Ed, Yes, the attempt at communication using words and sentence fragments that do not themselves reflect dualisms (subject/object) is customary in zen. It's closer to poetry than prose. I picked it up when going through koan study. If you response to your teacher is verbal, it is usually rejected if it is too dualistic in form. Many times responses are non-verbal, like [bow]-[turn around]-[walk away].
I sometimes refer to two different kinds of communication: 'zen talk' and 'talk about zen'. Most of my posts are 'talk about zen', and not a direct expression of zen. This post is 'talk about zen'. The second half of my response below is an attempt at 'zen talk'. ...Bill! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of ED Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 9:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Zen] Re: FW: Quote from St. Thomas Aquinas Bill, Nice succinct answer. And, question: Your zen-like statement in ungrammatical, without subject or object. Is this a zen tradition of speaking, with a view to training the mind out of its customary dualistic mode of experiencing reality? Thank you, ED --- In [email protected], <billsm...@...> wrote: > Mayka and Ed, Or perhaps Bill! would say: 'No effort, no judgment, no grasping, no pushing-away, no concepts - Just THIS! ...Bill! Mayka, Or perhaps as Bill might say: Whatever is happening, the practicing zenist's mind's effort is always directed toward remaining calm, alert and aware in the here and now, in the state of 'just THIS', and as much as possible without judgment, grasping, pushing away, conception-formation or comment. --ED > ED: > > In real life and face to face with people in the arena of zen there are no women or men but just practicioners who sit down together and practice together. There is not as much chatting but all activities are made in minfulness. > > Mayka > Mayka, > You describe situations, preferences, choices and challenges that every human encounters in interactions with other humans in the normal course of life. > The crucial question is: With what sort of mind does a zenist greet them all? > --ED > Chris, ED and all: > > To me is not a question about men or women but human beings. There are times I don't get on with certain type of men and there are times I find difficult to get on with certain type of women. There are very competitive men and there are very competitive women but there are also all those to whom value the most the quality contact they have with other human beings regardless they are men or women. In real life I also have some male friend to whom first encounter was a disaster and then after some disagrements and fights become very close friends. There is no difference here for as long as the person in front of us is of the same wave of thinking. > > Mayka __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5616 (20101112) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5616 (20101112) __________ 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! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> 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/
