--- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, "Jarvis Stamply" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > From: "Ahmed" <> Can you tell me discrimination is not useful in saving > lives, in planning for the future, in discovering and solving interpersonal > issues, and in > > advancing science not only for better physical understanding but also > > spiritual understanding and acceptance? >> > > Have you read Krishnamurti's At The Feet of The Master? It is a great little > book. It also talks about the importance of discrimination. > > That is one thing that I find a bit annoying about Zen. The attitude that > "one size fits all" and that you should eat a shit sandwich and enjoy it as > much as filet mignon. Somewhere it just seems very dumb.
I have found that zen is simple, but life remains complicated. Zen is a simple practice but when we are done we go out and continue to exist in our complicated lives. We have to. It's not practical for most of us to do otherwise. But we are grounded in our zazen, wnd we have our mindfulness and our compassion that we develop in our practice. But the actual situations I encounter remain as complex as before. How do I deal with that? Lets take the precepts. There's the 10 grave precepts. Only 10? Heck no. There's billions of precepts. They manifest in so many different ways in our lives. I once heard "The gates of prajna, samadhi, and sila are as numerous as grains of sand in the river Ganges." (or something like that) That's why 10 precepts aren't "enough" and why they are only training precepts. Living precepts isn't about following rules, it's about manifesting our practice in our everyday lives. The precepts are just a start to guide us. Same goes for wisdom and meditation - there are so many ways these manifest themselves when we actually get out there. I read like crazy - lots of books. Why? Because it's not just about my own life, it's about everybody else too. "Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all." When I try to educate myself on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Greek mythology, Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism etc., that is part of understanding the viewpoint of other human beings. If I'm stuck in my little zen hole that's not going to happen no matter how much compassion I can manifest for them. "All beings" is a lot of freakin' people, and they're NOT going to be Buddhists. So I educate myself to be more understanding and tolerant. But - one thing at a time. When I read I just read. When I sit I just sit. My practice keeps me from getting confused and overwhelmed, and worrying about the complications and contradictions I come across. I put knowledge in my head, then I sit and let it digest. There's a balance to it. -DaveK ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today! Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
