Marsha to Andre: Read somewhere that a teacher will make awakening as difficult as expected by the student.
Andre: No doubt Marsha you know the story of the student asking the teacher how long it would take to 'reach' enlightenment, to which the Master said: "Seven years". The student then responded by asking, well, if I work really hard, how long will it take then? To which the Master said: "Fourteen years"! Marsha: There is no need to face an arduous, difficult path. Andre: Well Marsha, if you say so. No doubt you have also heard (from those that have achieved excellence within their own fields, be this at the biological/social level or the social/intellectual level) that it is one percent talent and ninety-nine percent hard work. Aldous Huxley, in his 'Perennial Philosophy' cites many an example of the arduous tasks undertaken by, what are considered, saints or holy persons. I mean, was this achievement of excellence a breeze, an easy thing for the likes of a Gautama, Christ, Einstein, Hendrix, Carl Lewis, Ponting, Beethoven, Fenelon, Eckhart, St. John of the Cross etc, etc, not to mention Mr. Pirsig's path? Do you have any person in mind for whom the achievement of excellence was mere given? Marsha: Many people thinking it to be too difficult, will never consider trying. Andre: Possibly. The key word here being the 'trying' of course and Dan has already said enough about this. All I am suggesting is that the process should not be underestimated. As some wise man said, imagine the path towards excellence to be one thousand miles. When you are at the nine hundred and fifty mile mark consider yourself to be half way. Marsha: Do you think biological and social patterns are to be suffered? Andre: Depends on what I am engaged with at that moment. When I am devoting myself at the intellectual level I do think they are a pain in the arse sometimes yeah ;-) Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
