Bill, Thank you. Anthony --- On Mon, 18/10/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Zen] Questions, questions, question To: [email protected] Date: Monday, 18 October, 2010, 10:59 AM I want to expand a little on one of my answers below to avoid misunderstanding… The posting exchange was: [Anthony] But we can try to use our finger to point to the Moon. [Ed] In the final analysis one must just have faith in the reality of 'Buddha mind', yes? [Bill!] Yes! My answer Yes!, that you do have to have faith in Buddha Mind is meant for the period BEFORE you experience Buddha Mind/Nature for yourself. AFTER that it is experience, not faith. I often use the word 'zen' as short for 'zen practice', and when I do I don't distinguish between the phases of zen practice. There are 2 distinct phases: one before experiencing Buddha Nature and one after. There is also an 'transition phase', especially in Rinzai (See, I spelled it right this time!) Zen Buddhism koan study, where the experience of Buddha Nature is often so sudden that it takes a period of follow-on training to successfully reconcile and integrate that experience into your everyday life. It is not unheard of to divide zen practice into phases like this. Take for example the 10 (or 8) Ox Herding phases. These are an excellent depiction of the phases one may go through from first wanting a change in your life and having FAITH that you can somehow do that (#1 Seeking the Ox), to full enlightenment, complete integration (#10 Entering the Marketplace With Arms Hanging Loose) - no faith involved here. You can find this set all over the web. One such place is at http://www.terebess.hu/english/oxherding.html. …Bill! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 9:29 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Zen] Questions, questions, question Anthony and Ed, My comments are embedded below: [Anthony] Zen is illogical, so undefinable. [Ed] To an individual student, the utterances of his Zen master may appear to be none, one or both of {logical, not-logical} simultaneously. In other words, Zen is beyond logic, or is it? [Bill!] Zen is allogical – not confined or restricted by logic. [Anthony] But we can try to use our finger to point to the Moon. [Ed] In the final analysis one must just have faith in the reality of 'Buddha mind', yes? [Bill!] Yes! [Anthony] For instance, zen strives to see and realize your own Buddha nature. [Ed] Is 'Buddha nature' definable? [Bill!] Not really. We have a lot of answers to that question – such as Mu, The Cypress Tree in the Garden, A Dried Shit-stick, and Just THIS! [Anthony] What the hell is the use of Buddha nature? Don't worry, as long as that makes you happy. [Ed] I have good reason to believe that experiencing my Buddha nature would make me a much happier person. But if that were my only motivation, would that not be unacceptable in Buddhism? [Bill!] Zen/Buddha Nature is of no practical use. It is the absence of illusions and therefore the absence of attachments. Without attachments there is an end to suffering, but and end to suffering is not the same as happy. Happy, suffering, etc…, are illusory dualisms which evaporate with the awareness of Buddha Nature. …Bill! /www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5540 (20101017) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5540 (20101017) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5540 (20101017) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com
