Lana, There are times that quietude and solitude are helpful in zen practice, especially in the beginning. But eventually you have to bring your practice into the 'real world'. Zen is everyday life. You should be able to maintain Buddha Mind in the middle of Times Square New York City during rush hour just as well as in a cave in Tibet.
...Bill! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Lana M. Gibbons Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2010 7:30 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Zen] New Member It seems to me that traditional buddhists were able to step away from the world and dedicate themselves to their studies, some did not even have to do chores! Only the teachers really needed to interact with outsiders and even then, they only really interacted with those who were interested in learning (or thought they were interested in learning). In the reality of today's world, unless one was born into a rich family, one has to work for their living. One has to be a part of a society made up of the self-indulgent and dualistic, somehow maintaining no-mind despite constant contact with those who truly are suffering: all while knowing self-realization is something they have to attain on their own. -Lana On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 4:35 PM, Rose P <[email protected]> wrote: Good question Lana. It would be great to have more discussion in this forum about the nitty gritty of dealing with people in the world. Rose So I ask: How do you interact with the people in this world? __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5646 (20101124) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 5646 (20101124) __________ 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/
