in Zen, these are also different because despite that both can cease at the same time (stages of kensho or satori), cessation does not necessarily cause a lasting shift or change, depending on what the practitioner has been working on prior to the cessation. I know non-practitioners who have had cessations without any change or insight in the mind at all so it is the work put in by the practitioner which decides whether there'll be a lasting change or not.
Zazen which is a form of embodied sitting meditation which is practiced by all zen buddhists. It is called embodied meditation because one engages the felt sense of the physical body with gentle mindful awareness. By doing this one adresses the meridian field, also known as the astral body. There are other classical meditations such as loving-kindness (p. metta), bodhicitta and tonglen – receiving and giving – that work with the body of aliveness (skt. sambhogakaya). In the case of the modern dharma world and its many complexly traumatized individuals, there is also great necessity for trauma healing practices but basically any type of embodied sitting can be used for healing purposes.
This is actually one of my criticisms about gentle concentration practices that I used to do a lot back in my zen training days. I think there is a prevalent misunderstanding about the purpose of shamatha meditation in zen, often applied in the form of breath-counting or breath-watching, that focuses on the factor of concentratedness vs distraction, as well as accumulation of ki, chi or prana in the hara or lower abdomen. Despite of the fact that it takes lots of time and effort to learn to stay concentrated, it is still useful. I would say, however, that spending all that time in focusing on the natural healing ability of the body and mind would be much more beneficial for modern practitioners, who so many are traumatized. Without entirely healing trauma, it is impossible to finish the stage of daigo because the trauma binds the mind and its energy to them, and therefore it cannot completely unfold, or die, like is said in zen. But if we wish to attain buddhahood for the benefit of all beings, die we must.
We need to understand that gentle mindfulness practices do not have the same power to impact our energetics or our minds like the dynamic practices do. We should also understand the different ways of applying dynamic concentration one of which is verbal shouting but there are others, directly linked to the dropping off of the body, or again, the astral body and negative habits stored there. Just like in internal martial arts such as taichichuan, yiquan, aikido or iaido, there are both gentle and explosive, slow and fast ways to make the the chi move in the meridians. This same principle applies to mind and energetic practices. The point is that just like we can cut through forms of stubborn self-delusion in the causal body and effortlessly recognize our true nature, we can do shouting practice to cut through forms of selfishness and negativity stored in the meridian system or the astral body, and consequentially, make the body drop off. The reason why dropping off of the body is actually dropping off of the astral is because the astral body is an energetic copy of the physical body. It feels very physical and many of the sensations that we have throughout the day are astral though we might first think that they are physical.
Just like the experience of seeing one's true nature is repeated many times in the wisdom side of the path, we can generate cessation in the grosser of the subtle bodies and eventually reach perfection of daigo when the selfish and harmful psychologial habits in the meridians cease to exist entirely. So daigo is a process with both gradual and sudden changes in the meridian system which leads to its total cessation, and this total cessation is buddhahood (skt. anuttara samyak sambodhi, j. nyorai, jobutsu).
One thing that I wish to clarify is the need of trauma healing practices for most modern practitioners of dharma and specifically its full, not just partial, healing. Especially in America there are many zen teachers who are also psychotherapists which is great. I do not know enough of this type of work to be able to comment on the efficacy of combining zen practice with psychotherapy but I have plenty of experience of energetic trauma healing practices and developmental trauma especially. This is something I have taught extensively about and based on my experience I can say that fully healing development or complex trauma is possible. Again, it matters greatly what view and practices we follow.
Nyorai, Jobutsu, Tathagata – Buddhahood
Buddhanature is characterized by selflessness and absence of negative, destructive and selfish habits, thoughts or dreams. There is no fully enlightened being or buddha who feels anxious, jealous, angry, shameful, irritated, agitated, nervous, absent-minded, lost in life or depressed. A buddha can express her- or himself peacefully or dynamically. A buddha can give you a scolding but there is no rage or frustration in his mind. A buddha forgives but doesn't forget. A buddha is a soberminded being or human who is always sober, soft and grounded. A buddha is like a living lie detector because his presence is unshakably rooted in the nature of reality. A buddha has not only graduated all practices and paths but needs not to rely on sleep, food and drink like samsaric beings are forced to. Buddhas might be living in human form but their minds and energetics are beyond the Six Realms of Samsara.
Having said that there is also a type of buddhahood or enlightenment where the physical body becomes as permeated by the natural light of awareness as the subtle bodies do. In the world of tantrayana and hinduism this is called the lightbody or rainbow body. This phenomenon is also known to happen in contemplative christianity. These terms are not used in Zen but some ancient masters have nevertheless attained it.
