Chris,
Do you not believe that there *is* merit in discussing various possible motivations for Zen practice, and what we hope to gain from it for ourelves and/or for humankind (if anything at all?) Thanks, ED --- In [email protected], ChrisAustinLane <ch...@...> wrote: > > Pardon my intrusion into this interchange, but I strongly feel that why is a question each person must wrestle with for themselves. > > You seem to have an intellect very activated with a lot of questions with a lot of energy behind them. If you are content with that way of living, and it seems you are, then you need not undertake a practice of sitting. > > Thanks, > Chris Austin-Lane Bill, That may well be the case. Does it automatically follow that others ought to spend enormous amounts of time and energy attempting to attain the same mind-state, and if so, why? --ED > Ed, > > I am convinced that I have met, interacted with and witnessed several > modern-day zen masters that were able to hold Buddha Mind in their everyday > life: Koyru Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, Dae Soen Sa Nim and Tetsugen (Bernard > Glassman) Roshi before he was a Roshi and was the Senior Monk at ZCLA under > Maezumi Roshi immediately come to mind. This is not to say I believe they > held Buddha Mind 24x7, but certainly could move to that stage pretty much > whenever they chose to do so. > > I have also interacted with many (100's) others that could hold Buddha Mind > in varying degrees of a controlled environment - like performing their > housekeeping jobs in the zen center, or while they are at a supermarket > shopping for groceries. > > ...Bill! > Bill, > How would one recognize a Buddha Mind in the real world? Has there been or > is there any roshi in America who has been an exemplar on how to manifest > Buddha Nature in the real world? > --ED > > 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!
