Perhaps it is useful to remind ourselves that "enlightenment" is a Christian term and concept. The historical term associated with Zen is awakening, which is much less absolute and much more capture
On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 9:40 AM, ED <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote: > > > > > > So, ED, it sounds like for you a path of social service or of engaged > > compassion would be more appealing than a path of meditation. That seems > > fine. > > I said was unimpresed by a person's enlightenment, if it does not push > him toward devoting his energies to the benefit of humanity and Gaia. > > One of the Zen teachers in my locality together with a group of > practitioners visits prisons and establishes meditation groups. > > > > > Zen advertises itself as being of no merit, no goal, and it does indeed > seem > > to meet that promise. If zen underwhelms you, do not pursue it. > > I am not at all underwhelmed by Zen; I am delighted with it. > > I am underwhelmed by those who become enlightened and whose enormous > expenditures of time and energy have little to show in terms of benefit to > humankind and Gaia. > > Zen was my first love and is still one of my great loves. I pursue it > because for me it assisted/assists the process of cutting through confusion, > and in centering the mind. > > > > If the mere idea of the zennists doing this practise and finding > something > > to enjoy offends you, ... > > Au contraire, if a person does Shikantaza because he enjoys doing > Shikantaza, I would call him a natural and normal human being seeking joy, > pleasure and satisfaction. > > > > > > > > > >