When we speak of buddhahood, its definitive meaning is in purification of the two subtle bodies and returning them to their original pristine condition. This is already full enlightenment, and this has been said by many masters throughout the centuries but we can also define buddhahood as the continuum of the three pure bodies. I think it is perfectly fine to define buddhahood as the purity of the subtle bodies because this puts an end to all karmic causes of samsara and rebirth but having said that, it is also possible to extend enlightenment to include the physical body and its cells. If I had to choose which of these to call nirmanakaya buddhahood, it would be the latter.
When speaking of lightbody masters or Taoist Immortals, who had lot of influence on the early Chinese zen masters and their doings, it is necessary to ground this discussion by saying that this has nothing to do with supernatural powers, levitation or magical powers. True dharma masters have always scoffed at that stuff but having said that I do not deny siddhis or extraordinary powers either. It's just that going after these powers or special abilities do not make one enlightened. This is also an important point: a fully enlightened buddha may or may not have special powers or abilities. A truly exceptional special power that buddhas have is the utter absence of selfishness and utter radiance of sobriety, love and kindness. That can only be attained through yoga and dharma.
Practices of Revitalized Zen
Through this text I've mentioned some practices such as the Two-Part Formula, Dynamic Concentration, Physical Dynamic Concentration, bodhicitta and trauma healing practices that I consider necessary in order to revitalize the sutric tradition of Zen buddhism. There are other obvious mahayana practices like Bodhisattva Vows, Refuge in Three Jewels, and study of central mahayana sutras such as the Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra but I would also like to include the study of teachings that the Buddha gave when the turned the wheel of dharma for the third time*.
*Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma
The thing is that buddhahood or nyorai was not attained by the Buddha or any other buddha after him, such as Tangen Roshi who I was fortunate to meet, through the wisdom principle alone, so there is more to buddhahood than emptiness (skt. shunyata, j. ku). This understanding comes through from some ancient zen masters but especially the taoists who influenced them a lot. They write beautifully about the aliveness aspect, the sambhogakaya aspect of buddhanature, through nature-themed imagery and writings. It gets so beautiful, so subtle and irresistable. Who could resist the beauty of nature? The singing of birds, the murmuring of a river, the passing of white clouds against a deep blue sky? Laughter of children, kindness of grandmother, cat licking its paws? So beautiful, so lively and perfectly grounded.
I actually think that for large part zen buddhists have gotten stuck with emptiness because due to inefficient practices they couldn't get past it. I agree with my late zen master Terayama Tanchu Roshi that the practices of traditional zen are not very effective, and this why I think this radiance or beauty aspect of buddhanature is not often seen in the writings of zen masters, though it does appear here and there.
If
I think of a day on a retreat of Revitalized Zen, it would include
these practices:
- Chanting of sutras
- Chanting of Bodhisattva Vows and Basic Prayers, incl. Refuge, Bodhicitta and Dedication of Merit
- Zazen – sitting meditation and shikantaza – just sitting
- Dynamic Concentration in intervals during periods of sitting meditation
- Practices of the Four Dantiens
- Prostrations
- Walking meditation based on the principles that generate dropping off of the body and mind
- Xian Gong - Immortality Exercises, including Bone Marrow Washing (Xi Sui Jing, 洗髓经). Xian Gong is a form of qigong or yoga based on the principles that generate dropping off of the body and mind
- Trauma healing practices and shiatsu
- Dharma talks and dialoque
- Talking allowed for meaningful sharing and fun
- Practice outdoors: sitting, walks, exercise
- Plenty of sleep, no sleep deprivation
- Easy and playful attitude, not too much seriousness because that arrests the free flow of energy which is detrimental to all stages of practice and recognition of the natural state which is ever joyous, peaceful and playful
I no longer believe in dharma practice where there is no open sharing and open discussion about anything that one might think about. I also no longer believe in retreats with lots of restrictions like not being allowed to talk with others. Anyone who knows the history of zen in the West, knows how many problems the lack of social interaction and the lack of sleep does to many people. I also do not agree with traditions coming from warm climates that it would fit people from cold climates to sustain on vegetarian diets, especially during retreats. The purpose of food is to enable us to continue our practice. The purpose of sleep is to keep us balanced and the purpose of social interaction is to help us beyond our shells of delusion, fear and selfishness.
Final words
Thank you very much for asking the question. This project of Revitalized Zen has been in the back of my mind for many many years and knowing the state of modern zen, I know that many struggle to see the relevance of zen buddhism in the modern world, or knowingly or unknowingly suffer of the lack of results in the established systems of zen, like I did back in the day.
