This is a video of Dr. Ed Knight describing Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery (Dharma name Daigu Angyo, a Zen PeaceMaker Sangha senior).

He discusses the use of Zen sitting, zazen for Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery or the transformation of mental and emotional extreme states.

We know that recovery is very possible even from the most serious diagnoses. See What Is The Actual Schizophrenia Recovery Rate ( Also see on Dharma Mental Health Recovery Ed Podvoll MD. Ed was a Tibetan Buddhist who founded the Windhorse Projects. These are treatment projects with no or low dose medications but mainly with the contemplative practice of bare or basic attendence by psychotherapists. Recovering Sanity: A Compassionate Approach to Understanding and Treating Pyschosis )

Daigu uses Zen Dharma in his own Mental Health Recovery. He was labeled with schizophrenia in 1969 and has since also dealt with mania, depression, several anxiety disorders and addictions.

Zen Dharma is usually thought of as applying only to addictions recovery. But Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery is possible.

Ed’s life shows Zen Dharma applies to mental health recovery as well. This is of importance as Zen is seldom thought of in these terms. As a matter of fact there is prejudice against its use in mental health recovery. Though modern research does not support this stereotype, early anecdotes in the late 70s and early 80s which were called case studies brought on this stereotype. These were largely reports of someone going on a 10 day intensive retreat. No report if on or off medications or of the preparation for such an intensive.

Dr. Knight’s Sensei Ken Tetsuji Byalin is the founder of Staten Island Zen Community: Multi-Faith Zen.
Ed has studied Zen with Tetsuji for several years and applies it in his understanding of Zen Dharma to Mental Health Recovery.
Ed first began studying Zen Dharma to apply it to Mental HealthRecovery with Roshi Robert Joshen Althouse in 2002. He continued his studies of Zen Dharma to apply to Mental Health Recovery with Roshi Bernie Glassman. He studied with Roshi Bernie for about a year.

Prior to this Dr Knight had studied Insight or Theravadin Meditation for 7 years with Tempel Smith and Peter Doobinin.

He began using Dharma for Mental Health Recovery on his own by an intensive study of a book by Joseph Goldstein.

This book helped transform Ed’s life.

Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation (Shambhala Classics)

Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery is the use of the art of thinking non-thinking.
Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery is applying non-thinking to symptoms (preferred term extreme mind body states).
Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery is primarily letting go of attachments to concepts, labels.
Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery is balance and tolerance of very uncomfortable sensations.

Also of interest is Ed’s article on dealing with anxiety:First Attempt Transforming Anxiety Ed discusses his application of non-thinking or letting go of mental boxes and the use of an important yoga breath ujjayi breath or ocean breath to mental health recovery here. Zen Not Knowing Ujjayi Breath Meditation Anxiety Recovery Ujjayi breath is very similar to bamboo breathing described by Katsuki Sekida in Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy (Shambhala Classics)
Sekida’s koan commentaries are also helpful for penetrating non-thinking. Two Zen Classics: The Gateless Gate and The Blue Cliff Records
But there is no substitute for a Zen teacher or Sensei.

Ed taught Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery as part of his training at ValueOptions where he was Vice President of Recovery, Rehabilitition and Mutual Support until he retired on May 13, 2011. Daigu also was an Adjunct Professor of Rehabilitation Counselling at Boston University until 2008 when the department closed.

Non-thinking discussed on the video can be used with bipolar “diagnoses” if one awakens to the thought patterns driving different kinds of mania. see Bipolar Mental Health Recovery Patterns
Non-thinking or as Roshi Bernie Glassman says not-knowing was the way Ed recovered from schizophrenia. Here is a beginning discussion of non-thinking and schizophrenia. Zen Dharma Schizophrenia Mental Health Recovery, Hearing Voices Coping A student of Roshi Bernie’s Dharma Holder Jim Daiken Bastien said to Ed when he was having a difficult time ” Schizophrenia is the Enlightened Way.” Daiken also relieved much of Ed’s suffering by his pith saying “Mind states do not exist.” Ed struggled for about a year to penetrate this pith saying and let go. Though Ed had been practicing for a number of years with letting go of voices, Jim’s wisdom released him from exploring unnecessarily the origin of “voices” and painful states allowing him to just move on.

Daigu’s approach to mental health system transformation is based on Bernie’s description of the One Body. Is That Me Bleeding? Full recognition of this led to Ed’s leaving managed care and devoting his life to research, consulting, lecturing and training.
Ed Daigu Knight,PhD,CPRP will be posting how he uses the 12 steps in his schizophrenia recovery. Keep an eye out for these posts. He has now taught this to many other people with mental labels and disabilities. He is manualizing his training at UCLA and it should be available in the fall for free. Ed is also working on a mindful mental health recovery project at Nathan Kline Institute. He will have an accompanying autobiographical book on serious life style changes needed for serious Zen Dharma Mental Health Recovery efforts.

Here is a link 6 guided silent body oriented meditations on audio for zen dharma mental health recovery. Guided Meditations

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