--- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@...> wrote:
>
> Steve,
>
> When I was about 17 I read a poem which has struck with me upon reading it:
>
> The centre that I cannot find
> Is known to my unconscious mind.
> I have no reason to despair
> Because I am already there.
>
> Now, why did that particular poem, not only resonate, but also never get
> forgotten? For me, it's an expression of Truth and Truth will always find a
> way
> to express itself. 'I' was defenceless in face of this and gradually over
> many,
> many years (I'm 46 now!) the wall has been weakened until there was
> just enough
> of a crack to let the Light shine thru. Who can take credit for this?
>
> Mike
> Â
>
> Hi Mike. I notice that you are widely educated in mystical
spirituality. You doubtless are aware that it all comes down
to two approaches: Self-Inquiry and Surrender. You find this
also in Mahayana Buddhism. Zen is jiriki, self-power, while
Pureland is tariki, other-power. So you can either single-mindedly
pursue "Who am I?", or you can let go of all self-will and let
Truth express itself in it's own good time, in it's own way.
These approaches seem contradictory until you realize that in
either case it is a matter of transcending the personal ego.
If we practice zazen with the feeling that we, as independant
agents, are working to become enlightened, then that is using the
ego to try and transcend the ego. But when the Light shines
through, then you realize that the supposedly individual ego
doing anything on it's own was a dream. But the moment we try to
think and speak about it, as I am doing now, then again we are
trying to step outside of THIS in order to think and speak about
THIS. What is THIS? I bow to the Infinite Light!
Steve
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