Silent Illumination (Chinese: 黙照禅, pinyin: Mòzhào, Japanese: Shikantaza) is a principal meditation practice of the Cáodòng (曹洞, Soto) school of Chán (禪, Zen) Buddhism. It integrates both calming (śamatha) meditation and insight (vipaśyanā) meditation. Chan Master Sheng-yen described this as a practice that can take one the full way to enlightenment. Referred to as “the method of no method” or “just sitting”, it is extremely simple, natural and almost completely effortless, but amazingly rewarding and beneficial.

Chan (Zen) Chinese character

We will begin with “full awareness of breathing” Ānāpānasati (Pali; Sanskrit: ānāpānasmṛti), which provides an anchor, the rise and fall of the abdomen during natural breathing, on which to focus. Once the mind is settled and able to stay with the breath, we relax into a full awareness of sitting in our environment. This sets up the perfect condition for insight into the essential nature of our own awareness.

This initial offering will be over a four week period meeting on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM Pacific. It will include brief instruction, short guided meditations, and discussion. It is suitable for people of all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced meditators. Please plan on practicing what is taught in this class for 20 - 30 minutes per day during the duration of the four weeks.

This is offered on a donation basis. To make a donation, please click the Donate button below.

IMPORTANT

• You need a Zoom account (free) because you will be required to login to Zoom to attend the meeting.

• You must first register to join these sessions. Register here:

To be notified of future events, please click the Join menu item at the top of the page, or click here.

Questions? Please contact Barry Wadsworth on Facebook or Instagram.

Introduction to Silent Illumination - Meeting Summary

Thursday July 2, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Quick recap

This was a meditation class led by Barry, focusing on Silent Illumination meditation and full awareness of breathing. 

Barry explained the basic meditation technique starting with following the breath, then naturally progressing to Silent Illumination once proficiency is developed. He demonstrated proper posture and guided the group through a brief meditation session, emphasizing that distractions are part of the practice and should be acknowledged before returning attention to the breath. The discussion included questions about meditation posture, with Emily asking about lying down versus sitting, and Barry recommending traditional sitting posture while allowing flexibility for those who meditate lying down successfully. However, he discouraged meditating lying down or reclining because it will encourage dozing instead of staying with the method. Barry also introduced walking meditation as an alternative practice, describing the slow half-step movement and its benefits. The session concluded with Barry addressing how to handle recurring thoughts during meditation, suggesting the use of metta (loving-kindness) meditation to soften difficult emotions toward specific people, while maintaining focus on the primary meditation method during practice sessions.

Next steps

Barry

• Adjust the meeting settings for next time to allow participants to join automatically.

• Remember to check email daily for any questions from participants during the week.

• Address the topic of dealing with recurrent thoughts (as raised by Emily) in a future session.

Collaboration

• All participants: Practice the meditation method (following the breath) for 5-30 minutes daily between sessions.

Summary

Meditation Techniques Discussion

Barry led a discussion about meditation techniques, asking Alicia and Brenda about their previous experience. Alicia had tried meditation through an app for sleeping, while another participant found walking meditation helpful due to her ADHD, which makes sitting still difficult. Barry explained the primary focus would be Silent Illumination meditation, typically starting with following the breath, using the breath as an anchor similar to training wheels on a bicycle. He described the method of being aware of breathing and handling thoughts that might distract from the practice.

Silent Illumination Meditation Discussion

Barry led a discussion about an upcoming meditation session and explained the concept of Silent Illumination meditation, describing it as "just sitting”.  To prepare, he advised participants to first practice Anapanasati (Full Awareness of Breathing) to stabilize the mind. He advised that when thoughts arise during meditation, participants should acknowledge them and gently return to breathing awareness, noting that developing a deep appreciation for the breath helps pacify the mind's tendency to wander.

Meditation Class Structure Overview

Barry explained the structure of an upcoming meditation class, which involves practicing between sessions with seven opportunities for practice before the next meeting. He guided the group through a meditation exercise focusing on body awareness, starting with the head and facial muscles, then moving through the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands before settling on breathing awareness in the abdomen. Barry emphasized that environmental sounds and internal thoughts, sensations and emotions are part of the meditation experience, and instructed participants to acknowledge them while returning focus to the breath's natural rhythm.

Meditation Techniques Discussion

Barry led a discussion on meditation techniques, focusing on Shamatha meditation and its differences from Vipassana. Brenda shared her experience meditating while dealing with external distractions like fireworks, and Barry provided guidance on maintaining focus on the breath. Emily joined the conversation, mentioning her experience with Vipassana meditation at Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Center. Barry explained the progression from following the breath to Silent Illumination, emphasizing the development of focus and awareness.

Breath Awareness Meditation Techniques

Barry taught a meditation session focused on breath awareness and explained the progression from following the breath to simply being aware of overall body sensations and environment. He demonstrated both sitting and walking meditation techniques, recommending a combination of both practices. When asked about handling recurring thoughts during meditation, Barry suggested using metta meditation (loving-kindness practice) as a tool to address difficult emotions, while maintaining focus on the primary meditation method during the main practice session.