Zen Misogi Training

Zen is said to be the direct and instantaneous way to enter the sublime company of all the Buddhas by just leaping over all conceptual thinking. Refreshing! 

This Ch'an/Zen state of spontaneity is exemplified by Han Shan, who lived in the mountains and wrote his poems on rocks. 

If you are having trouble accomplishing the "leap over" (Tibetan: thodgal), then you can try "misogi" Zen training. Here is how it works: 

First thing in the morning, prepare five or six buckets of freezing cold water. Strip down naked &, kneeling or crouching, pour the buckets slowly one after the other over the crown of your head. 

 Do this every day, training yourself not to lose your breath. Your breathing must remain calm & fine. After some time you should be able to do it without shivering. The cold water won't give you a shock, even in the dead of winter, but will feel purifying & blissful as your awareness merges with it. 

Once you master this, you should be able to make steam rise from your body after the freezing cold water hits it. 

You will definitely experience "the thoughtless state" at some point during your practice of Zen Misogi. 

And now that you have experienced it directly for yourself, you also know for yourself that it resolves everything at once. Go out and use This wondrous ability like a razor sharp samurai sword to cut through the knots in your everyday life!

Aum Swasti!