Mayka, I am sorry your continued request has been ignored. As our new member says, people tend to maintain 'certainly'. Meanwhile, there is also a lack of compassion. By the way, how much is a pack of cigarettes in Europe? In Singapore here, you pay SGD12, which is about Eur 6.7. Next time, before you try to quit again, go to China to have full satisfaction first. A pack of Marlboro is only 10 yuan (Eur 1). Anthony
--- On Wed, 27/10/10, Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> wrote: From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, 27 October, 2010, 7:29 PM Anthony: Thanks for the giving up smoking but as I previously said, I don't want to give it up anymore. I struggle for years with it. I asked for help to my sangha and pointed out more than once that it at the time I would have spent a minimum of three months in the PV Monastery, I would have given up smoking for sure. Never had a reply for my continuos request help and now I remain as a smoker because I like to smoke!. Sparkling Lemon refreshment drink mixed with alcoholic beer (2/3 of lemon sparkling drink and 1/3 of beer) is part of the traditional drinks in Spain. It's mostly a summer drink and can't assure you very refreshing and digestive with some summer meals. Here in Scotland the same drink doesn't have the same healthy effect on me. So I don't drink it. I drink natural clear water, coconut water and things like that. But mostly just lots of clear water. Water is actually the drink I most like from all!. Mayka --- On Wed, 27/10/10, Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> wrote: From: Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, 27 October, 2010, 11:19 Mayka, Beer mixed with anything else won't taste good. Cocktails are not made from beer, but wisky, cognac, gin, vodka etc. Meditation should help you give up smoking, if you want. However, you should resist temptation to come back to cigarettes for half a year. After that, it is over, and you feel great. Anthony --- On Wed, 27/10/10, Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> wrote: From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, 27 October, 2010, 3:47 PM Hi Anthony: I don't know because hardly ever drink beer but when I do is with alcohol and mixed with sparkling lemon. I'm an smoker. After different attempts in the past of trying to give up I didn't succeed. Now I don't try to give up any longer. Perhaps smokes gives up on me!. Mayka --- On Wed, 27/10/10, Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> wrote: From: Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, 27 October, 2010, 1:00 Mayka, The alcohol free beer may taste the same, but never 'feels' the same as the real beer. As I told you, my unsuccessful attempts at quitting smoking with expensive nicotine free cigarrettes made things worse. Eventually I succeeded by meditation, believe it or not. Anthony --- On Wed, 27/10/10, Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> wrote: From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, 27 October, 2010, 3:51 AM Anthony: There is also beer without alcohol in Spain. Not sure if in the UK but in Spain definitely is. My younger sister told me and tried myself while I was there. Similar taste as the one with the alcohol. Beer is a drink never enjoyed much on its own. the way I like it is in very hot summer and mixed with 2/3 of gaseosa ( a refreshing sparkling lemon drink) because it's very refreshing. Mayka --- On Tue, 26/10/10, Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> wrote: From: Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, 26 October, 2010, 0:07 Mayka, Of course, always beer containing alcohol. When I first tried to quit smoking, I tried nicotine free cigarettes, and ended up with a double dosage of cigarettes that day. That is a conflict between fun and no fun. Not sure who will win eventually. Anthony --- On Tue, 26/10/10, Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> wrote: From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, 26 October, 2010, 7:01 AM Mike: Do you drink beer with alcohol or without it?. If it's with alcohol, do you mean that you are drunk when you write to us?....Just curious. Whatever you do, drink with mindfulness for best taste and to know what you are drinking. Just kidding! Mayka --- On Mon, 25/10/10, mike brown <uerusub...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: From: mike brown <uerusub...@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, 25 October, 2010, 16:37 Mayka, After a hard days work there's nothing better than to have a few beers and stir things up here a bit. It's 90% ego entertainment and about10% (probably less) has some meaningful value. I enjoy it a lot : ) Mike From: Maria Lopez <flordel...@btinternet.com> To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Sent: Mon, 25 October, 2010 20:11:02 Subject: RE: [Zen] Zen and the Brain Bill, ED and all: Bill wrote: For me the Zen Forum is an e-sangha, somewhere I can go to discuss zen and other related subjects with others. Mayka: Very glad to hear you say this. For me this zen forum is the only place in which I can express myself openly with no consequences of having done so. And because of that I'm able to express always what is in me with no fear or whatsoever. In addition, I find this forum very supportive to myself practise. I really like the variety and mix of different characters participating on it. Each person has a characteristic that is unique to that person. Heart feels taking this posting opportunity to thank all its participants once and again. What about you ED, Mike, Anthony, Chris, Vincent, Mark...? --- On Mon, 25/10/10, billsm...@hhs1963.org <billsm...@hhs1963.org> wrote: From: billsm...@hhs1963.org <billsm...@hhs1963.org> Subject: RE: [Zen] Zen and the Brain To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, 25 October, 2010, 5:00 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: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:zen_fo...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of ED Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 9:43 AM To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Zen] Zen and the Brain Bill, What's the Zen Forum about? Thanks, ED --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, <billsm...@...> 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