--- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> I agree with accepting things as they are, but one must clearly understand
> what that means. Things as they are are what reality is. However many
> mistakenly think that means Buddhists must be passive and submissive. Not at
> all. The correct understanding is that a Zen person can work actively to
> change things in the world. After all whatever the results one accepts
> reality even if one is in the process of actively changing it to a new
> accepted reality. Whatever happens and is in the moment is reality and is
> accepted but there are many forces working to change that in the next moment
> and one can actively be one of those forces and still accept what is.
>
> The key is that 'accept' means to recognize what is as reality. It doesn't
> mean one need accept (in the sense of submitting to passively) injustice and
> suffering without doing anything about it. After all if one changes it that
> becomes the new reality which in its turn is accepted as reality.
>
> Edgar
>
> Hi Edgar. This wasn't aimed at me, but I am feeling chatty today.
I hope you don't mind if I offer my opinion. I am a big advocate
of working to de-condition negative habits. But I don't advocate
this in order to "become awakened". I advocate this in order to
be free from negative habits which interfere with my, and other
people's, happiness. However, I no longer think that I, that is,
my personal ego, is "doing" it. And I don't think that working to
de-condition negative habits causes people to wake up, any more than
I think that pinching yourself in a dream causes the dream to end.
Namo Amitabha! (Who is reciting the Buddha-Name?)
Steve
>
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