Edgar, I stand corrected. Good to hear from you...Bill!
--- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgaro...@...> wrote: > > Correction Bill - those are my words, not Al's. You should know that as we > discussed it when I wrote them and updated the Home Page..... > > Edgar > > > > On Oct 25, 2010, at 12:00 AM, <billsm...@...> <billsm...@...> wrote: > > > Ed, > > > > To the best of my knowledge the Yahoo! Zen Forum was established by Albert > > Batista in 2002. Al does not participate often now, but has entrusted the > > Moderator's role of the forum to Edgar Owen (who also doesn't now > > participate very often) and me. As part of the Zen Forum Home Page > > description of the forum Al wrote: > > > > "We believe that true Zen is a realization and way of life which may be > > found and practiced anywhere and is not confined within the gates of any > > particular temple or sutra. While many of our members have studied Zen > > formally we are not constrained by any particular teaching and seek to cut > > directly through to reality wherever we may find ourselves. > > > > Thus you will find this group a fun and freewheeling group that brings many > > interesting and diverse perspectives to a serious and sometimes passionate > > discussion of Zen. We welcome all new members at whatever level with an > > interest in Zen and enlightenment to participate. On this group we are all > > students, and all teachers!" > > > > That is as an official answer as I can give you. > > > > Of course each participant may have different reasons for participating in > > this forum, and would therefore have different opinions on what the zen > > forum `was about'. > > > > For me the Zen Forum is an e-sangha, somewhere I can go to discuss zen and > > other related subjects with others. > > > > What do you think the Zen Forum is `about'? > > > > Bill! > > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > > Of ED > > Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 9:43 AM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain > > > > > > > > Bill, > > > > What's the Zen Forum about? > > > > Thanks, ED > > > > --- In [email protected], <BillSmart@> wrote: > > > > > Ed, > > > > The one constant theme that runs through your comments below is that > > `prior > > to kensho (glimpsing Buddha Nature) it is okay to engage in intellectual > > activities that you think help you understand zen'. > > > > Zen is not something you can understand. You can form concepts and > > opinions > > about zen, but they are not zen. Any attempt to understand zen at best > > will be unhelpful, and at worst will be misleading and detrimental. > > > > A few posts ago I posted comments that I labeled as `logical' > > and > > `alogical'. The `alogical' comment was actually not > > presented alogically. > > It was a logical presentation of the concept of something alogical. > > Since > > it's relevant here, and since I'd also like to correct that > > error on my > > part, I now present an alogical response to your comments post below. It > > can also be directed at Mike's recent comments on the same subject. It > > is a > > paraphrasing of a story of an excellent alogical response given by an > > historical zen master: > > > > Ed approached Joshu in all earnestness, "I want to practice zen. > > I've read > > many books on zen, meditation and consciousness. I keep up-to-date on > > all > > the latest discoveries in the realm of physiology and psychology that > > relates to zen. Please give me instructions." > > > > Joshu asked, "Have you eaten your lunch yet?" > > > > Ed replied, "Yes I have. I just got up from the table, and I know > > from my > > studies that when I eat my body redirects a large portion of my blood to > > my > > digestive system and that results in decreased ability to concentrate, > > so I > > probably shouldn't sit zazen right now. What do you recommend?" > > > > Joshu replied, "Wash your dishes." > > > > adapted from JOSHU'S"WASH YOUR BOWLS", Case 7 THE > > GATELESS GATE > > > > Bill! > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature > > database 5560 (20101024) __________ > > > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature > > database 5560 (20101024) __________ > > > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ 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/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! 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