What did Shinzen Young do to get through his Shinto training? (Deity Yoga question)

This blog post is part of a new series of blog posts I call “Conversations With Robots.” I choose a topic and then begin talking to my robot/A.I. friends about it. Today’s discussion starts with, “Do you know what Shinzen Young did to get through his Shinto training? I just saw that he mentions Deity Yoga as part of his training.”

Me: Do you know what Shinzen Young did to get through his Shinto training? I just saw that he mentions Deity Yoga as part of his training.

Robot:

Yes, Shinzen Young has shared aspects of his experience with Shinto and Deity Yoga, and how these practices shaped his approach to meditation. In his training within the Shingon and Tendai Buddhist lineages, which have ties to both Shinto and Vajrayana Buddhism, he engaged deeply in Deity Yoga and other esoteric practices.

During his training, Shinzen participated in practices intended to cultivate a profound connection with particular deities or spiritual entities. These practices often involved intense visualization and mantra repetition, similar to Tibetan Deity Yoga, to develop qualities like concentration, presence, and a direct sense of the sacred.

Shinzen also undertook the misogi purification practice—a traditional Japanese Shinto ritual. Misogi typically involves purification with water, often by standing under waterfalls or pouring cold water over oneself, which serves as both a physical and spiritual purification. The purpose is to cleanse impurities and clear the mind, creating a receptive state for spiritual insight. These physical and symbolic elements, combined with the deity visualizations and mantras, pushed his endurance and concentration, allowing him to access deeper states of meditation and awareness.

Shinzen’s Shinto training, paired with his studies in Vajrayana Buddhism, eventually influenced his approach to meditation by emphasizing the blending of focus, embodiment, and transcendent awareness. His style became known for integrating these esoteric methods with accessible, secular mindfulness techniques, often focusing on cultivating sensory clarity and an objective “observer” mindset, or what he sometimes refers to as “see-hear-feel” awareness.

By merging his experiences from Shinto and Deity Yoga, Shinzen developed a unique way of relating to spiritual practices. His methods encourage seeing awareness as something universal, fostering an open, compassionate experience of reality.

Me: Do you know what specific deities he focused on?

Robot:

Shinzen Young has mentioned working with several deities during his training, primarily from Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism, which includes elements from Shingon Buddhism as well as influences from Shinto. While he doesn’t frequently detail each deity in public teachings, some specific deities he’s likely encountered and focused on in his training include:

1. Fudo Myo-o (Acala): Fudo Myo-o, or Acala, is a fierce deity in Japanese Buddhism, often seen as a protector of the Dharma and a remover of obstacles. Fudo is associated with inner strength and determination, symbolizing the power to cut through delusions and obstacles on the path to enlightenment. In Shingon practices, visualizing Fudo can cultivate qualities like unbreakable resolve and focus, helping practitioners to endure intense training and overcome internal barriers.

2. Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavairocana): Dainichi, or Mahavairocana, is considered the central deity of the Shingon school. This deity represents ultimate wisdom and the essence of universal truth, often visualized as the embodiment of all Buddhas and the source of enlightenment. Practicing visualization with Dainichi aims to bring practitioners closer to an experience of non-duality, seeing oneself as interconnected with all of existence. This focus would align well with Shinzen’s later emphasis on experiencing all sensory phenomena as interconnected parts of awareness.

3. Kannon (Avalokiteshvara): Known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) is deeply revered in both Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism. Practicing with Kannon involves cultivating compassion for all beings and can be a powerful method for developing an open heart. Kannon is likely one of the inspirations behind Shinzen’s compassion-focused practices, where the goal is to transcend ego boundaries and embrace others with kindness.

4. Aizen Myo-o: Aizen is a wisdom deity who transforms lustful desires into spiritual awakening and compassionate energy. Visualizing Aizen is believed to help transmute powerful emotions into insight, making him a potent figure for those working to integrate intense emotions with spiritual growth. This aspect may have influenced Shinzen’s approach to dealing with emotions and physical sensations with equanimity.

In his teachings, Shinzen rarely specifies the exact deities he worked with, as his emphasis often shifts toward universal principles accessible through meditation. However, these deities are integral to Shingon and Tendai practices and align closely with the qualities Shinzen often teaches—compassion, clarity, strength, and interconnectedness. His training in Deity Yoga would have cultivated these qualities, providing a foundation for his distinctive methods, which invite practitioners to see every aspect of experience as a facet of awakening.

Me: On a slightly-related topic, what sort of things has Shinzen Young said about “identity”?

Robot:

Shinzen Young speaks about “identity” in the context of dissolving the rigid sense of self, which he sees as a pathway to liberation and deeper insight. He often explores identity as something fluid and flexible, rather than as a fixed or intrinsic “self.” Here are some core perspectives he shares on identity:

1. Identity as Process, Not Entity:

   • Shinzen describes identity as a collection of processes—thoughts, sensations, emotions—rather than a static “I” or “me.” He often refers to the mind and body as a field of sensory experiences that come and go. By observing these processes, one sees that the self is an ever-changing flow, which can help break the illusion of a fixed identity.
   • He teaches that by experiencing the body and mind as a series of sensations rather than as “me” or “mine,” one can reduce attachment and suffering.

2. The “Expanding Identity”:

   • Shinzen discusses the possibility of expanding one’s sense of identity to include others and the world at large, what he sometimes calls “unbounded compassion.” Through meditation, one can develop a more inclusive identity, where others’ joy and suffering become part of one’s own experience. This expansion leads to a sense of interconnectedness and empathy.
   • In this view, rather than a “self” separate from others, our identity becomes “porous,” embracing the well-being of all beings.

3. Identity and the Witness:

   • Shinzen frequently speaks of “the witness” or “the observer” as a way to approach identity. In his view, the witness is a neutral, observing awareness that watches thoughts, emotions, and sensations arise and pass away. This witness is often considered a more accurate representation of one’s true self—an impartial, open awareness that underlies all experience.
   • By cultivating a strong sense of the witness, practitioners can recognize that their true identity is not tied to fleeting experiences but is instead this observing awareness.

4. Dissolution of Identity in Deeper States of Meditation:

   • In advanced meditative states, Shinzen suggests that one’s sense of individual identity can completely dissolve. This experience is sometimes described as merging with the “absolute,” “emptiness,” or a sense of oneness, where the boundaries between “self” and “other” fall away.
   • Such experiences are transformative, leading to insights about the illusory nature of the individual self and the profound interconnectedness of all things.

5. Using Identity as a Tool for Transformation:

   • Shinzen teaches that shifting one’s sense of identity can be a skillful means for transformation. For example, rather than identifying with difficult emotions or painful sensations, he encourages seeing them as transient phenomena within a larger awareness. This shift reduces suffering by preventing people from feeling defined by these experiences.
   • He views identity as something that can be shaped and re-shaped in constructive ways, using meditation to develop an identity rooted in compassion, equanimity, and insight.

6. Transcending Identity to Find True Freedom:

   • Ultimately, Shinzen sees transcending identity as a path to freedom. When people see through the illusion of a fixed self, they experience greater psychological and emotional freedom. This realization allows them to respond to life from a place of openness and adaptability rather than from rigid patterns of thought or behavior tied to an entrenched sense of self.

By approaching identity in these ways, Shinzen’s teachings encourage practitioners to gradually let go of their attachment to a limited self, opening up to a more expansive experience of reality. This approach leads to a profound sense of freedom and compassion, grounded in the recognition of interconnectedness and the fluid nature of identity itself.