Larry,
The Zen Forum has no 'head' or 'leader', but does have two co-moderators who
might be considered that for administrative purposes. They are Edgar and me
(Bill!). The forum 'owner' is Al, but he is no longer active and very rarely
posts.
I am a 67-year old US citizen who lives in Thailand. I was first introduced to
zen in the late 1960's and went through about 10 years of formal and informal
training as a student of two Japanese Zen masters - one of the Rinzai school
and one Soto.
You can find out more about me at www.billsmart.com.
I'll leave it to any others on the forum to describe themselves if they wish to
do so.
Now, how about you? What's your story vis-a-vis your interest in zen?
...Bill!
--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, larry maher <lcmaher22@...> wrote:
>
> Can anyone help me? I'm new here. I was just wondering who the forum head
> was? If the answer is no one could I please find out who Merle or Bill is?
> The one with the 45 yrs of meditation. I won't bother anyone, am just
> trying to figure this out.
> Thank you
> Larry
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 6:53 PM, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...>wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > bill...so you are still telling me pain is a delusion?... tell me next
> > time when you are in deep pain..try a very bad toothache..see it as a
> > delusion and don't visit the dentist...how long will you last before you
> > realise it is real and needs attention?...merle
> >
> >
> > Merle,
> >
> > As you should very well know by now I don't identify with being a Buddhist.
> >
> > I do however practice zen and have for over 45 years; but just because I
> > practice zen doesn't mean I don't feel pain, or have other delusions. What
> > it means is that (most of the time) I am not attached to those delusions.
> >
> > ...Bill!
> >
> > ...Bill!
> >
> > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Ã bill...acceptance is the key...what sort odf a zen buddhist are
> > you?..merle
> > > Ã
> > > Merle,
> > >
> > > Yes! Why me? Why not someone else? Someone I don't like? Someone who
> > doesn't look like me or is the same color as me or speaks the same language
> > as I do. Someone ELSE!
> > >
> > > ...Bill!
> > >
> > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Ãâà bill...not why me...that's plain silly..why not you?...merle
> > > > ÃâÃ
> > > > Merle,
> > > >
> > > > I have been in pain before. When I am in pain I don't think of pain as
> > a judgmental delusion, I think of it as pain and judge it to be bad; and
> > maybe even think "Poor, poor me! Why do I have to suffer all this pain?
> > What did I do to deserve this? I just want it to go away!".
> > > >
> > > > ...Bill!
> > > >
> > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà have you been in pain bill..and thought it was
> > > > > judgemental
> > delusion?...merle
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâÃ
> > > > > Merle,
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't know how you got from what I said earlier to your post below.
> > > > >
> > > > > The experience of feeling/touch is real. That experience is Buddha
> > Nature. The classification of it as 'pain' is the judgmental delusion. Just
> > as the experience of sight is real. The classification of it as 'a red
> > bird' is the delusion.
> > > > >
> > > > > ...Bill!
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@>
> > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà bill...i see...so if one
> > > > > > is in pain..this is
> > an illusion..try telling that to someone bowled over and in agony...merle
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâÃ
> > > > > > Merle,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I also want to add that experiencing Buddha Nature, such as
> > through zazen, does not involve a disconnection with the body. It involves
> > a disconnection with the illusion of self and all dualism.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ...Bill!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "Bill!" <BillSmart@> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Merle,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > No, the body is not a restraint. It is a gateway - at least as
> > far as zen is concerned. The body, or at least its ability to afford
> > awareness of reality, is the necessary component of Buddha Nature for not
> > only humans but all beings as we know them.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > ...Bill!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@>
> > wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > i know this is a little crazy..however here i
> > go..ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâÃ
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > the human body..can we exist without it?...we do when we are
> > in cyber space.... although we need the body to get the messages out
> > there...mm that has me stumped!
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > would this body less be liken to the meditation
> > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà state that can be achieved once
> > one has surpassed the
> > breath counting saga?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà i have belief that
> > > > > > > > monks can practise a
> > form of meditation whereby the can slow the whole body/ mind totally down
> > to an almost non existent state
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > in all the many previous post there has been much focus on
> > slowing the mind down..however the body..does it have a mind of it's own so
> > to speak?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > after all there are millions of tiny organisms..rummaging in
> > the body that we do not have any control over what so ever...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > (meditate as long and hard as you want, they do their own
> > thing regardless)...
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > a whole eco system...one could say a universe lies in the gut
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà my zen question is
> > > > > > > > thus:
> > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà to be totally free ..the human
> > body is it a restraint?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡Ãâà merle
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > ÃÆ'Ã'âââ¬Ã
¡ÃÆ'ââ¬Å¡ÃâÃ
> > > > > > > > Merle
> > > > > > > > www.wix.com/merlewiitpom/1
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> *Larry Maher*
>
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