Finally, in the world of dharma we have a lot to learn from other arts and sciences. If we engage with any practice or method without seeing immediate and long-term results as has been outlined in the Four Stages of Zen, then we are, in fact, wasting our time, and that is something that all practitioners of dharma need to keep a keen eye on because we do not have time to waste. If we wish to attain buddhahood in this life, we need to do practice that enables recognition of buddhanature today. Wishful thinking has no part in authentic dharma practice at all. In fact, dreaming of fantastic results in future or next lives is nothing but delusion.
If we are to attain enlightenment – buddhahood – for the sake of all beings, it is in this moment that the buddhanature needs to be recognized, not tomorrow, not the day after. All this future planning, rumination, seeing dharma practice as an investment or as a coping strategy needs to end right now.
I have written this text to shed some light on this great task of practice and its results, with brief explanations of some practices.
I have written extensively about these stages in my books and presented many of the practices in public videos. Those interested in practicing Revitalized Zen (working title) may contact me through email. If there is interest, I am happy to pass my understanding and the practices to others on retreats, like I was asked to do by my late master, Terayama Roshi, to whom I am forever in debt. Follow Amrita Mandala-website and my personal facebook account to get the latest updates of the upcoming Sesshins – zen retreats – in UK and Europe and online taught by yours truly.
Hand to hand,
May all beings benefit,
May you rest in joyous clarity,
-Baba, 11 March 2025
founder of Revitalized Zen and Amrita Mandala,
amritadotbabaathotmaildotcom
About the author
Amrita Baba is the founder of Revitalized Zen, as well as the international Amrita Mandala Sangha. He has been a full time teacher of sutra, tantra and dzogchen for 17 years and has taught over 250 retreats around the world.
Baba is a dharma heir of the late Terayama Tanchu Roshi of Tokyo, the head master of the Hitsuzenkai, and dharma heir of Omori Sogen Roshi. He was fortunate to meet the late Harada Tangen Roshi, the Old Buddha, who changed his life forever. He is also a dharma heir of the late Sivakami Om Anandi, a tantric guru, who taught and instructed Baba to reveal forgotten teachings through meditation and to revitalize both the tantric and sutric training systems. Both Revitalized Zen and Amrita Mandala, founded in 2008, are part of this task. Baba has been active in anti-cult and victims of religious abuse support groups for nearly 30 years. His teachings give a lot of emphasis to the healing of psychological trauma through meditation and energetic adjustment.
Baba spent 8 years and 10 months in strict retreat from January 2003 until November 2011. He has a long history in martial arts, healing arts and fine arts, including Zen calligraphy. He is Finnish but lives in a dharma center in the mountains of Slovenia with his spouse, dog and cat. He has two kids.
Baba has written three books about awakening, post-awakening and the realization of emptiness that are all available for free from the Amrita Mandala website.
Links
Revitalized Zen youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RevitalizedZen
Revitalized Zen blog, Four Stages of Zen: https://revitalizedzen.blogspot.com/2025/03/revitalized-zen-by-baba.html
Revitalized Zen, Bone Marrow Washing:
https://revitalizedzen.blogspot.com/2025/04/bone-marrow-washing-of-bodhidharma-zen.html
Revitalized Zen facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/revitalizedzen
Amrita Mandala website: https://www.amritamandala.com/
Amrita Mandala youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmritaMandala
Lion-Faced Guru Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thelionfacedgurupodcast
Awake! Handbook of Awakening: https://www.amritamandala.com/awake-1
What's Next? On Post-Awakening Practice: https://www.amritamandala.com/whats-next
Buddhas
Among Us: https://www.amritamandala.com/buddhas-among-us-1
Dynamic
Concentration-playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42dFTDRusxc&list=PLqTm9fV9DGhtYrtz_kro465trHll4fBP8
Kiai/Dynamic Concentration-playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqTm9fV9DGhtXvWzWyuaQ9IzbIbcpMlqm
Zen arts-playlist, featuring Baba's zen-master, Terayama Tanchu Roshi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd7IXus0RZo&list=PLqTm9fV9DGhtAIMEzWHA8a6ibMExrfeGI
Few of Baba's students: https://youtu.be/2zEsmq2LfHc
Lion-Faced Guru Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thelionfacedgurupodcast
Amrita Mandala, www.amritamandala.com
#bonemarrowwashing #xisuijing #shaolin #bodhidharma #yijinjing #revitalizedzen #xiangong #immortalityexercises #洗髓经#洗髓經 #易筋经
#易筋經 #仙
Kommentit
Lähetä kommentti